Why Ive began to like American Sports

[PGaither84]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNT713

This is MY opinion, based on my experience. In the USA, only the 2nd class athletes and children play soccer. If you haven't switched to another sport by the time high school begins, the ability to play sports that utilize catching with the hands is almost out of the question. Personally, I didn't kick a soccer ball until I was in my mid-20's. I'd throw it, basketball dribble and shoot it, but never kick it. There was also a stigma associated with playing soccer that meant a lack of toughness. Having gone to school with two players that went on to being pro soccer players (one in Europe, the other in the US) were still considered 'wimpy' when compared to the other athletes (few of which went pro). I think that's the difference... At least for men. Women playing soccer is cool. Later

Wow TNT... just wow. I don't like Soccer, but I wouldn't call it whimpy or any of the other very disrespectful things you just did.

I am living in Peru now, where Soccer is the national sport, but I just can't get into it. At the same time, I am getting some of the locals into the NFL and they are loving it so far.

The first thing I explain is the basic concept of the game, and then answer questions as they arise while not getting too complicated and listing all of the possible exceptions. Instead, I address the exceptions when they arise instead of overwhelming someone... which in my opinion is one of the best ways to teach.

The first thing I explain is that the field is 100 yards long and when a team has the football, they are given 4 tries to gain 10 yards or more. If they are successful, they earn a new set of 4 tries to gain an additional 10 or more yards, but the attempts do not accumulate. If your team fails to gain the needed yards, you forfeit the ball.

Next, I explain there are two ways teams try to move the ball. The first is by running it. The second is by throwing it. Play stops if the person carrying the ball is tackled to the ground or exits the field of play. Play will also stop if they attempt to throw the ball, but nobody is able to catch the pass.

Finally, I explain scoring and kicking. Teams can score one of three ways:
1.) By getting the ball carrier into the end zone for a Touch Down. This is worth 7 points [yes, it is only worth 6, but keep it simple]
2.) By kicking a Field Goal. Kicking the ball between the Large Metal goal posts. This is worth 3 points. This is easier to do than scoring a Touch Down, so kicking two Field Goals isn't as valuable as scoring one Touch Down.
3.) The least common way to score is to push the other team backwards into their own end zone. They are pushed so far back, they have no where else to go. This is worth 2 points and you are awarded the ball.

Once this is understood, we talk about the basic strategy of Punting. After that, questions are asked and answered as we watch a game.

[PGaither84]

Quote: Originally Posted by ukredskin

if i was younger and had the money id of gone to the states and become a kicker.

Quote: Originally Posted by TheDelta

Kicking a ball "american football style", from my personal experience, is actually VERY different from your typical soccer technique, so it's not like anyone who's a good shot at soccer would automatically be a good gridiron placekicker.

Delta is correct. Kicking a football is much different. It isn't a matter of being more or less difficult, just a different skill set. Also, it isn't just about distance, it is just as much about accuracy.

Where I grew up and went to school, both Football and Soccer were played. In fact, from what I am told, we had one of the better soccer teams in the local league, though I never really followed our team or the sport.

Well, one of the things the JV and Varsity coach would try to do was recruit some of the soccer players to try out for Kicker or Punter. It's just different. It is easier for a soccer player to convert than it is for an inexperienced player to learn from scratch, but there is still a learning curve.

Also, there is the pressure. Not only do you have 11 people trying to block the kick, but the game could very well be on the line.

[Kahuma]

I grew up here in the US so I am a American Football fan all the way. I knew little of the rules and play of Soccor, but I slowly learned by watching and asking questions.

American Football Pros

- Excitment; anyone can score anytime and any play.

- Compeditiveness; Does the phrase 'Any Given Sunday' mean anything to you?

- Diversity; players size, coaching strategies and gameplans, etc.

- Salary Cap and offseason; Cap does a very good job in avoid teams to just spend money on all the talent, while does do spend there still a system in place to help prevent one team dominating every single year.

- Overtime; I love the NFL's overtime rules (Even before the change). It helps puts ephasis on defense and stopping your opponent as much as it does scoring.

- Stats; as perviously mentioned, football is as much as a numbers game as it is a physical one and stats are the core of all that.

Cons

- Breaks; commercials are too LONG. I wouldn't say there are too many, because they really only happen after kickoffs, XPs, challenges, injuries punts, timeouts, and end of quarters. So there are things going on, I just think they need to be shortened.

- Commish; this is not a stab at Goodell. I believe having a sole commissoner for any sport should not be the case and I think it has been evidenced in American Football. I'd suggest a mixed committee of former players, coaches, GMs and referees only. You should have a set experience requirement involving the NFL on-and-off the field.

Soccor Pros

- Icon; Soccor, or Football, is an Earth pastime and is the most popular sport in the world. If anything it does deserve respect.

- Referees; An odd thing to praise don't you think? I actually like the referee system FIFA has in place (Though I do not know all of it). I understand it would not work for American Football but I do think it is a better system for their sport than ours is for American 'Ball.

Cons

- Scores; everyone know soccor games are typically low-scoring and the excitment level only really arises once a team is signifigantly inside the opponents territory.

- Pace; when on a role the pace seems good but far tooo often do teams spend minutes passing the ball back and forth.

- Value of Home/Away point; I admitt I was not aware of this perviously until I read the post here and it does seem odd to me. While I understand home field advantage is just that, do you think it impacts enough to reduce the value of goals scored?

I admit I am not as knowledgable in reguards to Soccor as I am American Football, or even close or that matter. So if I made an error I apologize, also know that this obviously is not a complete list but a quick few things I could think of in a short notice.

[TheDelta]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kahuma

- Value of Home/Away point; I admitt I was not aware of this perviously until I read the post here and it does seem odd to me. While I understand home field advantage is just that, do you think it impacts enough to reduce the value of goals scored?

Note that this real is only used for international or other cup games, it doesn't exist for regular season league games, of course.

Because in most of national and international european cups, in the knockout stages, there's always two games, so that each team gets a home game. In the end, the aggregate score between those games decides which team advances. The "away goal rule" only comes into effect when the aggregate score is a tie, in this case, the team that has score more "away goals" than the other advances, only if that's a tie as well (i.e. both games had the same exact result) is there extra time and potentially a penalty shootout after that.

The rule was originally intended as an incentive for the away team not to play too defensively, what it really does is motivate the HOME team to play as defensively as possible, because in a game as low-scoring as soccer, conceding one goal at home, even if the game ends in a 1-1 tie, really puts your team in a tough spot because if the second game would end 0-0, you would be eliminated because of the away goal.

Soccer is a very defensive game by default, I just don't think we need rules to give teams even more reason to play all-out defense, in front of their own home crowd, at that.

It's pretty similar to the failed "golden goal" rule of the 90s, it was intended to motivate teams to score in extra time and not just play out the clock to try your luck on the penalties, what it really did was motivate teams to play extra defensively because if you played aggressively, there's always the chance you concede a goal to a counter play, and with the golden goal rule in effect, that meant an immediate game over, without the rule, at least they had some more time to try and score to tie it up again.

[TNT713]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheDelta

Soccer is a very defensive game by default,

I think this is a very politically correct way to sum up my opinion of soccer... I think I'll begin using it instead of my previous description of the sport,

"The only sport where they don't even try to score."

Later

[Kahuma]

Quote: Originally Posted by TNT713

I think this is a very politically correct way to sum up my opinion of soccer... I think I'll begin using it instead of my previous description of the sport, "The only sport where they don't even try to score." Later

I think you are being a bit harsh, but reguardless I think it being a defense game has to do with how hard it is the score to begin with.

In Football you have multiple ways of scoring, Offensive Touchdowns, Field Goals, Safeties, and Defensive touchdowns. In soccor there is only one way to score.

Soccor would be much more exciting on a smaller field I believe, less players. Much easier to score.

I feel Soccor can be compared to Hockey and Basketball, more the former.

Scoring is easier because they dont have to go 100 yards to score one point.
And Soccor has a similar 'Power Play' except players don't get to come back in after a red card.

All in all I say Smaller Field/Fewer Players on the Field = More Excitement.

[kaymagic91]

U guys have to ask yourselves why the rest of the world finds it exciting lol.

Funnily enough me being from England i actually thought football was boring when i was younger, i would watch 90 minutes of men running around and the score ending up 0-0 lol.

But like most sports its when you fully understand those little things like rivalries,strategy etc thats when you can enjoy.

I thinks its hard for Americans to appreciate soccer because it contrasts with what you consider sport.(loads of points, small fields, feet only used for running, breaks etc).

[Kahuma]

I think your assessment is awfully wrong, kaymagic91.

Firstly, feet not only used for running has nothing to do with it. I think Soccer was lost in the United States because of how many other sports we, as Americans, have invented. They will always be more popular than foreign Sports.

Soccer, or a form of it, has been around for a very very very very veryyyy long time.

Basketball is gaining great International Attention along with Baseball, but previously these were on the same boat as American Football.

The only reason American Football is so often compared to Soccor is for the sole fact that they have the same name.

If American Football was called, say, Throwball then we would not be comparing them two right now.