NFL game in the U.K.

[mike johnson]

Well, I've heard the argument that soccer is 'continous action'--maybe, but 99% of the 'action' doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Every play in a gridiron game is a shot-on-goal. To each his own, tho, & all that.
It may surprise you to know that in general I agree w/ you. On the one hand, I like having an American game of out own, while the rest of the world has 'their' game.OTOH, I don't like the way US businesses (& now the government) are trying to impose American culture & values on the rest of the world; if I visit Paris, I dont want to be served a Coke; if I walk down a street in Moscow, I don't want to pass a KFC.
I think what the NFL owners are trying to do is increase international awareness of the game so that they can sell merchandise, mainly licensed clothing--there are Big Bucks to be had in this area.

[c.j.jaxxon]

To me cricket IS boring but I have to admit I've seen some college boys years ago when I was practicing my track running skills in high school playing rugby and it IS a pretty ruff sport. I see it's best played after a good rain in a muddy field and it was worth stopping a good sprint around the track to watch.

[c.j.jaxxon]

I second that emotion! Damn! The Bears lost! Oh well next year. Bet you a rematch!

[Bob Singleton]

c.j.jaxxon wrote:

To me cricket IS boring...

[SNIP]





Given the American sports fan's love of (sporting) statistics, I'm surprised cricket hasn't taken off big time in America. However, I can understand why most American's don't like it... it's far too subtle a game for you to appreciate properly.

[c.j.jaxxon]

You know what? I should retract that comment about cricket. Cricket is not a spectator sport. I'm sure it's more pleasurable when it's played than sitting there watching.

[mike johnson]

Well, baseball is full of subtleties & nuances too--a fave of yankee intellectuals.
But you are right in general, Americans lack patience for things, like longer versions of movies ,& a lot of books.

[strasse]

American Football is a subversion of Rugby Football and was called rugby in the US as well until just over a century ago when the rules started changing and it moved away from the original game of rugby. Most of the modifications were made to make it more consumer-friendly but many aspects of what American football was originally remain including the ball shape and the fact that they call it a touchdown, even though you don't have to touch the ball down like you do in Rugby.

All decent teamsports were British inventions, including Baseball which was invented in the 18th century in England as a gentler alternative to Cricket for ladies to play. The first known literary reference to Baseball is in Jane Austens 1797 novel 'Northanger Abbey'.

Cricket was even more central to American sport being played widely up until WW1 and regularly watched by several US presidents. It also and somewhat ironically played an important part in America actually existing at all!

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricket/com ... 11,00.html

[Benny Brando]

It will sell out. See here.

[c.j.jaxxon]

I agree with you to a point but to rename a sport for sake of the original version I doubt will happen. You know I can't understand why you would take offence to a different version of football the way you would play it but remember how so called america came to be, some people didn't agree with something over there so they packed up the ship with the children, the dog, the cat, the inlaws and whatever friends they can find and sailed across the pond to another land and turned it upside down. They call it now the United States of America. So go watch you some FOOTBALL and enjoy.