National Football League

I only ever watch the SuperBowl really, and I don't always watch that. I just can't get into the sport. It is similar to rugby and despite the welsh stereotypically being huge on rugby, I'm more of a football guy (the real football 😉 )... although if I had to pick a team to support, it probably would be the Packers. Have no reason other than I remember watching the year they won the SuperBowl (2010? 2011?) and enjoying the game.

2010 season, best year of my life Rhys because of that super bowl lmao

Its getting more popular over here, There is a weekly round-up show on national TV and they show a few live games.

I don't really get the appeal. I watched one game for 50 minutes and they had only played 25 minutes of game time. Every time there was a stoppage, they would cut to adverts, then to the presenters for game analysis. Followed by scores of other games plus highlights of touchdowns. By this point, the game I was watching was ready to go again. The QB throws it down field, the runner gets tackled, game stops and we're back to adverts. Rinse & repeat the above. The game was way to slow paced compared to football.

One thing I did think was brilliant was the camera angles they produced. They were able to shoot from the middle of the field which you don't get with football. I also like the camaraderie the sport brings to the fans. The car-park parties they do. Fans BBQ'ing in the car park before the game always makes me laugh. Watching Friday Night Lights, you do get the sense of importance the game has and how it brings communities together. It's pure Americana, no other nation can replicate.

Yeah the one time I watched a game it was far, far too slow for my liking, with the constant breaks in play and adverts really putting me off. But I do think it's pretty cool  the way it seems to bring fans together. I love looking at the food platters people make for them and their friends.

You get used to the ad breaks really. I agree there are way to many. At the end of a drive they go to ads, then come back for the kickoff, go back to ad, then come back for the start of the next drive. That drives me nuts. But we're all so passionate about it I guess we don't care. Watching football on Sundays is something you look forward to all week and dedicate a whole day to doing! Just like any sport, once you understand the rules, I think it gets alot more fun to watch. I don't understand anything about Soccer really and that is probably why I dont enjoy it.

We're so ingrained in watching football where there are no ads until half-time, it's going to be a hard sell. I think its a lot more strategic than football. The way the game constantly stops, its like the coach is preparing his team for a military operation. Switching QB's for a different offensive pattern, bringing on certain players for different plays. I think one point on Friday Night Lights, they brought on the "special team" mid game like they were the Navy Seals, coming on to get shit done.

Another thing I like is how they throw the ball from peculiar angles with so much speed and zip. I think I prefer the romance of the game, than the game itself.

I've seen every episode of Friday Night Lights, great show. Also the movie is great. But High School Football is so much different than Pro Football. Because in High School you have to go out there with what you got at your school. In real life usually there are only one or two really good players on a high school football team. The quarterback position doesn't mean to much until you get to the pro ranks. In the pro ranks the QB is the most important position. You dont see teams really go to the Super Bowl without a good QB. Of course their are exceptions. I guess its kind of a complicated game really, especially at the pro level. There are so many rules about everything. It helps to watch games with people who know the game to get it. See I don't think the game stops all to much, like inbetween plays, thats just the game to me. I enjoy watching them make substitutions and watching all the handle signals and packages pre play. Now teams are going to the no huddle too, so less teams are huddling before the next play. It seems fast paced to me, maybe because ive watched it all my life.

Kind of rambling now, but I can answer any questions you guys may have about football. "american football". I'd like to consider myself pretty smart about it.

There's an excellent 6 part documentary on Netflix called Last Chance U. It follows an American football team at a Mississippi community college who have ended up there because of poor grades at high school or kicked out of college. Their goal is to pass their classes and go to colleges on a football scholarship. A lot of them excel on the football field but not in the class-room. At the start of the series, the team are on a 24 match unbeaten run.

There's an excellent 6 part documentary on Netflix called Last Chance U. It follows an American football team at a Mississippi community college who have ended up there because of poor grades at high school or kicked out of college. Their goal is to pass their classes and go to colleges on a football scholarship. A lot of them excel on the football field but not in the class-room. At the start of the series, the team are on a 24 match unbeaten run.

I've watched the first episode of that one. Pretty interesting stuff. Its weird how I've never heard of that team either. Probably because they are like Division 3 college football or something.

That's what I find fascinating. The town has 700 odd residents and a 5000 seater stadium they pack out on game day. People come from the surrounding towns to support them. My hometown has 4000 residents and a football team that plays at a ground with a wooden shack that holds 5 people.

I don't really see where all the money comes from to finance it all. They had 5 different sets of game gear they could choose from. The locker room and facilities are of Premier League football standard. The players have t-shirts, bags, caps, adidas tracksuits, all branded with the teams logo on them. They have at least 5 coaches for the team. You can see why the players feel a heavy burden, they're idolised like superstars by the supporters. I read a review of the show, I think it was in Vice that said win or lose it doesn't really matter because it's low level football. But to those who go every week to support the team, that weird man who growls like a lion, the family grilling sausages at the tailgate party. The mother who's footballing son is at a crossroads of going to college or going to the street corner. This is everything to them, what else do they have to strive for.