Explain the Football craze to me.

[#Heel1]

I was just watching last nights episode of Raw because I missed it. It came to Santino's entrance and he ripped off jersey after jersey and the ENTIRE crowd popped upon Santino revealing the last jersey. Now, I'm not questioning why they cheered for that team, but rather why everyone cheered? Is football an English rite of passage or something? Is it just something that invades every mans life at one point?

I tried to watch a football game on ESPN the other day and couldn't get into it. Is it too late for me? Or is it just not an American thing? I truly want to understand seeing as its the worlds most popular sport. I just find it odd and can't find any reasoning for why it is second nature in Europe and South America, but Americans seem to stray away from it?

Bonus Question: EDIT: What do you guys think of American football?

 

[Crayo]

The last team was an England shirt, lol. It's London, they'll never pop just for one shirt, they have 5 London teams in the premier league alone, so they were all mixed. Also, Football is MASSIVE here. It's the #1 sport here (like many other countries) by a mile.

The same thing here is for NFL. It's massive in US but it's tiny here, no one will hardly actively watch NFL, where as in America hardly anyone actively watches football (not saying soccer).

 

[Stopspot]

Basically. It's a cultural thing. In basically all other parts of the world Football is a major part of sports culture. In 99% of the cases it's the first sport a kid plays and it just grows into your state of being. It is also a sport that isn't high maintenance meaning it isn't restricted to kids from middle class and upper families due to the cost of gear. Football gear is cheap and consists mainly of shoes, legguards and socks to cover them. Teams will set the kids up with jerseys and such.

I often hear people who don't like football saying its to slow paced. Most often these people are Americans so I don't tend to get upset since they haven't grown up with it. And granted a hockey game is more fast paced and involve more goals but in football the build up to a goal is so much more interesting and fun to watch. Think of it as foreplay and when your team scores a epic collective orgasm. Why Americans decided to create their own brand of football (Handegg) I have no real answer for but I think it stems in patriotism and thinking that America must invent everything or have their own versions of it.

American football is okay if you ask me but I still get peeved when people say its the only real football. When it is played with a egg instead of a ball and using your hands.

Hope it answers your question.

 

[seabs]

Football is probably the easiest way to split a room in the UK. Practically everyone has a team they follow to varying extents, so yeah it's huge over here.

 

[#Heel1]

I figured as much. I had to ask though because it just seems so foreign to me. (pun intended)

A lot of people watch the NFL here but there's also a lot who don't. I primarily watch WWE. I know Sandy Ravage watched NFL, but its really 50/50 out of everyone I've ever met. That's why I was so surprised that every single British user on this forum had another sport in common other than WWE.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Basically. It's a cultural thing. In basically all other parts of the world Football is a major part of sports culture. In 99% of the cases it's the first sport a kid plays and it just grows into your state of being. It is also a sport that isn't high maintenance meaning it isn't restricted to kids from middle class and upper families due to the cost of gear. Football gear is cheap and consists mainly of shoes, legguards and socks to cover them. Teams will set the kids up with jerseys and such.

I often hear people who don't like football saying its to slow paced. Most often these people are Americans so I don't tend to get upset since they haven't grown up with it. And granted a hockey game is more fast paced and involve more goals but in football the build up to a goal is so much more interesting and fun to watch. Think of it as foreplay and when your team scores a epic collective orgasm. Why Americans decided to create their own brand of football (Handegg) I have no real answer for but I think it stems in patriotism and thinking that America must invent everything or have their own versions of it.

American football is okay if you ask me but I still get peeved when people say its the only real football. When it is played with a egg instead of a ball and using your hands.

Hope it answers your question.

In no way is American football supposed to be our 'own brand of football' lmao. It's a completely different sport that they decided to name football. Don't ask me why. I wasn't there.

 

[seabs]

Isn't it something to do with a standard issue NFL ball being a foot long or some shit?

 

[#Heel1]

Well, you don't technically NEED all of the gear to play American football. A standard issue football is anywhere from $9-12. Then you just throw it around and beat each other up.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Isn't it something to do with a standard issue NFL ball being a foot long or some s***?

I've never heard that shit.

 

[Snowman1]

From a quick Google search, the game was originally created from a combination of World Football and Rugby, and the original version of the game did require a lot of kicking. The game was far more popular here than "Soccer" and Rugby, and the "football" name fit the game at the time, so it stuck.

Lots of Americans can't get into world football, we aren't used to waiting 30 minutes for someone to score. But when you sit down and watch it, it feels like the drama keeps building and building and building, and when the goals happen, you just explode.

Savage left, so I think you, me, Dolph's, and Thewindyfan are the only NFL Fans here.

 

[Adam]

Americans "stray away from it" because Americans didn't invent it - this is a fact.

 

[Zamorakian]

I love soccer.

 

[Mmmbop]

Football is pretty much a religion over here in the UK, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger over the years. Getting more and more media coverage and the top players are just celebrities now. It's sad really, I am a huge football fan but I wish it was like the old days when it was a working class game for working class people (mostly) and people would support their local team, not just one of the best 4 or 5 in the country. Basically, in 1992 Sky Sports ruined football but don't get me started on that :annoyed:

I'm actually a huge NFL fan too though, been watching for a few years now and really love it. Great sport. Chicago Bears winning the Superbowl next year, you heard it here first!

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Americans "stray away from it" because Americans didn't invent it - this is a fact.

I don't think you know what the word fact means.

 

[Cloud]

Football is a religion in the UK but it kinda has to do with our drinking culture as well as you can't beat a Sunday off work and a trip to the local or to OT with a few chilled beers and a good group of friends.

NFL is awesome as well though and I wish we had some of ur camera angles for the EPL like in NFL.