WORLD CUP or SUPER BOWL

[MonkeyJuice 3]

My male friends back home refer to 'football' as rugby with shoulder pads. Why is it called football anyway? They rarely use their feet.

I enjoy watching the superbowl but can't be arsed to watch the games every weekend.

Looking forward to watching the footie World Cup. Come on Engerland! :-)

[The_Dude 1,142]

As long as the cheating French side is eliminated, i'll consider it a succesful WC.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I predict they'll annoy everyone and make it to the semi-finals

[The_Dude 1,142]

I predict they'll annoy everyone and make it to the semi-finals

Where the Italians will annoy them and someone will take a red card!

[Empress of Groovy 373]

Go Froggies*! (I like the rooster)

*After the U.S. & England, that is.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Empress of Groovy

[gezzuzz 1]

Do you mean it would never happen in soccer here in the US or anywhere? Because I've travel a lot of miles, over days, for European aways - sometimes to far remote places in Russia, more like planes trains and automobiles! Loved that movie.

i ment travel to the other team and be accepted right in..

[gezzuzz 1]

i ment travel to the other team and be accepted right in..

i will say i find aussie football very interesting.. they even have a team named the saints!! just like in new orleans...

you watch the replay reel from a nfl game.. you never know what you get..

in soccer they show nice plays.. but really there is no dramatic amazing plays that you will never see agian...

of course you going to love what you grew up with.. and maybe i will never understand soccer..

in soccer you take a shot at the goal.. you miss.. thats it... in football.. to take a shot for the endzone... you are off 1 in (2,54cm lol) or one second late on the pass... the ball can be picked off and sent back the other way.. lets say you score was 10-7... you think you about to be 17-7... instead its now 10-14 and you are behind.. what happen? you just have to stand there with that look on your face.. you just drove the ball for 8 mins... you out of energy and you have to get the ball right back... as for the defence... you just dump jet fuel on their fire..

[NotworkSte 19]

gezzuzz - I get your point re Hockey, which is rather fast, however this thread is comparing Football (American) to Football (the game 3 other billion people play with their feet ) And I have to say, even the Italian style you refer to, which is called catenaccio, is quicker than NFL. Remember, unless there is a foul or the ball goes out, the ball is always in motion. Even in the fastest NFL games, the balls stops after every play.

Even in catenaccio, a team can break on the couner and score in under 10 seconds, either with a pass or a run. Passing out this way was a David Beckham trademark.

Being used to the UK style of football though, sometimes the Italian style is hard to watch!

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

gezzuzz - I get your point re Hockey, which is rather fast, however this thread is comparing Football (American) to Football (the game 3 other billion people play with their feet ) And I have to say, even the Italian style you refer to, which is called catenaccio, is quicker than NFL. Remember, unless there is a foul or the ball goes out, the ball is always in motion. Even in the fastest NFL games, the balls stops after every play.

Even in catenaccio, a team can break on the couner and score in under 10 seconds, either with a pass or a run. Passing out this way was a David Beckham trademark.

Being used to the UK style of football though, sometimes the Italian style is hard to watch!

The thing that always bothers me is that Football(american) & Football(world) have absolutely nothing in common with each other except their names. Therefore I never understand why people try comparing them.

Compare US football to Rugby

Compare Baseball to Cricket

Compare Hockey to Soccer

but US football to world football? It doesn't make any sense to me.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I was speaking with a colleague at work who is coincidentally from Sheffield about this thread. His response was "Football is #######, rugby is the king, and american football is tolerable". As he explained it, he liked the physical nature of american football, and most of all rugby.

I can see his point, but I am a fan of both sports. I can enjoy the anticipation and skill of football, and the physical nature of american football.

The thing that always bothers me is that Football(american) & Football(world) have absolutely nothing in common with each other except their names. Therefore I never understand why people try comparing them.

Compare US football to Rugby

Compare Baseball to Cricket

Compare Hockey to Soccer

but US football to world football? It doesn't make any sense to me.

You can compare them under the context of popularity. They are the number one and two most popular sports on the planet.

[NotworkSte 19]

The thing that always bothers me is that Football(american) & Football(world) have absolutely nothing in common with each other except their names. Therefore I never understand why people try comparing them.

Compare US football to Rugby

Compare Baseball to Cricket

Compare Hockey to Soccer

but US football to world football? It doesn't make any sense to me.

aye I hear you. I love both forms of football myself, for very different reasons. Hockey on the other hand, boy did it take me a while to realise what was going on, it was far too fast! I was always a few seconds behind the game.

Now Rugby, there is a game I played (and hated). Many a day spent of a freezing Ballymena pitch, so hard the groud was frozen, in wind and driving rain. Launching into tackles because it would take the mind off the cold. I played for my school, but I never like the game at all. Odd how I loved playing American football so much. Maybe I was just conditioned to hate it from school.

[NotworkSte 19]

i ment travel to the other team and be accepted right in..

Whole different world. Lazio Roma, Barca Madrid, United Liverpool, Rangers Celtic. Games that you go to that make your hair stand on edge, amazing experience. I went once to Giants Redskins and the supporters were intermingled, there was no rivalry to speak of, the mood was very flat and the chants basic and no songs whatsoever. The only trouble arose at the start when someone got shouted down and nearly got an #### kicking for not removing his baseball cap when the national anthem was sung at the start. It was all quite pally pally, people spoke to each other, and dare I say a little boring! Lovely day out in the sun and a decent game too.

Rob and Mel -> Your comment made me laugh out loud, I am sure most of Ireland probably agrees with you, I do!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Damian mentioned he didn't understand why we cared about college sports, yet they are probably the only American sports that come anywhere near the tribalism of soccer/football. I personally love my college team but NFL bores me. Sure the Red Sox (and every other right thinking person) hate the Yankees and the Raider fans are a little crazy, but nothing here comes close. Some times this is a good thing but mostly it's the thing that makes soccer/football a lot more fun.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Damian mentioned he didn't understand why we cared about college sports, yet they are probably the only American sports that come anywhere near the tribalism of soccer/football. I personally love my college team but NFL bores me. Sure the Red Sox (and every other right thinking person) hate the Yankees and the Raider fans are a little crazy, but nothing here comes close. Some times this is a good thing but mostly it's the thing that makes soccer/football a lot more fun.

I completely agree about university sports. You can see it in the stadium, and feel the vibe there. It has a visceral effect on me when I go back to watch games. It's as if "Drunken rabid 19 year old" me comes out. I always felt that it stemmed from my years at university. I knew some of the players, I saw them on the field, and on campus, at parties. They weren't aloof millionaires that some of them are now who you only read about in the newspaper or see on t.v.. I felt more connected to the college team.

However, I don't think that the passion and sometimes violence at college sports, or even raiders games can rival that of a good derby match. The most fun I think i've ever had at a sporting event was at the Glasgow Rangers vs. Celtic match when I was 19. The entire day was like one giant drunken pary that bordered on a riot. But I guess the mischief isn't for everyone. It was fun, but not scary like going to Millwall as an away supporter.

[babito 29]

After reading stuff on this thread and the excitement I had on the European/English Premier league and up to FA Cup finals, I can now compare the feelings we will have during the World Cup. It takes a whole month but each day/game is so crucial in determining who is the the REAL world champion. Teams and individual players work so hard to make a name for themselves and conutry. They will also earn their country rankings. The WORLD CUP involves the whole globe, not just a few countries or just a few states in a country but the entire WHOLE WORLD including USA.

That is what I feel makes the World Cup a great event unlike the Super Bowl. In addition, like many who have already commented, it is the "competitiveness" felt even among the fans on the stands and elsewhere not just players in the fields, but where ever fans will gather to watch the game