Football vs Football

Being an American in England, I often get asked the question, “Which do you like more, Football [soccer for you Americans reading this], or American Football”. When I weigh all the pros and cons, real football [soccer] will always come out on top for me. That is not to say that I don’t love American football too. So here are a few thoughts on the merits of the two different games.

Real Football
First of all, at least the name makes sense for this sport. With limited subs, the 11 players on each team have 90 minutes in which they fight it out. The clock is continuous, so the game can really flow. Once the coach has prepared the team with a game plan and a formation, he has little impact on the activity on the pitch. Every player has to be intelligent, fulfilling multiple roles; everyone attacks when in possession and every one defends when the opponents have the ball. The game is truly international, with great players coming from all over the world. In addition to all of the great local rivalries that exist in various countries, there are great rivalries between club teams from different countries. Every year the very best teams in the world battle it out in continental competitions. On a personal level, it is a great sport to play. Though it is not really “safe” (no sport is really safe for me), it is a great way to get exercise and you get a game going with only a small number of people.

American Football
Something happens when the air begins to cool in the fall and there are new smells outside. There is a longing deep down inside me that wants to sit on the sofa and spend the whole afternoon watching the pageantry of American Football. The games are like battles with the coaches as generals and the players like soldiers. Each side tries to carefully execute intricate plays as called by the coach. There are 50 soldiers on each sideline all covered in specialized armour to allow them to best fulfil their role. Though the plays are mostly dictated by the coaches, there is scope for individual brilliance each time the ball is snapped. The best plays are filled with feats of amazing athleticism. The battles become epic as the last two minutes on the clock are drawn out into 20 minutes. Every second a precious commodity and carefully protected through exploitation of the millions of rules of the game.

I have always been a fan of the Chicago Bears. When I first arrived to live in America (1985), Chicago was the first American city I spent time in. That season, the Bears won the Superbowl with larger than life players like “The Fridge”, Walter Payton, and Jim McMahon. Ever since then I have endured endless poor seasons, but from what I gather they are currently one of the best teams in the NFL again. Sadly, I can’t even watch them right now.

Go Bears,

JE