NFL American Football @ Wembley?!?

[Keef]

No need to get all arsey correcting the man's grammar, and I can assure you, Ivemet wouldn't put up a sign saying anyone should "keep out" (except possibly the French).

I personally don't want it over here because it's a fcuking boring sh!t game, end of!

I do however think taking proper football over there is a good idea. They love rounders, and made that in to a national sport, one day they'll learn about football. Only problem is they don't like games with small scores, so well have to think of ways to make matches end 10-9 all the time.

[mockney piers]

"I personally don't want it over here because it's a fcuking boring sh!t game, end of!"

Excellent, my sentiments exactly!!!

And no, that's not anti-americanism, I got quite into baseball when I was over there last.

Also watched USA v England (in the 'soccer') and the local crowd were really enthusiastic, knew their stuff and it was a sell out crowd (and they laughed a lot when we started singing are you scotland in disguise).

It's far and away the biggest participation sport out there, but it isn't breaking the mainstream because the networks have no interest in showing it; I guess no big mega deals with GM wanting to be associated with the sport.

[*Bob*]

Baseball has many similarities with cricket, and does (American) football with rugby. Like most sports watched by millions of people, they're watched for a reason, but you need to get into them.

I've only watched one American Football game - but that was all down to a free $1000.00 money-back bet offered by one of the online gambling places - which made it a tad more interesting.

[*Bob*]

Incidentally, the reason most non-US sports will never 'make it' onto the mainstream networks over there is because they don't fit with the constant demand of advertising breaks - something which American football and baseball seem to be built around.

[mockney piers]

I was stunned to see that during breaks in the baseball, they really do have bad organ music and huge trucks that drive on to the pitch (ground, diamond...whatever), get draped with scantily clad ladies advertising balsa wood and garden shears.

I thought it was just the Simpsons taking the p!ss.

[Jah Lush]

Why do they call it football? It's anything but. There is only one player employed to put the ball over the posts for a conversion, the rest of the time he's sitting on his arse on the bench. I could do that. Piece of cake.

[gerry]

Yes, I guess it is better to watch men drunk, singing, fighting, and being arrested - here and abroad. American sports do not suffer from the 'bad press' that British sports tend to advertise......why is that?

[Keef]

Because everyone has fallen asleep watching them, thus leaving them incapable of fighting.

I stayed up to watch the Stones do the half time at superbowl a year or 2 ago, and just couldn't believe how long the game went on for. It is basically a cool game, but it has far too many breaks, so 20 seconds left on the clock can last half hour! That for me just takes all the excitement away.

Please don't make this an English Vs America thing though Gerry, it's really not, it's just opinions on a game. I can't stand Rugby League because it's too start stop, it just doesn't do it for me.

[gerry]

Keef, the thread started out with anti-american undertones. I was simply responding to it. I agree that advertising is a pain when watching the sports live or on TV, but that's how corporate America supports the teams. Here it is done differently. Maybe that is the issue - things are different, not better or worse.

[mockney piers]

Again agreed, I like Union, but League just doesn't do it for me, it has less finesse than Union, well, usually.

Better or worse? I can't believe that 3 and a half hours of time outs and adverts interrupted by number of plays is better than 45 minutes a half uninterrupted (or 40 for rugger, or 35 for hurling).

If the game's your thing then great, I'm glad for you, but you're not going to persuade me of that.

[SimonM]

>>Simon, are you being just a bit prejudice?<<

Not at all - I was quoting (hence the inverted commas) Ambrose Bierce, himself an american of course..

[gerry]

Not trying to persuade. I wonder what the Olympics will look like on TV with their adverts? Don't mean to change the subject.

[SimonM]

Why should there be adverts if the Beeb show them?

[gerry]

Not sure who will be showing them......does anyone know who's got the contract?

[mockney piers]

I reckon there's a pretty watertight case for it being of national interest, so I can't imagine there won't be BBC coverage, though it'll probably be shown by at least ITV too.

[ivemet-jimmy]

Gerry, I can asure you that I have nothing againsed the Americans! Or even American football for that matter! I have a problem with the NFL!! Surely we should be promoting Our own American football teams?!? Teams from the NFL could come over once in a while for an exibition match to promote the game? In the same way they took MLB to Japan merely to promaote the game! And now Baseball in Japan is huge! If I moved to Australia, I would understand that I would be leaving Premiersship footy behind and would be joyed to see teams come over for pre season friendlies. But I wouldnt expect anything more. In fact im sure I would be incouraged to support what ever local team I happened to be near!

P.s Sorry if my spelling isnt up to scratch!

[gerry]

Just for the record and to end the debate, our American friends who came over to support their teams on Sunday at the game were full of praise for the British organisation of the event, enjoyed the strong sense of friendship between the Brits and Americans at the game, and were very let down by how sloppy both teams played. They hoped that this would be the beginning of more international matches/games, and a better understanding of the rules of football/soccer/baseball/cricket/rugby/rounders etc.

[SimonM]

>>I reckon there's a pretty watertight case for it being of national interest<<

Quite so. What government would dare spend umpteen billion pounds of tax-payers' money on the Olympics and then not have them made available to the widest audience possible?

[ivemet-jimmy]

What I would like to see is 1 or 2 NFL teams coming over for a round robin tournament with our own Teams thus Promoting the game and international relations and raising the profile of our teams as well as the NFL teams!! I cant help thinking that it was a selfish excersize simply to make money??

[mockney piers]

"Quite so. What government would dare spend umpteen billion pounds of tax-payers' money on the Olympics and then not have them made available to the widest audience possible?"

Totally agree but it wouldn't be the first time this lot got us to pay for something and then mortgaged it off to a bunch of PFI no hopers only for us to have to pay for it again, and then pay for it again when we bail it out or renationalise it.

<\rant>

But even they might draw the line at selling the coverage off to Sky (fingers crossed).