BBC to show NFL games on Monday's

[Alan Medic]

Does anyone here get American football? I understand it to a point and think it's longwinded and boring, but I don't know why Americans like it so much. I heard one broadcaster last night saying how waiting for yesterdays opening match of the season was like waiting for Santa at Christmas.

I presume the BBC are getting some of the action cheaply from the NFL in the hope of expanding its fan base.

[El Pibe]

monday's.......?

I get it insofar as I used to play John Madden's NFL 92 alot, but that was just to annoy my uber competitive sports geek flatmate by beating him.

I found the game tedious* when playing it in five minute quarters on the megadrive.

THe real thing makes me lose the will to live.

It's not knee-jerk anti-americanism either, I really like baseball.

*weirdly as incarnations have become ever more realistic the entertainment value has dropped off accordingly. THe latest games are unplayably boring.

[Loz]

I've been told by people who do like it that it is all to do with the tactics and plays, rather than the spectacle itself. That would mean that it would be pretty hard to get into as a newcomer. I've watched a few games on Sky Sports and Channel 5 and I'm afraid it leaves me cold.

And yet the Yanks think cricket is boring. Each to their own I suppose.

[El Pibe]

"it is all to do with the tactics and plays rather than the spectacle itself"

Indeed it is but even understanding it can't make it interesting for me, sport needs some spectacle. It's too stop-starty.

Cricket may go on for ages, but there's always something going on and when there isn't you get to quaff champagne.

I've always found it ironic that a society hooked on it's own myths about indivuslism and heroes has, as its main national sport, a game that is basically the ultimate team game where everybody has an incredibly limited role that fits into a machine.

Hell they don't even have proper substitutions but entire different line-ups for different plays and whether you're defending or attacking, or kicking.

[El Pibe]

It's communism in action in tell you!!!

[Alan Medic]

It's amazing really that there is one guy in the 'team' that just comes on for kicks (very witty, I know). Imagine applying the American football 'rules' to 'soccer'. There's a corner kick and two new teams come on, a defensive one and an attacking one.

By the way they had a College game in Dublin last week-end at Lansdowne Rd, as a sort of one off. Some 35,000 Americans flew into Ireland for the game which was a big boost to the economy.

[LondonLogCo]

I went to an international school run by Americans. I thought the game looked great, with all that mad kit & make up. But basically you ended up bored, hot or squashed by the fat kid

Imagine all that kit, but with Rugby Union rules

Now, that would be a bit more interesting

NFL IMHO on BBC ?

WTF !

[maxxi]

I actually like NFL football.

Got into it back in the 80s when Ch4 showed a lot of it and even showed 'tutorial' sessions to explain the finer details. Loved watching Joe Montana and Jerry Rice at the SF49ers (even had a 49ers baseball cap back then).

The stop-start nature can be annoying at first but 'downs' are a little like overs in cricket - there are gaps in between and you just have to get used to the rhythmn.

Problem with the BBC is they show a few games but then not the Super Bowl (a bit like MOTD having all the fa cup ties but not the final) so you get used to pundits/presenters and then switch when it comes to the big game.

Go 49ers!

[Alan Medic]

El Pibe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> I've always found it ironic that a society hooked

> on it's own myths about indivuslism and heroes

> has, as its main national sport, a game that is

> basically the ultimate team game where everybody

> has an incredibly limited role that fits into a

> machine.

Surely the quarter back (why is he called that?) has THE most important role?

[El Pibe]

Yeah, like Chairman of the Central Committee;-P

[Huguenot]

Because he's a quarter of the way to the full back?

[DaveR]

I think it's quite difficult to get properly into watching a sport on TV if you've never either played it or watched it live. I love watching baseball (which American baseball fans will say is the true national sport*, historically at least) but that's definitely a result of having been to a few games and getting hooked on the whole experience. I've also been to watch American football and found it much more difficult to get into; as someone said above, the rhythm is like cricket, but to my mind that doesn't work with the nature of the game. The only time it seems to really flow is when the clock is running out and the delay between each down is minimal.

*although these days it could equally be basketball, I suppose.

[maxxi]

You have half backs and full backs in rugby (not to be confused with the three quarters although they are also backs), as well as forwards...

full backs and centre backs in soccer, as well as forwards...

and halfbacks (who can be running backs or defensive backs) quarter backs and full backs in NFL... as well as the forward offensive line...

-though there is a forward line in Aussie rules - and they have centre backs, full backs and half backs, (there are also back-pocket and forward-pocket players too but perhaps that's going too far?)

Now, Hu's on first....

[DaveR]

What about free safeties? To say nothing of tight ends.

[Alan Medic]

You've completely dismissed the hooker and tight and loose heads. As for 1st five eights, you'd probably be lost. Have you mentioned flankers and the fact forwards are not really expected to do the pretty stuff in rugby as they might be in other sports?

[maxxi]

I was concentrating on backs doc to explain the origins of qb, and threw in the forwards as a comparison group; but while we're on the subject I think flankers are expected to do a lot more of the pretty stuff now,(partic' the open-side) - it aint all Mickey Skinner these days.

... oh, and NFL have flankers too - more commonly known as wide receivers...B)

[aquarius moon]

Are the BBC really showing NFL?

If so, brilliant news.

Yes, I do 'get' American football. Used to watch it all the time on Sky sports when it was shown live on a sunday night. Once you know how to follow the game, there's nothing like it.

Go Falcons!

[Alan Medic]

It seems it will be a red button option on the Beeb. Hopefully you have one.

[Applespider]

I love watching the NFL. It's the main reason that I have SKY - plus Game Pass and it will be good to get it on BBC to try to grow the audience.

I started watching it way back when it was on C4 as one of the few things to watch on a Sunday night but really only knew enough about it to have it on in the background. When NFL Europe played, I watched the Claymores every week and that taught me a lot more about the actual flow of the game and much more about the tactics.

I love the combination of strategy, strength and skill. I love the 'any given sunday' aspects of how fast a game can change with multiple quick touchdowns. I love watching that NFL Films shot of a perfect spiral being caught over a receiver's shoulder.

The thing that does strike me about those who complain it's long-winded and boring is that many of them are cricket fans. I mean... it can take 5 days and has mealbreaks! Or snooker fans where 35 frames can take a weekend... 3 hours seems positively lightweight in comparison!

[Alan Medic]

I think half the reason it's so longwinded is because they have to have breaks for adverts.

[ruffers]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2012/aug/31/american-football-kent-state-andre-parker-video - The Worst Play Ever?

I'm another one who kinda got into it when it was on 4 and still watch the occasional game, although to be fair I've probably never seen a whole one. If they're showing the US Monday night football live that's going to be really late I'd have thought? Funny purchase, however cheap, given the current climate.

Having said that I believe Jacksonville Jaguars have committed to being the home team each year for the next few years at the annual Wembley game so maybe it's on the up..

[Pengui]

I'm an American happily living in East Dulwich although now the calendar has turned to September, I find myself mising US football. Are there are any pubs or bars in the area that show games?

[Applespider]

Not as far as I know. I meet up with some other friends and watch it in town at Bodeans in Soho. Not quite as handy as having a bar down the road but then we are spread out across London so it's equally inconvenient to all!

[Pengui]

It was too much to hope for, I suppose.

[El Pibe]

What time of night are they shown, Jamie at Hoopers is usually open to suggestion. If they're outside of licensing hours he could probably sky+ them and show them, worth asking at least