Questions for our British friends - Page 140

**ubu55** · January 27th, 2015, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenman

The idea is to put the ball in the net of the opposing team and EVERYONE has a chance of scoring a goal(unlike AF where only the Quarterback can score!!!)

Actually GM, anyone can score, but opportunities are concentrated at certain positions on the offensive side. The quarterback controls the distribution of the ball by passing, handing off, or running himself. Defensive players can score by intercepting a pass or recovering a fumble & taking it over the opponent's goal line.

When the sport began players usually were in for the entire game, both offense & defense, with little or no padding/protection, including helmets... but the number of deaths & serious injuries caused protective equipment to appear or the game might have been outlawed. The number of players going "both ways"

declined steadily, until you have the radical division of labor & physique you see today. Everything from relatively small/normal-sized men to behemoths often over 6'6" & 300+ lbs.

**pierrelm** · January 28th, 2015, 05:27 AM

American football still has a sizeable following over here in the UK and as you may know, there's till talk of trying to bring a franchise to London. The game was formerly broadcast, in highlights form, on Channel 4 - I think this was in the early 1980's and this saw a steady interested following build up, with more local clubs starting, As coverage expanded and moved to a later night spot, this alienated a lot of casual viewers.

There's a couple of features which I think alienate people over here:
It's not a team game - it's a two team game. In cricket we don't field a batting side and a separate bowling/fielding side, yet NFL has two distinct 'units' for offense and defence.
The 'plays' - hell's teeth these make the subtleties of field settings at cricket look like a 'you stand there and catch it if it comes to you' exercise.

The duration - this is the real ballbreaker. Sport is to be enjoyed, not endured. A game lasting an hour takes four. team goes on, team comes off...repeat ad infinitum. Punctuate with constant f'ing adverts and the most anal of analysis to fill the spaces inbetween. You've perfected a sport which is built around constant interruptions!

All this having been said

I quite like the game and used to watch it for around ten years in the 80-90's (my favourite team is The Packers) but nowdays just can't be doing with the disproportionate amount of time it consumes when nothing is actually happening.

**Motorboater** · January 28th, 2015, 05:52 AM

Nup. Not buying the "It takes too long. A one hour game gets drawn out" line. A play happens, you concentrate on it. The plays ends, you can listen and take in the commentators observations, or you can tune out and chat with your friends.

Because of the stop/start nature, you can follow it for those 3 hours. If it required more intense concentration to watch it , you couldn't do it. It how some of us can watch 35 hours of cricket over 5 days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireburning

I see American football as being a bit like chess, especially the first part of play where they are advancing up the pitch.

Aside from being an off-shoot of rugby. American football is based on how wars/battles were fought 100s of years ago?

**dbailey** · January 28th, 2015, 09:12 AM

Aphex1973, The UK is very much worth a visit and there are many fine places to see and study outside of London and Edinburgh.

Most large towns and cites will have local walking groups and also local history groups that can and do publish books and maps of walking paths and local historical colour.

Outside of the towns there are the BIG national walks, you have named the one of them, but there are many more from Offa's Dyke, the Pennine Trail, the High Peaks trails, the Coastal trails and many more.

Potentially you could contact these groups, do the walks and learn the history of servitude, engineering, the industrial revolution and then publish your own book in both countries...something like letters from a small island...oh no..this has been done already, but you get the idea.

We are always happy to get another 'mercan cousin to help us with our tourism efforts.

I for my small part, would like to do the same thing but in the USA and hope to retire with enough health and cash to see all of the USA.

**aphex1973** · January 28th, 2015, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbailey

Aphex123, The UK is very much worth a visit and there are many fine places to see and study outside of London and Edinburgh.

Most large towns and cites will have local walking groups and also local history groups that can and do publish books and maps of walking paths and local historical colour.

Outside of the towns there are the BIG national walks, you have named the one of them, but there are many more from Offa's Dyke, the Pennine Trail, the High Peaks trails, the Coastal trails and many more.

Potentially you could contact these groups, do the walks and learn the history of servitude, engineering, the industrial revolution and then publish your own book in both countries...something like letters from a small island...oh no..this has been done already, but you get the idea.

We are always happy to get another 'mercan cousin to help us with our tourism efforts.

I for my small part, would like to do the same thing but in the USA and hope to retire with enough health and cash to see all of the USA.

Thanks, dbailey! I'm interested in seeing England and getting to know it rather than just getting dropped off with hundreds of other tourists at the Tower of London and being given 30 minutes to take in its 900+ years of history. I'd also rather get to know the locals than get to know other Americans. I can do that right here without spending thousands of dollars.

There are many great trails to walk/hike in the US. We don't have the same kind of infrastructure (pubs, hostels, hotels, etc.) as you may find in the UK, though. The vast majority of our trails are in our national and state parks and are either day trails or camping access only. Two of the best known are probably the Appalachian Trail which runs from Georgia north to Maine and the Pacific Crest Trail which runs from Mexico north to Canada. I really hope that you can make it out here.

Cheers!

fireburning · January 29th, 2015, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierrelm

American football still has a sizeable following over here in the UK and as you may know, there's till talk of trying to bring a franchise to London. The game was formerly broadcast, in highlights form, on Channel 4 - I think this was in the early 1980's and this saw a steady interested following build up, with more local clubs starting, As coverage expanded and moved to a later night spot, this alienated a lot of casual viewers.

I think that programme might have been called "Trash Talk". I know it was basically talk sport, but I don't think I ever saw a whole episode. I know a Superbowl was screened on BBC2 not so long ago, the problem was it was screened at 12am. NFL is quite big with the betting community as is the NHL as the odds are often quite generous.

**DTravel** · January 30th, 2015, 03:26 AM

I wish I could find it again but many years ago I read a very funny piece by an author where he compared American football to soccer/football and how each mirrors how the US and Europe fight wars. From what I remember he characterized soccer as a conflict between light fast units widely scattered running around all over the place, holding no ground, with only the most vague of plans and folding up as soon as you kick them in the shin. American football was a conflict for control of the territory, fought between teams of specialists working together to a specific plan with contingencies built in, resupply, evacuation of the wounded and replacements troops funneled in; occasionally the offensive calls for a high risk/high potential gain airmobile assault but mostly its a sustained, grinding attrition ground advance.

I suspect he didn't like soccer.

jjfox · February 10th, 2015, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireburning

I see American football as being a bit like chess, especially the first part of play where they are advancing up the pitch.

As a chess player I see American Football as being absolutely nothing like chess, principally 'cos it has about as much in common with it as a pineapple has with an aeroplane.

fireburning · February 12th, 2015, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjfox

As a chess player I see American Football as being absolutely nothing like chess, principally 'cos it has about as much in common with it as a pineapple has with an aeroplane.

The first part of play in football seems to be about tactics and plotting the next move and then advancing up a pitch, instead of a board.

**9876543210** · March 23rd, 2015, 10:06 PM

A while ago, I saw this program on PBS about how the remains of an English king (Richard the Third I believe) had been found under a parking lot. Quite an interesting show.

Then, today on the news, I see they are planning on reburying him. But, according to the article, there are a lot of different views on this guy. Both positive and negative.

So what do our British friends think of this guy?

January 28th, 2015, 09:12 AM	#1394
dbailey Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Wharfedale, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 2,298 Thanks: 137,964 Thanked 24,965 Times in 2,218 Posts	Aphex1973, The UK is very much worth a visit and there are many fine places to see and study outside of London and Edinburgh. Most large towns and cites will have local walking groups and also local history groups that can and do publish books and maps of walking paths and local historical colour. Outside of the towns there are the BIG national walks, you have named the one of them, but there are many more from Offa's Dyke, the Pennine Trail, the High Peaks trails, the Coastal trails and many more. Potentially you could contact these groups, do the walks and learn the history of servitude, engineering, the industrial revolution and then publish your own book in both countries...something like letters from a small island...oh no..this has been done already, but you get the idea. We are always happy to get another 'mercan cousin to help us with our tourism efforts. I for my small part, would like to do the same thing but in the USA and hope to retire with enough health and cash to see all of the USA. Last edited by dbailey; January 31st, 2015 at 11:07 AM..

January 30th, 2015, 03:26 AM	#1397
DTravel Lean Mean Screencap Machine Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Better you don't know. Posts: 23,804 Thanks: 10,480 Thanked 207,295 Times in 23,713 Posts	I wish I could find it again but many years ago I read a very funny piece by an author where he compared American football to soccer/football and how each mirrors how the US and Europe fight wars. From what I remember he characterized soccer as a conflict between light fast units widely scattered running around all over the place, holding no ground, with only the most vague of plans and folding up as soon as you kick them in the shin. American football was a conflict for control of the territory, fought between teams of specialists working together to a specific plan with contingencies built in, resupply, evacuation of the wounded and replacements troops funneled in; occasionally the offensive calls for a high risk/high potential gain airmobile assault but mostly its a sustained, grinding attrition ground advance. I suspect he didn't like soccer. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. I rage and weep for my country. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. I can reup screencaps, other material might have been lost.

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January 28th, 2015, 05:27 AM	#1392
pierrelm Vintage Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Midst the fen mists Posts: 5,450 Thanks: 55,798 Thanked 72,914 Times in 5,422 Posts	American football still has a sizeable following over here in the UK and as you may know, there's till talk of trying to bring a franchise to London. The game was formerly broadcast, in highlights form, on Channel 4 - I think this was in the early 1980's and this saw a steady interested following build up, with more local clubs starting, As coverage expanded and moved to a later night spot, this alienated a lot of casual viewers. There's a couple of features which I think alienate people over here: It's not a team game - it's a two team game. In cricket we don't field a batting side and a separate bowling/fielding side, yet NFL has two distinct 'units' for offense and defence. The 'plays' - hell's teeth these make the subtleties of field settings at cricket look like a 'you stand there and catch it if it comes to you' exercise. The duration - this is the real ballbreaker. Sport is to be enjoyed, not endured. A game lasting an hour takes four. team goes on, team comes off...repeat ad infinitum. Punctuate with constant f'ing adverts and the most anal of analysis to fill the spaces inbetween. You've perfected a sport which is built around constant interruptions! All this having been said I quite like the game and used to watch it for around ten years in the 80-90's (my favourite team is The Packers) but nowdays just can't be doing with the disproportionate amount of time it consumes when nothing is actually happening.

March 23rd, 2015, 10:06 PM	#1400
9876543210 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,044 Thanks: 24,638 Thanked 34,288 Times in 4,008 Posts	A while ago, I saw this program on PBS about how the remains of an English king (Richard the Third I believe) had been found under a parking lot. Quite an interesting show. Then, today on the news, I see they are planning on reburying him. But, according to the article, there are a lot of different views on this guy. Both positive and negative. So what do our British friends think of this guy?