Why do Non-Americans hate American Football? Americans, who is your Team?

[Blitzkrieg Says]

Edit3: Disliking an entire sport because of it's name is a ridiculously lame reason. C'mon now.

Edit2: Why it's called football: http://hubpages.com/question/18118/w...and-not-soccer

Edit1: WAY more responses than I expected, thanks for your time everyone! Also, I've seen a lot of Rugby vs. American Football contact/Pads responses...fortunately I played both in Highschool and college. Rugby, while having a fantastic collision on occasion, is more of a grind. Rucks, mauls, scrums are all more pushing than collisions. In American football, collisions happen every play with people moving at their maximum velocity. The contact in American Football is far, far more brutal and hostile than it ever was in Rugby. If everyone was forced to take off their helmets and pads there wouldn't just be more injuries; there would be fatalities.


What's your reason? All the foriegner's I've met, either at school or some friends from Germany, absolutely despise the sport. I'll try to get them to watch a game (Alabama vs. Florida 2009 SEC championship!!!) and explain what is going on, the strategy behind it, linebacker technique (which is what I played for 6 years), and it usually ends badly. However, I've never gotten a straight answer of why they hate it so much.

Americans, or fans of the game, who is your team? Use the format below!

College: South Carolina...yes we got raped in the SEC championship.
Pro: Washington...yes Haynesworth is garbage.

[vokey]

I don't care much for American Football, probably mostly because it's never broadcast in my country, but I think that among other things is the general reason, others might be because it's called football which people in countries like Germany og England don't like, since Association Football is the main sport in those countries, and also because the game seems so slow, so many pauses and fouls every time I try to watch it, but a few of my friends love it though, so it seems that most people who get into it really like it.

[Taurenburger]

because it´s not football. you play football with your feet and a ball, not with your hands and an egg

[Deleted]

Its not that we think its garbage but its more to do with we are used to Aussie Rules, Rugby League, GAA and Hurling. Therefore when we see people padded up we dont see the fire in the eyes of the players, the sweat on their brows or basically the blood on the field were used to, so tend to just think its like the bumpers with a rugby ball.

[Jademist]

American Football is like rugby...with armor...because people can't take hits I guess?

idk, growing up in a foreign country we never watched American Football. It was all about good ol' soccer. I just find football to be a rather weird sport, not as intense as soccer. I mean, its just a bunch of guys in a line, the QB throws the ball or whatever, someone catches it, the rest hit each other like gorillas, and the guy with the ball runs and someone tries to tackle him. Then, rinse and repeat until someone gets a touchdown..then the same thing happens again...

[gingerlemon]

It's too much like basketball and baseball. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Like playing with a tank that goes AFK between each trash pull.

[ophion1990]

Its kinda like... mm well sumo wrestling or so, we don't hate it its just not in our culture or in other words we don't really know it.

[Medivh]

American Football is like rugby...with armor. And there are too pauses. The game isn't time fluent like soccer.

[Deleted]

I live in Denmark and every sunday and monday im clued to the TV to watch NFL, i love it!!!

[Duronos]

American Football is like rugby...with armor...because people can't take hits I guess?

idk, growing up in a foreign country we never watched American Football. It was all about good ol' soccer. I just find football to be a rather weird sport, not as intense as soccer. I mean, its just a bunch of guys in a line, the QB throws the ball or whatever, someone catches it, the rest hit each other like gorillas, and the guy with the ball runs and someone tries to tackle him. Then, rinse and repeat until someone gets a touchdown..then the same thing happens again...

Same with a lot of other sports in the sense that in football (english) you kick-off pass the ball do some through balls and score a goal.
I didn't name everything but you didn't either with football (american). Funnily enough football (american) has a lot of different plays making it a very tactical game whereas soccer you go with a flow and try to keep your same style of play going.

[Fuzzzie]

I don't hate it. I don't watch Canadian Football either (CFL). Actually I don't think anyone watches the CFL lol.

If I'm at a friends house or pub and it's on I don't mind. I just won't go out of my way to sit and watch a game on the weekend by myself.

[Kumaran]

The name of course is a promblem but there are others:

I was first introduced to football (American) when i moved to Ohio in Middle School.
1) For the longest time I saw no startegy, All i saw was couple of guys running into each other. Of course was watching it for so long I know there is a lot of startegy.
2) Another thing is that it seems slow. A european football game is continous with no commercials and little breaks. On the other hand in American Football there is alot of commercials and with pauses and fouls that seems arbitary at first.
Those are i think is main reasons why (most) foreigners arent into american football. Mainly because it took me a long time to get used to the rules and the game in general. And now let me recover from the Ravens V Steelers.

Go Ravens!!!!!

[skyesfury]

As long as people are seeing it as rugby with armor, they'll never be able to appreciate it.

[Serane]

I'm American and can't stand the game.. it's so...boring. what's so entertaining about watching a bunch of men run around a field trying to steal a ball from each other...

[Deleted]

because it´s not football. you play football with your feet and a ball, not with your hands and an egg

What he said. Though american football is pretty fun to watch and play, I can't really call it football since you throw something that really isn't a ball. A ball is round

[Jademist]

Same with a lot of other sports in the sense that in football (english) you kick-off pass the ball do some through balls and score a goal.
I didn't name everything but you didn't either with football (american). Funnily enough football (american) has a lot of different plays making it a very tactical game whereas soccer you go with a flow and try to keep your same style of play going.

Soccer is tactical to.
What I meant is that in American Football there's just too many pauses. Soccer, you keep going until someone scores a goal or gets a foul. Football...idk. That's just my opinion.

My favorite sport is Tennis anyways...

[Nilja]

I don't think it's that we hate it, it's just mindnumbingly boring. The only somewhat famous sport that is more boring is baseball.

[Deleted]

American Football is like rugby...with armor...because people can't take hits I guess?

Kinda :P

I don't hate American football, and i'm dutch. I just like SOCCERR!!!!! SOCCERR .

No really, I like Soccer.

[Echo]

It's too much like basketball and baseball. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Like playing with a tank that goes AFK between each trash pull.

QFT

Most american sports take far too long. It's almost as bad as cricket. American Football wouldn't actually be that bad a sport if they didn't take so long - the hail mary is possibly one of the most dramatic and exciting moves in any sport especially if they pull it off.

[ralphie]

BEcause you guys call THE REAL FOOTBALL soccer.

How can you call football a game where you carry an odd shape ball with your hands?