The Football Thread

[Old Harry]

Did Brazil learn that from Germany Ichabod?

I'd say Civ is most like cricket - endless, a bit arcane and can be jazzed up with fancy pyjamas (if you think of Fall From Heaven and RTR as pyjamas ).

American Football is Farmville or Candy Crush or some other game whose only job is to sell advertising space.

Football... I'd say it's Mafia, given who runs it.

[BRickAstley]

Yes, there are unfortunately lots of television ads. But the in person experience is much more free of ads, and is an incredible experience. And I'm trying hard not to get outraged about you comparing it to Farmville. The strategy and complexity of american football plays puts the other football to shame.

EDIT: Also the NFL is also a lot worse about advertisements and blandness than college football, which I would assert is better in all areas of comparison.

[pindicator]

I agree, it's only the first weekend of the NFL and I'm already sick of FanDuel and Draft Kings commercials

[Ichabod]

I like both footballs, as I have been somewhat watching NFL in the last few years, when possible. My thoughts about American Football are as follows:

*The games tend to be either amazing or unbearably boring, so it's very hit or miss (same problem as basketball). Football is way more balanced in its emotions, when you consider a lot of matches.

*It's impossible to play American Football (like, if I wanted to play it with my friends), considering all the structure it requires. Makeshift versions of it are dull and boring, at least in my opinion. Football is way more universal, you can play with 2 pairs of slippers and a can, if you need to. So, it's way harder to relate with the American Football game when watching it, because most people never played it.

*The only place in the world that plays American Football is USA, so there's no incredible events like the World Cup and UCL/Libertadores.

*You need like 2/3 years of watching American Football to really get why it's great. Before that, it just seems random and a bit absurd. Questions like: "why are those guys trying to run with the ball if passing is way better?" always come out when I'm watching it with people that don't know the game. If you don't know the rules, you lose most of the game, because it's just not "naturally" beautiful (as Football is - when you see Messi playing, even if you don't know the game, you know that guy is great; meanwhile, seeing Lynch running with the ball just seems dull if you don't understand why the guy is great), it's way more about strategy and that feeling of any mistake can cost you a lot (which, again, gets lost if you don't understand why a fumble or an interception are so critical).

*American Football is more complex and strategical than Football, but that's not entirely a good thing, though. And perhaps not entirely true, either, when you consider only "meaningful complexity".

*That being said, one of my dreams right now is to watch an American Football game in a stadium. When I visit USA, I'll definetely do it (if possible, no idea if the tickets are hard to get).

I actually think American Football is more like any e-sport than other sports. It's full of rules and it's only impressive when you know what's happening (and most of the world does not). But when you actually get to know it, it's very entertaining and thrilling. Other sports are generally way easier to understand.

Ah, and baseball sucks!

[wetbandit]

I agree, it's only the first weekend of the NFL and I'm already sick of FanDuel and Draft Kings commercials

It's here to stay: Disney bought a $250M ownership stake of Draft Kings that mandates that the company purchase $500M of ads on ESPN, ABC, and other Disney TV. Fan Duel has a sponsorship agreement with 15 teams also. It's a joke that actual sports betting is illegal in the United States and this nonsense is allowed.

Ah, and baseball sucks!

[Gaspar]

I'm an American and I like both football and the NFL and I agree with pretty much everything Ichabod said.

Well except the part about internationals being a good thing, everything but the World Cup sucks and even then I'd rather watch club football, the World Cup is really only good because it gives us football in summer.

[NobleHelium]

World Cup in summer

ORLY?

[AdrienIer]

Well except the part about internationals being a good thing, everything but the World Cup sucks and even then I'd rather watch club football, the World Cup is really only good because it gives us football in summer.

The Copa America and EURO are definitely worth watching. But international games are more interesting when you're rooting for your country I'll give you that

[BRickAstley]

*You need like 2/3 years of watching American Football to really get why it's great. Before that, it just seems random and a bit absurd. Questions like: "why are those guys trying to run with the ball if passing is way better?" always come out when I'm watching it with people that don't know the game. If you don't know the rules, you lose most of the game, because it's just not "naturally" beautiful (as Football is - when you see Messi playing, even if you don't know the game, you know that guy is great; meanwhile, seeing Lynch running with the ball just seems dull if you don't understand why the guy is great), it's way more about strategy and that feeling of any mistake can cost you a lot (which, again, gets lost if you don't understand why a fumble or an interception are so critical).

Yeah, I can agree with that. It is not as immediately understandable, though I might be biased in saying it isn't that much difficult to understand. Once someone is familiar with the basics (each team tries to move the ball from one side of the field to the other, by running with the ball or throwing it, without letting the other team have it/stop them from doing so), I think you can show plays like this one, or this one, or this one, or this one, and see how it can be really exciting. Granted there's still tons of minuta that you have to know unlike soccer, but that just means it's more like Civ in the having a learning curve and why I thought more people might be interested here.

*That being said, one of my dreams right now is to watch an American Football game in a stadium. When I visit USA, I'll definitely do it (if possible, no idea if the tickets are hard to get).

Tickets are certainly get-able, though the bigger the game, the further in advance you need to look and the more you need to be willing to spend. But it's certainly possible to get to go to a big game without having to take out a loan. I hope you get a chance to get to come up and see a game someday.

I actually think American Football is more like any e-sport than other sports. It's full of rules and it's only impressive when you know what's happening (and most of the world does not). But when you actually get to know it, it's very entertaining and thrilling. Other sports are generally way easier to understand.

Hence, my Civ comparison.

[Ichabod]

Did Brazil learn that from Germany Ichabod?

You guys didn't even make past the group stage!



#StillTooSoonToJokeAbout7x1

I agree, it's only the first weekend of the NFL and I'm already sick of FanDuel and Draft Kings commercials

It's here to stay: Disney bought a $250M ownership stake of Draft Kings that mandates that the company purchase $500M of ads on ESPN, ABC, and other Disney TV. Fan Duel has a sponsorship agreement with 15 teams also. It's a joke that actual sports betting is illegal in the United States and this nonsense is allowed.

Sports betting is illegal in USA? Isn't sports betting the national sport of USA? I see it in movies/series all the time...

I actually think American Football is more like any e-sport than other sports. It's full of rules and it's only impressive when you know what's happening (and most of the world does not). But when you actually get to know it, it's very entertaining and thrilling. Other sports are generally way easier to understand.

Hence, my Civ comparison.

I'd say it's more similar to LoL/DotA than Civ. But I haven't put that much thought into it.