Superbowl

[Ulfric M Douglas]

... to the shear violence of the game ...

Six-nations is on instead! Rugby is far more violent, in a manlier way, in my opinion.

 

[Ray Sachs]

Well, Gary, you know I'm not an ex-pat, but sometimes I feel like one! Some of my earliest memories were going to Baltimore COLTS games in the '60s with my Dad, and those were the glory years of the game's transformational franchise - the late '50s and '60s Colts and then the '60s Packers propelled the game onto the national stage. And I played as a kid, through high school. Fortunately, I wasn't good enough to take it any farther. I know I had at least two concussions during games and I stayed in and was hazy for days afterward. If I'd been good enough to play into college, I might not have much of a brain left today...

So the game is in my blood. And I've watched most or all of EVERY Superbowl ever played, although I haven't been to an NFL game since the mid-80s. And I still watch the playoffs every year and always watch the Superbowl.

But I hate the game now and if I'd known then what I know now, I'd have hated it then. Its a horribly voilent game and it says terrible things about our culture that its biggest game has essentially become a national holiday. We pay the pros insane amounts of money, but many of the best come out of it barely able to walk and many are losing their minds and sometimes their lives in their 40s or 50s or sooner. Their brains are simply scrambled. Many of my childhood heros had dementia in their '40s. As are many college players who were never compensated beyond the opportunity to get an education that not all that many took advantage of. That list probably includes a couple of my boyhood friends who were good enough to play big time college ball and who I've since lost track of...

They'll try to make the game safer, but its not really possible without fundamentally altering it in ways that will make it far less popular. To the extent it'll remain America's Game, it'll remain a horribly violent mess. I can't imagine a parent today letting their kids play...

So, I treat football like an addiction. I can't seem to quit it even though at the beginning of every season, I seem to think I should. But I generally only watch a few games a year now, so its an addiction I've been able to manage. I can't quit, but I have it under control (although if the Eagles are ever good again, I might dive back in a little bit more deeply). So, to all of my non-US based friends, if you think its a ridiculously brutal sport reminiscent of the gladiators, that's because it is. If you're not already a fan, there's no good reason to become one...

-Ray

 

[veereshai]

I moved here from India in 2010 and have been following the game only since last year. Of course, I like the Redskins because they're a local team. Initially, I didn't care much about the game but a colleague used to talk about it non-stop. He's from India too but had done his Masters from Philly and is a big fan of the Eagles. So, he got me to watch the games and explained the rules over and over with a lot of history about players and why it matters.

Eventually, I took a liking towards the game. It's fast, definitely much faster than a One Day International Cricket game. As far as superbowl goes, a lot of expats watch it because it's fun to watch and get together with friends for a evening. I watched it with a few friends where I was explaining the basic objective of the fame and why was something called a foul. Couple of us were supporting Ravens and the others were supporting 49ers so that made the entire experience a lot of fun :smile:.

 

[Djarum]

I played football in highschool. Wasn't terribly fast or talented, I just enjoyed playing. In many ways the game is safer than before, but the safety aspects are overcome by simply faster and stronger players playing the game. When I played football 15 years ago, I was always sore and I'd have a few bruises, but nothing severe. I played pickup basketball down at the local parks, and I'd come back bruised and battered, and sometimes with a jammed or dislocated finger. Basketball can be just as violent. After watching some of the hockey in person, that sport can also be terribly violent.

The funny thing is, the money issue in Pro ball doesn't bother me that much. At least the NFL has a salary cap. Baseball is no where near as popular as it used to be, but players are getting tons of money, moreso than in football.

I used to absolutely love college football. I have issues with the NCAA, and I had a rather long rant about it, but I deleted it and lets just say I'm soured at them.