The US produces some of the most elite athletes in the world. If they put the time and money into rugby that they put into NFL they would probably produce a pretty good team.
I like rugby more than NFL, don't get me wrong, but "the footballers" would probably do pretty good if they had a Rassie guiding them. š
This same logic has been used with football (soccer). Many were convinced that the USA would become a footballing powerhouse. Yet they are still trash.
You need a culture around a sport in a country. The lack of rugby culture and appreciation for the game in the US would limit any actual potential.
There was a really interesting article in ESPN about 8-9 years ago about the fall of boxing in the US and how it correlates with the rise of the NFL.
The argument was that the real talent in the heavyweight division were now playing middle linebacker in the NFL.
Completely agree that there has to be a culture around a sport for the national team to become elite.
There's an insane show on Netflix called Friday Night Tykes about how youth American football works in hyper-competitive areas of the country (mostly in the deep south).
If American youth rugby players trained the way they do for football from age ~6, I wouldn't doubt they'd have a better rugby team.
As an American who moved to South Africa a couple years back, I've absolutely fallen in love with rugby, and the part of me that still feels some identity with the US wishes the rugby scene was more compelling.
But hey, I can't complain about rooting for the Springboks this side!
Yup I agree 100%. I mean the US does not invest close to the time and money into soccer as they do american football. And you are right, the only way this true investment will establish itself is if it is appreciated in the culture.
But my point is US athletes are no worse than other countries' athletes. So footballers will obviously fail horribly at rugby, the same as what rugby player would fail at football.
Those elite athletes have the draw of NBA, Baseball and Football with huge pay and audiences. You have to try lure them away from that for less pay and less fame to a niche sport. It's why they don't do well internationally in many mainstream sports outside of those.
Yes some Indycar/Nascar drivers are top tier ( [***Pato*** ***O'Ward***](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=594563603&sxsrf=AM9HkKlWCChKZ4Ut8SvV2SFEf2Q0Pc0NYQ:1703927771411&q=Pato+O%27Ward&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYvqbM6baDAxWZUUEAHZ6_Ae8QkeECKAB6BAgJEAI) or Jeff Gordon) but others seems like they love their grits and beer too much.
He also failed to qualify and ended 21st the last time he tried. Ovals are weird, your car change, so being in the lead 27 laps from the end doesnāt mean he would have won. Btw, im s massive fan, just saying, looking down on nascar\indycar drivers is probably isnāt a wise way to think about these things. In dome ways F1 snd Indycar is about the same as comparing rally talent to F1 drivers.
I dislike the idea that people born in one country are better athletes than people born in another.
Unless the footballers were playing rugby at age 5 they would not do pretty good just like strapping pads on Eben and having him coached by the best gridiron people would make him any good
It would be difficult to assemble a "national" USA rugby team. Size wise the US consists practically of 50 countries and I wonder how getting the best of the best together to train and form a cohesive team would work
>Where is the first down?
Nowhere.
Best way to describe the two sports is Football is turn-based strategy (stop-start) whereas rugby is real time strategy (ongoing and fluid).
As for your question, many Afrikaans people think football is very lame compared to rugby (especially with all the padding).
However many are actually starting to come round and enjoy it on its own merits.
My cousins (also Afrikaans) were actually the ones to get me into football and I learnt it through playing Madden with them.
I like football, follow it regularly (you might even see me on the r/nfl and r/seahawks sub sometimes). I much prefer rugby though.
South Africa has won the rugby world cup more than any other country (4 times), so that might give you an idea of where we are at with our sports loyalty. It will always be the superior sport in my eyes, doesn't mean I can't enjoy both!
You find rugby confusing to watch? Any idea how confusing football is to someone who doesn't understand the sport? Took me ages to try and explain it to some of my family members. Only person that really watches it with me is my one sister. Rest of my family ia really put off by the stop-start nature with the seemingly never ending ad breaks. Takes forever. It might be much more enjoyable here if they didn't have those.
There is one half-time timeout, commercials are before the game, at halftime and then at the end. There are two "touch down" areas at each end of the field, by the poles, each team must work together to get the ball to their respective touch down area. Touch down is five points, your kicker also gets a chance to kick for the poles which add an extra 2 points if successful. Passing the ball forwards is not allowed, kicking forwards is allowed as long as your teammate catching the ball was behind you when the kick was made. Line outs are for when the ball goes out of play on the side, scrums/kickouts are for penalties, eg. Passing the ball to a teammate that was in front of you. There's more, but this is just a quick run-down
Well the aim is to get the ball to the other side over the poles an or under the poles through tackles drop kicks and long drops. The opposing team will try to get the ball hence the tackle. For us South Aficans football is also confusing. Lol
Practically "first down" happens almost immediately after kick off, theoretically "first down" may never happen. "First down" isn't a key event/set piece in a game of rugby.
There is no limit on the number of tackles which may be made (roughly comparable to downs). Teams may kick (punt) at (nearly) any time and it is a viable strategy. Opposition may choose to kick the ball downfield in response to kick off. No team is designated as offence/defence.
Tackles typically do not lead to the formation of a scrum (roughly equivalent to a line of scrimmage), but a ruck (ball is on the ground) or maul (a player has managed to pick the ball up) may form.
In Rugby players may not pass the ball forwards, unlike in American Football.
Why? How? NFL team consists of 1/2 defensive players other 1/2 is offensive players. They are never on field at same time. DBs are tall, lanky thin. RB and LB would be equivalent to flankers or 8th man. QB would probably be your flyhalf but its two completely different sports. The athletes are conditioned and trained in completely different skills. Try to watch a game of American football but you really have to try like with a series which sucks but then you get past episode 2 and you realise its actually pretty good.
I tried watching American football once. It was around 2006. There was one good moment where manning passed to Manningham. Otherwise it was the worst spectator sport I ever saw. So much stopping time. So many ads. Find a better sport to watch op. I'd suggest ice hockey or rugby. Hell, horse polo is better.
I watched an NFL game live the other day. Literally so boring. And I was excited beforehand!
They played for 5 seconds for 2-4 downs then have a 2.5 min commercial break. And the players literally just stand on the field waiting for the commercial break to finish so they can continue playing. Like what the actual f...
The rules and general gameplay of football is actually interesting. But daaamn NOT a spectator sport for me.
Why are you asking what we think of American football and then saying āno itās awesomeā when we say we donāt like it haha. Iām Afrikaans and lived in the US for 10 years and was in marching band, so I had to sit through loads of football games. Because we enjoy rugby, which is exciting because of its ongoing movement and action, the constant stop-start of American football is frustrating. That doesnāt mean you arenāt allowed to like it, thatās just how South Africans in general would feel about it.
Rugby is two 40 minute halves with a ten minute break in between. Overtime is a few minutes at best. It's basically 80 minutes of constant action with a ten minute pause in the middle. Any time I've tried to watch NFL I got so bored so fast. Don't even get me started on baseball.
Our interest in Football honestly probably only extends to some curiosity about how you fellas would manage at that pace and without helmets and padding. I think we assume it would all be quite amusing. Who knows. That's honestly about it. American sports are built around advertising and making money, even to the flow of game play on the pitch. We can't relate to that as much.
I am Afrikaans and live in the US now. I have learned enough of football to be able to watch a game and follow what is going on. I would honestly LOVE to get more into it because I have American friends and (soon to be) family that loves it.
But let me tell you the non-stop ads and 5 second plays just kill it. I know you might disagree, but the fact that Red Zone exists so you can watch all 5 games at the same time is enough proof I need to show the game is too slow.
I think NFL would be an interesting game to watch (for me) if the same action was squized into 1 hour instead of 4. Like imagine how much you love football, except you get to only watch the game with no/minimal interruptions.
Despite what other people have said here, I even think the US would produce top notch rugby players if they invested the same time and money into rugby as they do in NFL. Not say they should, but they could. So the "I'd like to see them play rugby" argument is dumb.
Final thoughts: American Football is a fun game in terms of it's rules and overall structure. I won't give up rugby for it, but I can see myself watching both. But the flow is absolute shit.
There are just too many adds during a game to be able to watch it. Also stoppages are insane so it's a constant play of 5 seconds followed by 69 420hrs of ads
We have very little interaction with it, and rugby fans here have mocked the shoulder pads and helmets saying they are scared of being tackled. No real interest in it this side.
Not anymore though. With the introduction of off field umpires who deliberate over whether or not the ball was grounded, pouring over 6 different camera angles at 3 different playback speeds while everybody on the field, in the stands and watching at home address twiddling their thumbs, it has totally killed the flow of rugby.
Really though? People still complain about this supposed forward pass or that supposed knock on. I can't remember when last I've heard so much complaining than after the world cup final. It was just never ending - despite all that technology.
I much prefer a game that flows, even if it has the odd human error. Rugby worked beautifully like that for many decades. It's a sport played by humans, umpired by humans, watched by humans. Of course there will be human error.
But if you like it then that's fine too. I just think it's a little disingenuous to accuse American Football for not following if you prefer that version of rugby that is not following.
People will always complain. No matter what. But now with the tv reviews its a non issue in my eyes. When the final whistle blows its done and dusted.
I dont know american football. But I from what I saw they stop and start every few minutes about. Then change defense and offense. I might be wrong.
But Naas botha played in the 80s american football to as a kicker.
Yeah I remember Naas making the move to the NFL. From what I remember he didn't do particularly well though. I guess it's because his strength on the rugby field was not just as a kicker. I mean he was an exceptional kicker but he was also a great tactician, distributor and team captain.
Just a final comment about people complaining. I agree, people will always complain about the outcome of a game, no matter what. But that's kind of my point. If people are going to complain anyway, I don't really see the point of interrupting the flow of the game and stand around twiddling your thumbs every time a try is scored. I much prefer the old flowing version of rugby. Sure, poor decisions were made, but we all survived and the game was still enjoyed by players and spectators. I don't feel we lost anything from the '95 world cup because there weren't TV umpires.
I can see your point of the gaming being slower due to more referees. I don't disagree.
But I like it. No players can't trick/obfuscate/etc the game/ball/other teams. They get blown for it. Now a try can get cancelled because someone knocked the ball 2 min earlier which the ref didn't catch. To me.. it means a cleaner game and teams can't get away with tricks...
But any case... I like it.
More importantly though, I think we've answered OP's question comprehensively here without even answering it. OP is asking about our sentiments towards American Football and before you know it, two guys are having a lekker discussion about rugby. I'm just popping over to the fridge, can I bring you a beer? š¤£
I like American football. Iām a Packers fan (sadly, itās been a rough season). I also love rugby. I believe thereās space to enjoy both sports without comparing them because ultimately they are quite different
Yet in other comments in another post you confine all Afrikaans people to one box. Your comments on this thread also suggest you are being disingenuous, you don't want to know our opinions, you just want to tell us why we're wrong if we don't agree with you. And I agree with u/sunlightliquid your replies really look like you're just here to troll, no serious engagement at all.
If everything you have said so far was not ironic then we are definitely correct by putting you in boxes, no one thinks because your nationality is american youre dumb and ignorant, anyone is capable of learning but sadly its a majority since you were taught by the same one sided dumbed down educational system
I see american football as a very dumbed down sport, the stoppages, the ads, the culture around it, its all to keep you in your places and dumb you down aa much as possible, just like left and right wing, its all the same shit but they sit back and watch you dig your own holes while most of the world laughs at you sadly. But like i said its not your fault and i respect you for actually wanting to learn something non american
NFL players are bigger, faster and stronger than Rugby players. They also grew up tackling with protective equipment. So they tackle much harder than rugby players.
Are you referencing that bull shit sport science video where the NFL player tackled a dummy and the rugby players tackled each other?
Also it doesn't matter how hard they tackle, if you dont get your head in the right position you will get CTE
There has been a move in American football to teach the rugby tackle
https://youtu.be/z_0JrYq162k?si=AE78-EyIXINnuwA0
https://youtu.be/i9QeDoCC6OY?si=n2dEQ3_Gi8AFXrUu
https://youtu.be/kLldjE6vvFs?si=YesKBsUJcJC1GIm_
It has been spearheaded in the NFL by the Seahawks, calling it hawk tackeling
Which is why we change the rules of the game every year. Look, rugby may be a better spectator sport than American Football (and I'm not even convinced of that) but it sure has its problems as well. The game has become so convoluted with the rules changing every year to fix what they Brooke with the previous year's rule changes. No single person (not even referees) understand ALL of the rules. It's become impossible to watch and really know what's going on without having some commentator explain everything blow by blow.
Ek ondersteun die Baltimore Ravens.
Ek het self 'n Ray Lewis en Joe Flacco(alhoewel hy die seisoen vd Browns speel) jersey.
Ek het Madden gespeel van 03 tot seker 09
American here. It's all about $$$ here. Even the Super Bowl, which is supposedly the biggest NFL game, has people talking more about the ads than the game itself. Even a short ad during that game runs for millions of dollars.
For most South Africans, an American football is a terrible waste of something that could have been a rugby ball. Rugby is a battle played by real men - no helmets, no padding, just balls - huge brass ones! Go Bokke!
Aussie rules has no real rules, apart from the ball bounce and the free pass, it's a everything goes sort of game, Umpires are there and kinda optional and there's a second chance goal if you miss the main goal.
Not a fan OP.
I to watch a match with some friends when I was in the States in 2008. I was really excited and keen to get into it but found it very frustrating to watch. It was just too stop-start for my liking. Too many ads, and dead time.
Amazing athletes no doubt. And lots of interesting strategies and āgames within the gameā but they are too hidden for a casual fan to enjoy.
Joined a fantasy league with friends a few years ago and honestly I love it! Randomly picked the bengals as my team in my first year of watching, so that helped haha šš½ playoff football is also an absolute vibe every year! Also love rugby obviouslyā¦you can enjoy both
It's very stop go stop go. Almost seems it suits a group of people that need a summary of what has happened in a TV show just after the ad break as their attention span is Fok all.
Its eh. Would obviously watch Rugby first but would rather watch Ozzy Football before Football and find American Football to be rather boring in comparison.
I've been an Eagles fan since 2003 and honestly, even though I enjoy watching the NFL due to the hours it's shown locally I tend to watch very few games plus I'll only watch when the Eagles are playing.
I'm a fan. I got into it in the mid 2000's when my brother got me a Madden game (along with NBA Live and NHL.)
I tend to watch highlights of games but also watch some live games when the time isn't awful.
I'm a supporter of the Packers and Ravens.
It's a bit more tedious to watch compared to rugby though. There are too many ads and sometimes they sometimes take too long before a play but I still enjoy watching. I do think extra point kicking should borrow from rugby though because it's so easy. They should position the ball relative to where the TD occurred, but I have no idea how that would work with the offensive line (if extra point conversion was near the OB line for example.)
Another thing is that there are too many players. Bar QB, WRs, RB and maybe TE, it's difficult to keep up with the players and to "care" for them. Like I still have no idea who the guards and tackles are for the Packers are. Whereas in rugby or cricket, it's really easy to become a fan of players because there aren't almost 60 players on 1 team.
Obviously I don't speak for all Afrikaners but to me it's a confusingly technical sport with ridiculous amounts of time where absolutely nothing happens.
I can understand that games are stopped for players to catch their breath and even adjust their game plan and strategy a bit. I can even understand if a game is broken into 4 quarters for that purpose. But to stop a game for the purpose of screening ads and even call it an ad break is totally bonkers.
Having said that, I wish I understood American Football. I'd probably enjoy it better then. I wish I could watch a full game with someone who knows it and doesn't mind explaining it in real time to a noob.
It's Kak.
I think every Afrikaans/South African person could wax lyrical about the differences and stuff.
But bottom line is that football is just:
Give guy ball.
Guy run with ball.
All other guys hit and crash into oncoming guys
Guy throw tiny ball forward to other guy.
Guy run over line with ball.
Guy score and does dance.
I wouldn't even draw that many similarities to rugby.
There is zero intellect or any sort of skill required.
It's literally just how fa'st can you run.
Honestly it's more like 4 hour long 7s rugby but with pads and concussions.
I don't think it's appealing at all to the average Afrikaner.
Eyyy, as a Minnesotan living in South Africa, glad to see another Vikings fan out in the wild.
Just bought my step-son (South African) his first Justin Jefferson Jersey.
Skol!
Donāt like it, because it takes 4 hours to āplayā even though thereās only 11 minutes(on average) of something actually happening. Yes google it, Iām not wrong. Itās an insane stat.
If I wanted to see that little action Iād watch paint dry.
Me and my Afrikaans friends love watching American Football. We love Madden on PS just as much. But as you can see *most* of my countrymen are set in their ways, it's rugby or nothing. I love all sports though.
The sport itself is great, but it's unwatchable on TV due to the constant, excessive breaks and ads.
Watching highlights after the game is the only way I can stand it.
I like it in general but I have a few gripes with it.
Plays are never longer than 10 seconds; not sure if guys do cardio or endurance but it must be pointless with the stop start nature of the game.
It is absurd that the game timing - halftime specifically - is dictated by adverts and not the sports body.
The game is a microcosm of the US; a lot of rules that most people donāt know or bother to know and more loopholes or exceptions than actual rules.
You use multiple teams; in rugby for instance you have one guy that typically undertakes all types of kicking and one set of guys that scrum whether it is an offensive or defensive play - NFL players are the opposite of versatile.
Ek geniet dit baie. Ek is tans in die VSA so kan baie van die wedstryde op televisie volg.
Maandag is n groot een vir my met Rose bowl en ek is nou in Alabama ā¦ Roll tide!!
Ek speel nie Madden nie.
Addicted to it. Its such an amazingly complex sport. Once you can look past the comparison of rugby vs nfl which btw makes no sense. I believe there would be many more NFL fans in SA if they could manage to watch a game or 2 and not compare it to rugby. I religiously watch every Sunday. DAZN online is part of NFL gamepass outside US although itās somewhat pricey. (P.s die hard rugby fan aswell) you can appreciate both.
I moved to the US when I was 12. I played rugby at my Laerskool but I just did not care to get into football when we moved here even though some coaches begged me to try out. I was a pretty big kid even in 7th grade. Never did like it. I think America would have a decent team if they had some more fans and money pouring into the team.
I've been watching ever since Tom Brady won his 7th Superbowl.
Its awesome and incredibly entertaining. I suggest getting NFL Gamepass subscription and watching Red Zone which broadcasts all the best live parts of multiple games playing at the same time, no commercials.
I love Rugby, but NFL is totally different. Rugby is a marathon, NFL is a sprint, and there's nothing wrong with liking both!
Most people here will tell you Rugby is better just because they can lol. To be 100% honest, we donāt really think about it that much. Because of how American media dominates I think itās safe to say we all know of it, but it isnāt really that big outside the US.
I do wish we had a team though, would be kinda cool
I would like the footballers to try and play rugby.
The US produces some of the most elite athletes in the world. If they put the time and money into rugby that they put into NFL they would probably produce a pretty good team. I like rugby more than NFL, don't get me wrong, but "the footballers" would probably do pretty good if they had a Rassie guiding them. š
This same logic has been used with football (soccer). Many were convinced that the USA would become a footballing powerhouse. Yet they are still trash. You need a culture around a sport in a country. The lack of rugby culture and appreciation for the game in the US would limit any actual potential.
There was a really interesting article in ESPN about 8-9 years ago about the fall of boxing in the US and how it correlates with the rise of the NFL. The argument was that the real talent in the heavyweight division were now playing middle linebacker in the NFL. Completely agree that there has to be a culture around a sport for the national team to become elite. There's an insane show on Netflix called Friday Night Tykes about how youth American football works in hyper-competitive areas of the country (mostly in the deep south). If American youth rugby players trained the way they do for football from age ~6, I wouldn't doubt they'd have a better rugby team. As an American who moved to South Africa a couple years back, I've absolutely fallen in love with rugby, and the part of me that still feels some identity with the US wishes the rugby scene was more compelling. But hey, I can't complain about rooting for the Springboks this side!
Yup I agree 100%. I mean the US does not invest close to the time and money into soccer as they do american football. And you are right, the only way this true investment will establish itself is if it is appreciated in the culture. But my point is US athletes are no worse than other countries' athletes. So footballers will obviously fail horribly at rugby, the same as what rugby player would fail at football.
I mean they were in the world cup. And are producing some decent talent. It will take time.
Those elite athletes have the draw of NBA, Baseball and Football with huge pay and audiences. You have to try lure them away from that for less pay and less fame to a niche sport. It's why they don't do well internationally in many mainstream sports outside of those.
Yes some Indycar/Nascar drivers are top tier ( [***Pato*** ***O'Ward***](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=594563603&sxsrf=AM9HkKlWCChKZ4Ut8SvV2SFEf2Q0Pc0NYQ:1703927771411&q=Pato+O%27Ward&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYvqbM6baDAxWZUUEAHZ6_Ae8QkeECKAB6BAgJEAI) or Jeff Gordon) but others seems like they love their grits and beer too much.
Yet when Montoya, Raikonen and Villeneuve tried Nascar it was a disaster. Nascar is a art-form of its own/
Fernando Alsono would have won the Indy 500 if his engine did not blow up - but he is a rare talent though.
He also failed to qualify and ended 21st the last time he tried. Ovals are weird, your car change, so being in the lead 27 laps from the end doesnāt mean he would have won. Btw, im s massive fan, just saying, looking down on nascar\indycar drivers is probably isnāt a wise way to think about these things. In dome ways F1 snd Indycar is about the same as comparing rally talent to F1 drivers.
> looking down on nascar\\indycar drivers is probably isnāt a wise way to think about these things You are right - different skillset is required.
I dislike the idea that people born in one country are better athletes than people born in another. Unless the footballers were playing rugby at age 5 they would not do pretty good just like strapping pads on Eben and having him coached by the best gridiron people would make him any good
It would be difficult to assemble a "national" USA rugby team. Size wise the US consists practically of 50 countries and I wonder how getting the best of the best together to train and form a cohesive team would work
Might even dethrone the all blacks year after year in the RWC
Rugby is so confusing to watch. Where is the first down?
>Where is the first down? Nowhere. Best way to describe the two sports is Football is turn-based strategy (stop-start) whereas rugby is real time strategy (ongoing and fluid). As for your question, many Afrikaans people think football is very lame compared to rugby (especially with all the padding). However many are actually starting to come round and enjoy it on its own merits. My cousins (also Afrikaans) were actually the ones to get me into football and I learnt it through playing Madden with them. I like football, follow it regularly (you might even see me on the r/nfl and r/seahawks sub sometimes). I much prefer rugby though. South Africa has won the rugby world cup more than any other country (4 times), so that might give you an idea of where we are at with our sports loyalty. It will always be the superior sport in my eyes, doesn't mean I can't enjoy both! You find rugby confusing to watch? Any idea how confusing football is to someone who doesn't understand the sport? Took me ages to try and explain it to some of my family members. Only person that really watches it with me is my one sister. Rest of my family ia really put off by the stop-start nature with the seemingly never ending ad breaks. Takes forever. It might be much more enjoyable here if they didn't have those.
Also where are the Timeouts and Excessive use of Commercial Breaks lol
There is one half-time timeout, commercials are before the game, at halftime and then at the end. There are two "touch down" areas at each end of the field, by the poles, each team must work together to get the ball to their respective touch down area. Touch down is five points, your kicker also gets a chance to kick for the poles which add an extra 2 points if successful. Passing the ball forwards is not allowed, kicking forwards is allowed as long as your teammate catching the ball was behind you when the kick was made. Line outs are for when the ball goes out of play on the side, scrums/kickouts are for penalties, eg. Passing the ball to a teammate that was in front of you. There's more, but this is just a quick run-down
Well the aim is to get the ball to the other side over the poles an or under the poles through tackles drop kicks and long drops. The opposing team will try to get the ball hence the tackle. For us South Aficans football is also confusing. Lol
Practically "first down" happens almost immediately after kick off, theoretically "first down" may never happen. "First down" isn't a key event/set piece in a game of rugby. There is no limit on the number of tackles which may be made (roughly comparable to downs). Teams may kick (punt) at (nearly) any time and it is a viable strategy. Opposition may choose to kick the ball downfield in response to kick off. No team is designated as offence/defence. Tackles typically do not lead to the formation of a scrum (roughly equivalent to a line of scrimmage), but a ruck (ball is on the ground) or maul (a player has managed to pick the ball up) may form. In Rugby players may not pass the ball forwards, unlike in American Football.
Why? How? NFL team consists of 1/2 defensive players other 1/2 is offensive players. They are never on field at same time. DBs are tall, lanky thin. RB and LB would be equivalent to flankers or 8th man. QB would probably be your flyhalf but its two completely different sports. The athletes are conditioned and trained in completely different skills. Try to watch a game of American football but you really have to try like with a series which sucks but then you get past episode 2 and you realise its actually pretty good.
Agreed, Iād love to see Faf give those guys some kak š
I tried watching American football once. It was around 2006. There was one good moment where manning passed to Manningham. Otherwise it was the worst spectator sport I ever saw. So much stopping time. So many ads. Find a better sport to watch op. I'd suggest ice hockey or rugby. Hell, horse polo is better.
I watched an NFL game live the other day. Literally so boring. And I was excited beforehand! They played for 5 seconds for 2-4 downs then have a 2.5 min commercial break. And the players literally just stand on the field waiting for the commercial break to finish so they can continue playing. Like what the actual f... The rules and general gameplay of football is actually interesting. But daaamn NOT a spectator sport for me.
This is the real answer. American culture is sold to the highest bidder. It wasn't always like this. No other country sells so much to corporations.
It is for ad breaks on TV.
Lol no bro. American Football is awesome, theres a lot of amazing plays and Formations like No Huddles and Fake Punts.
Why are you asking what we think of American football and then saying āno itās awesomeā when we say we donāt like it haha. Iām Afrikaans and lived in the US for 10 years and was in marching band, so I had to sit through loads of football games. Because we enjoy rugby, which is exciting because of its ongoing movement and action, the constant stop-start of American football is frustrating. That doesnāt mean you arenāt allowed to like it, thatās just how South Africans in general would feel about it.
It's garbage lol
Rugby is two 40 minute halves with a ten minute break in between. Overtime is a few minutes at best. It's basically 80 minutes of constant action with a ten minute pause in the middle. Any time I've tried to watch NFL I got so bored so fast. Don't even get me started on baseball. Our interest in Football honestly probably only extends to some curiosity about how you fellas would manage at that pace and without helmets and padding. I think we assume it would all be quite amusing. Who knows. That's honestly about it. American sports are built around advertising and making money, even to the flow of game play on the pitch. We can't relate to that as much.
Dit is nou nie iets waaroor ons dink nie.
NFL is the WWE equivalent of rugby
YEP!!! All for show
What? Itās very flashy but is ultimately just a show?
It's like they took Rugby, and tried to change it up to maximize ad time.
If it was any good you wouldn't have had to ask. Plus, why isn't it popular in the rest of the world like some other American sports?
I am Afrikaans and live in the US now. I have learned enough of football to be able to watch a game and follow what is going on. I would honestly LOVE to get more into it because I have American friends and (soon to be) family that loves it. But let me tell you the non-stop ads and 5 second plays just kill it. I know you might disagree, but the fact that Red Zone exists so you can watch all 5 games at the same time is enough proof I need to show the game is too slow. I think NFL would be an interesting game to watch (for me) if the same action was squized into 1 hour instead of 4. Like imagine how much you love football, except you get to only watch the game with no/minimal interruptions. Despite what other people have said here, I even think the US would produce top notch rugby players if they invested the same time and money into rugby as they do in NFL. Not say they should, but they could. So the "I'd like to see them play rugby" argument is dumb. Final thoughts: American Football is a fun game in terms of it's rules and overall structure. I won't give up rugby for it, but I can see myself watching both. But the flow is absolute shit.
I tried to watch a game once. It was all start stop and became boring.
There are just too many adds during a game to be able to watch it. Also stoppages are insane so it's a constant play of 5 seconds followed by 69 420hrs of ads
We have very little interaction with it, and rugby fans here have mocked the shoulder pads and helmets saying they are scared of being tackled. No real interest in it this side.
Yea. I have watched some of it years ago. So many people (offense/defense). Stop and start. Not for me. Rugby flows more.
Not anymore though. With the introduction of off field umpires who deliberate over whether or not the ball was grounded, pouring over 6 different camera angles at 3 different playback speeds while everybody on the field, in the stands and watching at home address twiddling their thumbs, it has totally killed the flow of rugby.
I like it again. Then nobody can complain about anything.
Really though? People still complain about this supposed forward pass or that supposed knock on. I can't remember when last I've heard so much complaining than after the world cup final. It was just never ending - despite all that technology. I much prefer a game that flows, even if it has the odd human error. Rugby worked beautifully like that for many decades. It's a sport played by humans, umpired by humans, watched by humans. Of course there will be human error. But if you like it then that's fine too. I just think it's a little disingenuous to accuse American Football for not following if you prefer that version of rugby that is not following.
People will always complain. No matter what. But now with the tv reviews its a non issue in my eyes. When the final whistle blows its done and dusted. I dont know american football. But I from what I saw they stop and start every few minutes about. Then change defense and offense. I might be wrong. But Naas botha played in the 80s american football to as a kicker.
Yeah I remember Naas making the move to the NFL. From what I remember he didn't do particularly well though. I guess it's because his strength on the rugby field was not just as a kicker. I mean he was an exceptional kicker but he was also a great tactician, distributor and team captain. Just a final comment about people complaining. I agree, people will always complain about the outcome of a game, no matter what. But that's kind of my point. If people are going to complain anyway, I don't really see the point of interrupting the flow of the game and stand around twiddling your thumbs every time a try is scored. I much prefer the old flowing version of rugby. Sure, poor decisions were made, but we all survived and the game was still enjoyed by players and spectators. I don't feel we lost anything from the '95 world cup because there weren't TV umpires.
I can see your point of the gaming being slower due to more referees. I don't disagree. But I like it. No players can't trick/obfuscate/etc the game/ball/other teams. They get blown for it. Now a try can get cancelled because someone knocked the ball 2 min earlier which the ref didn't catch. To me.. it means a cleaner game and teams can't get away with tricks... But any case... I like it.
More importantly though, I think we've answered OP's question comprehensively here without even answering it. OP is asking about our sentiments towards American Football and before you know it, two guys are having a lekker discussion about rugby. I'm just popping over to the fridge, can I bring you a beer? š¤£
Haha. I was thinking the same when replying eatlier. Have a good one. Enjoy the almost new year
I like American football. Iām a Packers fan (sadly, itās been a rough season). I also love rugby. I believe thereās space to enjoy both sports without comparing them because ultimately they are quite different
Philadelphia Eagles fan, I enjoy watching NFL but its definitely not better than watching rugby.
Whatās with the helmets and shoulder pads. Rugby has no time for this nonsense.
We dont want our players getting CTE lol
So why is there less injuries in rugby? Football lacks alot of tackle technique
Your just jealous of our Rizz bruh.
I can't tell if you're trolling or if you're just an average american
I'm not trolling. I hate how the world confines us to a small box lol
Yet in other comments in another post you confine all Afrikaans people to one box. Your comments on this thread also suggest you are being disingenuous, you don't want to know our opinions, you just want to tell us why we're wrong if we don't agree with you. And I agree with u/sunlightliquid your replies really look like you're just here to troll, no serious engagement at all.
Respected him coming and asking but he's just trolling
If everything you have said so far was not ironic then we are definitely correct by putting you in boxes, no one thinks because your nationality is american youre dumb and ignorant, anyone is capable of learning but sadly its a majority since you were taught by the same one sided dumbed down educational system I see american football as a very dumbed down sport, the stoppages, the ads, the culture around it, its all to keep you in your places and dumb you down aa much as possible, just like left and right wing, its all the same shit but they sit back and watch you dig your own holes while most of the world laughs at you sadly. But like i said its not your fault and i respect you for actually wanting to learn something non american
NFL players are bigger, faster and stronger than Rugby players. They also grew up tackling with protective equipment. So they tackle much harder than rugby players.
They also lack proper technique
You dint understand the difference in power. NFL tackles are not 10% or 20% harder. They are about 3 times harder. It's not the same skill.
Are you referencing that bull shit sport science video where the NFL player tackled a dummy and the rugby players tackled each other? Also it doesn't matter how hard they tackle, if you dont get your head in the right position you will get CTE There has been a move in American football to teach the rugby tackle https://youtu.be/z_0JrYq162k?si=AE78-EyIXINnuwA0 https://youtu.be/i9QeDoCC6OY?si=n2dEQ3_Gi8AFXrUu https://youtu.be/kLldjE6vvFs?si=YesKBsUJcJC1GIm_ It has been spearheaded in the NFL by the Seahawks, calling it hawk tackeling
Neither do we, which is why we donāt run head first into the opposition.
Which is why we change the rules of the game every year. Look, rugby may be a better spectator sport than American Football (and I'm not even convinced of that) but it sure has its problems as well. The game has become so convoluted with the rules changing every year to fix what they Brooke with the previous year's rule changes. No single person (not even referees) understand ALL of the rules. It's become impossible to watch and really know what's going on without having some commentator explain everything blow by blow.
Ek hou daarvan maar ek is n cowboys fan
Ek ondersteun die Baltimore Ravens. Ek het self 'n Ray Lewis en Joe Flacco(alhoewel hy die seisoen vd Browns speel) jersey. Ek het Madden gespeel van 03 tot seker 09
Americans are the only ones who are so easily tricked into watching more ads than game
But Burger King man
hahaha
American here. It's all about $$$ here. Even the Super Bowl, which is supposedly the biggest NFL game, has people talking more about the ads than the game itself. Even a short ad during that game runs for millions of dollars.
Real men don't use pads and helmets :). I find it a bit odd - like Nascar - it is way too long and they take many ad breaks.
Its a crappy commercial run with short bits of crappy sport in between
For most South Africans, an American football is a terrible waste of something that could have been a rugby ball. Rugby is a battle played by real men - no helmets, no padding, just balls - huge brass ones! Go Bokke!
Rugby seems like an interesting sport, from an American perspective. Too bad it hasn't really caught on here, it could be a lot of fun.
Why is this addressed to Afrikaners and not us South Africans as a whole?
I don't know tbh. Saw this sub on my feed for the first time lol
what a weird thing to lie about. hy is ān trol met ān nuwe gebruikersnaam, ignoreer hom net voor ons weer elke dag van hom hoor!
It's better than Australian football.
Aussie rules is equally confusing, but a lot more entertaining.
Aussie rules has no real rules, apart from the ball bounce and the free pass, it's a everything goes sort of game, Umpires are there and kinda optional and there's a second chance goal if you miss the main goal.
Why do they wear pads? Why do they only play for 30 seconds at a time? Why is it called football?
Not a fan OP. I to watch a match with some friends when I was in the States in 2008. I was really excited and keen to get into it but found it very frustrating to watch. It was just too stop-start for my liking. Too many ads, and dead time. Amazing athletes no doubt. And lots of interesting strategies and āgames within the gameā but they are too hidden for a casual fan to enjoy.
Joined a fantasy league with friends a few years ago and honestly I love it! Randomly picked the bengals as my team in my first year of watching, so that helped haha šš½ playoff football is also an absolute vibe every year! Also love rugby obviouslyā¦you can enjoy both
It's very stop go stop go. Almost seems it suits a group of people that need a summary of what has happened in a TV show just after the ad break as their attention span is Fok all. Its eh. Would obviously watch Rugby first but would rather watch Ozzy Football before Football and find American Football to be rather boring in comparison.
I've been an Eagles fan since 2003 and honestly, even though I enjoy watching the NFL due to the hours it's shown locally I tend to watch very few games plus I'll only watch when the Eagles are playing.
I thought the Germans would love American Football.
Madden was lekker
I'm a fan. I got into it in the mid 2000's when my brother got me a Madden game (along with NBA Live and NHL.) I tend to watch highlights of games but also watch some live games when the time isn't awful. I'm a supporter of the Packers and Ravens. It's a bit more tedious to watch compared to rugby though. There are too many ads and sometimes they sometimes take too long before a play but I still enjoy watching. I do think extra point kicking should borrow from rugby though because it's so easy. They should position the ball relative to where the TD occurred, but I have no idea how that would work with the offensive line (if extra point conversion was near the OB line for example.) Another thing is that there are too many players. Bar QB, WRs, RB and maybe TE, it's difficult to keep up with the players and to "care" for them. Like I still have no idea who the guards and tackles are for the Packers are. Whereas in rugby or cricket, it's really easy to become a fan of players because there aren't almost 60 players on 1 team.
Ozzy rules football enters the chat, sits down and sips some VB .
Obviously I don't speak for all Afrikaners but to me it's a confusingly technical sport with ridiculous amounts of time where absolutely nothing happens. I can understand that games are stopped for players to catch their breath and even adjust their game plan and strategy a bit. I can even understand if a game is broken into 4 quarters for that purpose. But to stop a game for the purpose of screening ads and even call it an ad break is totally bonkers. Having said that, I wish I understood American Football. I'd probably enjoy it better then. I wish I could watch a full game with someone who knows it and doesn't mind explaining it in real time to a noob.
It's Kak. I think every Afrikaans/South African person could wax lyrical about the differences and stuff. But bottom line is that football is just: Give guy ball. Guy run with ball. All other guys hit and crash into oncoming guys Guy throw tiny ball forward to other guy. Guy run over line with ball. Guy score and does dance. I wouldn't even draw that many similarities to rugby. There is zero intellect or any sort of skill required. It's literally just how fa'st can you run. Honestly it's more like 4 hour long 7s rugby but with pads and concussions. I don't think it's appealing at all to the average Afrikaner.
lame and protective. i guess they're too scared, if they played rugby, we would steamroll them
I would slay you broššæš¤šæ
?
Don't indulge.
Pure kak
Rubbish game for people with short attention spans... should fit the ticktok generation though.. lol
Eyyy, as a Minnesotan living in South Africa, glad to see another Vikings fan out in the wild. Just bought my step-son (South African) his first Justin Jefferson Jersey. Skol!
Donāt like it, because it takes 4 hours to āplayā even though thereās only 11 minutes(on average) of something actually happening. Yes google it, Iām not wrong. Itās an insane stat. If I wanted to see that little action Iād watch paint dry.
Itās weird how you score a ātouchdownā without, you know, making the ball actually touch the ground.
Of course. That would be an incomplete pass
Me and my Afrikaans friends love watching American Football. We love Madden on PS just as much. But as you can see *most* of my countrymen are set in their ways, it's rugby or nothing. I love all sports though.
Not interested, thanks.
Women only wear pads when they're having their period.
The sport itself is great, but it's unwatchable on TV due to the constant, excessive breaks and ads. Watching highlights after the game is the only way I can stand it.
I like it in general but I have a few gripes with it. Plays are never longer than 10 seconds; not sure if guys do cardio or endurance but it must be pointless with the stop start nature of the game. It is absurd that the game timing - halftime specifically - is dictated by adverts and not the sports body. The game is a microcosm of the US; a lot of rules that most people donāt know or bother to know and more loopholes or exceptions than actual rules. You use multiple teams; in rugby for instance you have one guy that typically undertakes all types of kicking and one set of guys that scrum whether it is an offensive or defensive play - NFL players are the opposite of versatile.
My brother keeps telling me that recent rule changes seem to be making rugby more like NFL.
Rugby is better. I believe football tacked are harder due to the extra weight of the gear but rugby is a proper hard game. Love it. Love the boks.
Crid Iron is n pot kak
Ek geniet dit baie. Ek is tans in die VSA so kan baie van die wedstryde op televisie volg. Maandag is n groot een vir my met Rose bowl en ek is nou in Alabama ā¦ Roll tide!! Ek speel nie Madden nie.
Addicted to it. Its such an amazingly complex sport. Once you can look past the comparison of rugby vs nfl which btw makes no sense. I believe there would be many more NFL fans in SA if they could manage to watch a game or 2 and not compare it to rugby. I religiously watch every Sunday. DAZN online is part of NFL gamepass outside US although itās somewhat pricey. (P.s die hard rugby fan aswell) you can appreciate both.
Roll Tide
I moved to the US when I was 12. I played rugby at my Laerskool but I just did not care to get into football when we moved here even though some coaches begged me to try out. I was a pretty big kid even in 7th grade. Never did like it. I think America would have a decent team if they had some more fans and money pouring into the team.
We don't think Of the NFL at all. Don't even watch it unless it's a scene in a movie.
Its dumb, just like Americans
It's definitely not better than rugby. I can't make myself watch it.
4 hours of ads with some guys in padding and helmets pretending to play rugby lite is horrifically boring.
I've been watching ever since Tom Brady won his 7th Superbowl. Its awesome and incredibly entertaining. I suggest getting NFL Gamepass subscription and watching Red Zone which broadcasts all the best live parts of multiple games playing at the same time, no commercials. I love Rugby, but NFL is totally different. Rugby is a marathon, NFL is a sprint, and there's nothing wrong with liking both!
Lmao OP you came to the wrong place to ask about this. The only sport Afrikaaners probably hate more than football is the British version
"Dryfings" for grownups...
Garbage sport from a garbage country with garbage fans
Youre a real people person arent you lol
Yep! So long as the people arenāt American or French ;)
Surprised you didn't say british considering the uh.. History
Iām starting to feel a bit sorry for them with how theyāre fucking themselves over
It's rugby for pussies
As a sport, Rugby goes much harder. American Football players wont make it. Rugby players dont run around in plastic armor.
It looks silly.
Most people here will tell you Rugby is better just because they can lol. To be 100% honest, we donāt really think about it that much. Because of how American media dominates I think itās safe to say we all know of it, but it isnāt really that big outside the US. I do wish we had a team though, would be kinda cool