Is American Football boring?

[notyou2]

Let's understand one thing. Without the TV audience and the advertisers that bankroll the sports industry, all your favourite players would be selling real estate and/or meth, because the money is better.

[betiko]

It's a game of strategy, physicality, speed, power, and athleticism.

Plus, at the collegiate level, fans get passionate for the schools they went to and supported when they defeat a long time rival.

can you not say that of football, basketball, badminton, tennis, waterpolo, cricket, baseball, hockey, rugby, volleyball... basically any sport involving a ball against opponents?

[saxitoxin]

IOW let's say, in a game, teams use three of their six time-outs in a half,

Well let's say it. That's 4.5 minutes wasted. Why? Because under the regulation, without the commercial factor, a timeout is 30 seconds.

SOURCE

Article 1 The Referee shall suspend play while the ball is dead and declare a charged team timeout upon the request for a timeout by the head coach or any player to any official.

Item 1: Three Timeouts Allowed A team is allowed three charged team timeouts during each half.

Item 2: Length of Timeouts. Charged team timeouts shall be two minutes in length, unless the timeout is not used by television for a commercial break. Timeouts shall be 30 seconds in length when the designated number of television commercials have been exhausted in a quarter, if it is a second charged team timeout in the same dead-ball period, or when the Referee so indicates.

If there were no commercials all time outs would be 30 seconds, not two minutes.

Check and Mate ... Q.E.D.

It seems you're still skipping over the quarter breaks, time to reset play after a score, and everything else previously mentioned. That's probably a good idea.

[saxitoxin]

f*ck off, saxitoxin. Next time you go to a game and you wonder why the players are just milling about the field and nothing is going on; over and over and over again you will quickly realize how many commercial breaks are totally unwarranted. I can read and practice the entire Kama Sutra in the amount of wasted time on Sundays.

I wonder the same thing at high school games and there's nary a TV camera in sight.

[saxitoxin]

It's a game of strategy, physicality, speed, power, and athleticism.

Plus, at the collegiate level, fans get passionate for the schools they went to and supported when they defeat a long time rival.

can you not say that of football, basketball, badminton, tennis, waterpolo, cricket, baseball, hockey, rugby, volleyball... basically any sport involving a ball against opponents?

NO

now cinch up your panties and go back to the badminton thread

[mrswdk]

saxi just got hired to lobby for the Miami Dolphins.

[rishaed]

Football is about as exciting as English food is flavorful.

-TG

At least its better than watching baseball live. They do make it much better on TV though. Hated watching my first MLB baseball game in stadium though.

[Symmetry]

It's a game of strategy, physicality, speed, power, and athleticism.

Plus, at the collegiate level, fans get passionate for the schools they went to and supported when they defeat a long time rival.

can you not say that of football, basketball, badminton, tennis, waterpolo, cricket, baseball, hockey, rugby, volleyball... basically any sport involving a ball against opponents?

Indeed, although those sports tend to have all the players displaying all of Muyt's qualities over a sustained period of time. So, not like American Football.

[muy_thaiguy]

It's a game of strategy, physicality, speed, power, and athleticism.

Plus, at the collegiate level, fans get passionate for the schools they went to and supported when they defeat a long time rival.

can you not say that of football, basketball, badminton, tennis, waterpolo, cricket, baseball, hockey, rugby, volleyball... basically any sport involving a ball against opponents?

Each team has 11 players (12 for the CFL) on the field at a time. And each player has an individual assignment, that if they fail, could bring about disaster for the play.
On offense, you have the o-line looking to not only block the d-line, but also any possibly blitzing defenders. You have the QB looking the defense over, hoping to see holes in it or help the o-line in finding blitzers. You have the runningback that could either help block, run the ball and look for a hole in the line to gain yards, or even be a receiver. Then the receivers will either be blocking DBs or following their routes in order to mix up the defense to get open and catch the ball.

And that's not even going into defense.

[tzor]

Let's understand one thing. Without the TV audience and the advertisers that bankroll the sports industry, all your favourite players would be selling real estate and/or meth, because the money is better.

That's not exactly true. They would just be fairly rich instead of stinking rich. Your typical football stadium has the capacity of around 80,000 (Metlife Stadium capacity is 82,556). Compare that to Yankee Stadium which has a 52,251 capacity. Unfortunately games are only once a week, with the bye week somewhere therein and only half of the games are home games (not counting the times both teams have away games because they want to bring the sport to London) and the actual season capacity of the crowd is far greater for baseball than it is for football. On the other hand, most football games are sellouts and this is not the case for baseball.

Besides most NFL players couldn't sell real estate to save their lives and they would be immediately profiled by law enforcement if they tried to sell meth.

[Symmetry]

Let's understand one thing. Without the TV audience and the advertisers that bankroll the sports industry, all your favourite players would be selling real estate and/or meth, because the money is better.

That's not exactly true. They would just be fairly rich instead of stinking rich. Your typical football stadium has the capacity of around 80,000 (Metlife Stadium capacity is 82,556). Compare that to Yankee Stadium which has a 52,251 capacity. Unfortunately games are only once a week, with the bye week somewhere therein and only half of the games are home games (not counting the times both teams have away games because they want to bring the sport to London) and the actual season capacity of the crowd is far greater for baseball than it is for football. On the other hand, most football games are sellouts and this is not the case for baseball.

Besides most NFL players couldn't sell real estate to save their lives and they would be immediately profiled by law enforcement if they tried to sell meth.

It's pretty much a fixed game overall, though, isn't it? It's not as if local teams, or states without a franchise can compete. It's really a business more than a sport, from the college level up, it's a leviathan.

[tzor]

It's pretty much a fixed game overall, though, isn't it? It's not as if local teams, or states without a franchise can compete. It's really a business more than a sport, from the college level up, it's a leviathan.

Well it is definitely a "monopoly" by the power of Federal law. More so than Baseball. There are no "minor" leagues and no "independent" leagues. (Originally there was two major leagues in Football but they combined. Third leagues tended to die slow and painful deaths.) Football at the college level is actually pathetic if you are not a Division I school. (But R.P.I. still fights Union every year for a pair of wooden shoes.)

NFL has designed the system to produce uniform mediocrity. You don't have the bigger markets with bigger buying power. You also don't have the bigger markets driving a bigger minor league player advancement system. You go up from the College (through the draft) straight to the major teams. In hockey, for example, most college students wind up in the minor leagues for a few years where they learn how professional is different from college.

[JoshuaLamb]

IMO the greatest thing about NFL is rooting for your team each year #GoCowboys I believe it is the ultimate game of strategy and requires many different skill sets

[Lucky Se7en]

It's pretty much a fixed game overall, though, isn't it? It's not as if local teams, or states without a franchise can compete. It's really a business more than a sport, from the college level up, it's a leviathan.

I don't understand how it could be considered a fixed game. Local or semi-pro teams really wouldn't be able to compete, the best of the best typically end up making it into the NFL. Also a large talent differential for football is not like it would be for a 100 meter sprint, not only would the losing side get embarrassed by the score but typically the worse team will be riddled with injuries afterwards. The way I see it, the business and the sport go hand in hand and it seems to work out pretty well. Because the players get paid so well, they can dedicate their careers to the sport and produce the highest level of performance possible where most Olympic athletes can't say the same. Also since they get paid so well and are so well covered by the media, it attracts more talent to the sport and makes it more competitive. This is why most of the athletic talent seems to gravitate towards basketball and football in the US as opposed to soccer in Europe.

I don't understand how the level of excitement for a sport is directly compared to the amount of time spent watching it. I get that commercials are annoying but I'd rather spend my time watching a sport fully interested in what's going to happen/happening than watching something drone on. I mean come on, who would be in their right mind to say that they are more excited to watch a distance running event than watch a couple sprints?

[Serbia]

Ignore the troll, please. This whole thread is a troll thread, based solely on the title and who started it.

[tzor]

Even a broken analog clock tells the correct time twice a day. When I look back on my childhood days, I see a completely different game than exists today.

There was a lot of emphasis on offensive formations vs defensive formations back then. You had the great Broadway Joe. Not everything was based on two ton defensive and offensive lines. You could actually speculate and debate on strategy as opposed to injuries. Even in the 80's you had the "New York Sack Exchange."

[Lucky Se7en]

Are you seriously trying to say that there was more strategy to football back in the infant days of the shotgun formations? You're either retarded or messing with me right now and I'm thinking it's the first option.

[tzor]

Are you seriously trying to say that there was more strategy to football back in the infant days of the shotgun formations?

The shotgun formation was invented in 1940 (with Tommy Thompson.). Named after someone who used it in 1960 (John Brodie). Briefly by Joe Namath but not as a major tactic until the mid 70's with Roger Staubach who had a running back next to him to provide a running alternative from the position. So tell me what you consider the "infant days of the shotgun formations."

[Quirk]

120th meeting

Auburn 7
Georgia 13

[Symmetry]

It's pretty much a fixed game overall, though, isn't it? It's not as if local teams, or states without a franchise can compete. It's really a business more than a sport, from the college level up, it's a leviathan.

I don't understand how it could be considered a fixed game. Local or semi-pro teams really wouldn't be able to compete, the best of the best typically end up making it into the NFL. Also a large talent differential for football is not like it would be for a 100 meter sprint, not only would the losing side get embarrassed by the score but typically the worse team will be riddled with injuries afterwards. The way I see it, the business and the sport go hand in hand and it seems to work out pretty well. Because the players get paid so well, they can dedicate their careers to the sport and produce the highest level of performance possible where most Olympic athletes can't say the same. Also since they get paid so well and are so well covered by the media, it attracts more talent to the sport and makes it more competitive. This is why most of the athletic talent seems to gravitate towards basketball and football in the US as opposed to soccer in Europe.

I don't understand how the level of excitement for a sport is directly compared to the amount of time spent watching it. I get that commercials are annoying but I'd rather spend my time watching a sport fully interested in what's going to happen/happening than watching something drone on. I mean come on, who would be in their right mind to say that they are more excited to watch a distance running event than watch a couple sprints?

I appreciate that the few minutes of actual play are exciting, Your second point largely bears true, but hell, if you'd seen Mo Farah compete you wouldn't make the comparison at all American Football isn't really compararible to individual athletic events though.

It's a fixed game because only a certain set of teams are allowed to play, and of those teams, the worst gets the best pick of a deeply corrupt college system. Fifa is awful, but the NFL?

It often seems like the NFL has made sure its corruption is a monopoly.

[tzor]

It's a fixed game because only a certain set of teams are allowed to play, and of those teams, the worst gets the best pick of a deeply corrupt college system. Fifa is awful, but the NFL?

I'm going to disagree. It not a matter of the quantity (although that does make for boring game play) but there are certain aspects of the game that have been ruined by a number of parameters that basically limit options on the field considerably. They consist of the offensive and defensive lines as well as protection and in some cases the lack thereof.

There are two "games" in Football; the running game and the passing game. Let's face it, when you have massively overweight people on both sides of the line the running game flat out sucks. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that if no one worried about the running game you could shut down the passing game no one would play the running game. If you want to make 10 yards in three downs, going 2 yards sucks.

The pressure also impacts the passing game, quarterbacks have little time in the pocket to see deep plays develop. They are either scrambling (and thus throwing the ball when off balance) or running short passing plays where there is a good chance of an interception. The result is a volley of failed first down and punts, making for boring football.

Here is an interesting source on the evolution of the football player SOURCE

NFL Players at most positions are bigger and stronger than their predecessors, but sizes and body styles have diverged — sometimes dramatically — based on the demands of their roles. As data journalist Noah Veltman noted after crunching the numbers on NFL player height and weight over time, “nowadays, if you’re 6 foot 3 inches and 280 pounds, you’re too big for most skill positions and too small to play line.”

One recent analysis of average player weights by position, using data from NFL.com for each player on 2013 rosters, found a range from 193 pounds for cornerbacks to 315 for offensive guards. (The difference in average heights, while not as dramatic, ranged from 5 foot 11 inches for running backs and cornerbacks to 6 foot 5 inches for offensive tackles.

The impression that players at every position are much bigger and stronger than previous generations is not always true. Sometimes the ideal body type for today’s game is actually smaller. Consider the running back.

Bronko Nagurski, the ball carrier who became the NFL’s symbol of power football during the 1930s, stood 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 226 pounds. His strength and size helped him plow through would-be tacklers.

Running backs today average just shorter than 6 feet, and 215 pounds. On those terms alone, Nagurski would not be outmatched. But today’s runners use their size to hide behind the massive linemen blocking in front of them, and spend countless hours in training to develop the acceleration and lower body strength to speed through holes and fight for extra yardage.

I don't see the changes that were made leading to more exciting football. It's more like watching demolition derby.

[Symmetry]

I really see nothing in your post that disagrees with my points, Tz. It's as if you started off by saying you disagree, then went your own way.

That said, it was an interesting post. Just a bit heavy on the kind of stat crunching that drags the NFL into mindnumbing boredom.

If a team sport requires you to keep track of a player's weight and height, switch to boxing or gymnastics.