I often compare American Football to Chess. (btw: I am currently #7 on the CC Chess Scoreboard.)
Football has the complexity of Chess, but has what I liken to be LIVING and BREATHING Chess pieces, each doing their roles to an incredible and admirable level of excellence and with a dramatic flair, too. The most watched TV event of the year is always the Super Bowl, the Championship of the NFL. (Chess gets very few viewers.) I think the #1 TV Shows each week are NFL games, too, with over 20 million US viewers, if I understand the stats correctly.
To be good at football, obviously one must have really good players. But there must also have good coaches, many good coaches, for different positions and roles (such as motivator, the "bad" Coach who will get on a player for mistakes and another who may "pump' the player back up [the Motivator], the strength Coach, the Receivers Coach, etc.)
And a team needs to have the right "Scheme" to use on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams (Beamer Ball anyone??) to use against a specific opponent.
Back to players: since there are eleven players on the field for one team for one play (like soccer or futbol), there is a LOTS of complexity. You need speed on the edges and decent speed and HUGE size and strength on the O- and D- Lines. And there are the linebackers and running backs who have this incredible combination of both power and speed. And the Quarterback who can nearly instantly process the situation in SECONDS and make the appropriate response, such as pass, run, handoff and where to put the ball. (I watched 44 year old [and grandfather] Philip Rivers last night for the Colts who made some unbelievable throws. He has been playing for the Colts only two weeks and started ahead of a young man who was a decent college QB who does not have the skills YET to process all the information in a given situation on the field to be nearly as effective.)
And ALL this must be executed to near perfection for the right result. It is said that blocking and tackling are fundamental to football. YES. BUT fans do not go to a game or watch it on TV for blocking and tackling. Most of us watch for the SPECTACULAR PASSES by the QB, and/or the incredible catches by the Receivers, or the Great Runs and breaking tackles by the Running Backs. What is the iconic image on the Heisman Trophy? The Running Back or player and a "stiff arm" to ward off a tackler.
It said that Defense wins Championships, but great Offense plays sells tickets and brings in the viewers.
That and the drama of watching who will win and who will make The Great Play(s). It is FUN, especially this time of year. As a Teacher, I am very busy most of the Fall, but as we get to the Holidays, I have time to watch and
REALLY ENJOY the games, college and NFL both. SO WATCH and ENJOY.
And Thanks, DDS. Is your team the 49ers?? They looked really good last night. Despite the heroics of Philip Rivers, it was clear that the "Niners" are the Better Team.
ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...
,YOU ASK.......BECAUSE TO THE FORD FAMILY THE LIONS ARE A HOBBY, A SHINNY THING TO SHOW THEIR RICH FRIENDS, LOOK WHAT I OWN... 
