Mickwhitt 4,625 #1 Posted February 12 Hello chaps, England calling.... I attempted to watch your Super Bowl "Football" game last night on the old televisual apparatus. The time delay is most awfully inconvenient, you chaps should really consider moving the kick off time to allow we English fellows to watch at a decent hour. Well. I must say I really can't understand why you insist on calling it football, there seemed to be very little use of the feet. Apart of course from propelling the players to the sidelines for a sit down every few minutes. Is that normal in your game? Would it not be better to make the chaps stay on the field just a tad longer? But I suppose they do need a little rest after all the Hoo Haa and dancing every time someone touches the ball, could you not just shake hands and give a hearty slap on the back like we folk do? And all that body armour and helmets! Goodness me those chaps are carrying so much clutter around with them. Over here we don't bother with all that malarkey. Just a bit of tape and a cloth scrum cap is enough to cover most eventualities. And this chap they call the quarter back? He seems to be quite important, making all the plays and such. Why does he have to have everything written on his arm? Surely he can remember a few bits and bobs. And he was off the field more than he was on it. Our chaps stay on for the full 80 minutes, unless less they break something or need a few stitches. All in all it was a pretty confusing game as far as I could see. What the blonde girl drinking lager had to do with it goodness knows, but her gentleman friend seemed rather upset at one point, maybe it was his beer, I don't know. I managed to watch the first quarter, or part of a half or some such. Really do you need to split a game of two halves down still further? Isn't it enough with all the first downs and 3rd and ten breaks in play? You chaps should have a squint at the six nations rugby tournament that is going on over here at the moment. You might pick up a few ideas. I have a few suggestions for your other little game, baseball is it? Perhaps some stumps and bowling the ball properly might make is just a tad more interesting. Anyway. Its been such fun chatting, but I have to go to the hospital now to have my tongue surgically removed from my cheek. Hope you fellows aren't too miffed at my critique of your little game. Ta ta for now old bean. Sir Nigel Molesworth Esq. 4 1 17 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,243 #2 Posted February 12 3 hours ago, Mickwhitt said: Really do you need to split a game of two halves down still further? Isn't it enough with all the first downs and 3rd and ten breaks in play? Nigel, you seem to be under the misconception that the ball being carried or thrown past the end of the field is what this show is all about. In fact allowing time to have multiple advertisements is the objective. The well protected gentlemen following the rules and being panelized for stepping over the line too soon or having the wrong person catching the ball is the intermission so a bathroom visit can be made without missing an advertisement. What medical specialist removes the tongue from the cheek? 2 1 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CCW 1,295 #3 Posted February 12 Well since our football took off here before your football took off here the name kind of stuck. Hence your football is our soccer and unfortunately some of our footballers like to play sockher, a very bad game indeed, BTW. I did watch the first half of the game and spent more time muting the hours of commercials between every two or three plays. The game now is more about television ads than football and has way to much pregame hype for me. 1 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 4,625 #4 Posted February 12 My Dear CCW, where on earth did you get the notion that football started in your country? Britain was the birthplace of the noble game, in fact the oldest team is Sheffield fc, very close to where I hail from. The early years. Modern football originated in Britain in the 19th century. Since before medieval times, “folk football” games had been played in towns and villages according to local customs and with a minimum of rules. Your gridiron game was developed from both soccer and rugby, taking parts from each game. You are very right about the advertising and such like. Didn't one chap pay a million dollars for a box so his friends could watch? Quite a price ticket. I think more celebrities were there for the publicity than watching the actual game. Such a shame that a great spectacle like the super bowl has been taken over by the advertisers and glitterati. You can't take anything away from how skilful your chaps are at it, and the athleticism of it all. Yours Nigel 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldlineman 1,481 #5 Posted February 12 Unfortunately the game has been taken over by big money and money is what it is all about! How I long for those early games in the sixties and seventies,where there where not so many millionaires involved. Now I will get off my Bob 4 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998 #6 Posted February 12 I read this entire thing in my head with a British accent, and I find myself sitting here laughing hysterically!! I don't disagree with these comments either! Quarterbacks back in the day (1970's-80's) used to call their own plays and didn't have an armband with a call sheet in it. The problem with the modern NFL is that each offense literally has it's own language that has to learned. It gets so convoluted that no one can remember all of that. I read one time that some playbooks are 800 pages long!! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 38,178 #7 Posted February 12 Me thinks you all missed the real attraction of football. 2 2 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,755 #8 Posted February 12 Mick your right on. Well I missed the games as I do many years. Actually I tune in some years at halftime to see how much more outrageous they can make the entertainment. I’ve been going to my seven year old grandsons Basketball games the past 6 weeks. Now that’s real sports. I enjoy High School sports. I pass on todays Pro-Sports with its advertising, overpaid/spoiled athletes and owners 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CCW 1,295 #9 Posted February 12 1 hour ago, Mickwhitt said: My Dear CCW, where on earth did you get the notion that football started in your country? Most honorable Mr. @Mickwhitt, I apologize if I inferred that US football started here. Instead I meant that US football was active commercially here before your football was. Please accept my humble supplications. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,874 #10 Posted February 12 This thread has earned the 2024 title. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,118 #11 Posted February 12 Our dear departed nORM (Stormin) hated that we called it football. @stevasaurus and I would get him riled up talking Bears/Packers on Skype. Good Times Back in the 60's, Teams had like 15 plays. How else could John Madden sit all day at a coach's seminar with Vince Lombardi and St. Vince talked all day about 1 play? Qb's called their own plays and you could "smear" them. Defensive players could do the "head slap" A move I used to do all the time playing street football. Kickers kicked straight on and the head ref carried a gun! 2 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pfrederi 17,739 #12 Posted February 12 Saw a video clip of the coin toss for the first AFL/NFL championship game. Took less than a minute, 3 people Head Ref and the two team captains. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lane Ranger 10,968 #13 Posted February 12 That lateral pass in the Superbowl was a harking back to the plays we use to see in American 🇺🇸 football! 🏈 Team members use to play with each other member knowing who could improvise on the run! Made the game a lot more exciting! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 4,625 #14 Posted February 12 Hi lads, sorry about my cousin. Looks like Sir Nigel got hold of my phone while he was visiting and posted on here using my login. In no way do I go along with his post about the big game. If anyone is upset at his post I can send you his address, or you can let me know and I'll pass your messages along to him. I did winder about the coin toss though, did seem to take such a long time. I watch the little kids play soccer on the sports field opposite my home. Rain, snow or blow they are out there playing their socks off, no big money or roles watches in sight. I once watched a couple of girls soccer teams, women's sport is really big at present over here, I remarked at hiw skilfully they were and one mum said "You have to keep an eye on them, they can be right little b1tch3s, pulling hair and biting" lol. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 38,178 #15 Posted February 12 3 hours ago, oldlineman said: money is what it is all about! That's why it is called professional football. Sad to say the money has migrated down to the amateur level of college and even high school sports. BTW Bob, IMO, the Heinz Family Steelers is one of the best run organizations in the NFL. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,461 #16 Posted February 12 I personally like Sir Nigel's take on the game. I will occasionally watch our "football", but would much rather watch your "football" where the foot and ball are the main two things in the game, not some blond bimbo drinking beer and asking her friends 'what just happened?' And the advertising really sucked this year. $7 million for 30 seconds? And don't get me started on half-time. 1 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,232 #17 Posted February 12 33 minutes ago, rmaynard said: I personally like Sir Nigel's take on the game. I will occasionally watch our "football", but would much rather watch your "football" where the foot and ball are the main two things in the game, not some blond bimbo drinking beer and asking her friends 'what just happened?' And the advertising really sucked this year. $7 million for 30 seconds? And don't get me started on half-time. I decided to read my book and not watch any of it. Not regretting the decision. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
formariz 11,987 #18 Posted February 12 Just a little sampler of what football is https://youtu.be/InITJ228-PI 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davem1111 2,030 #19 Posted February 12 Personally I don't disgree with any of the grumblings about the game. But I like to watch the plays, so I watch. I have a pretty good filter for stupid commercials and just ignore them, but a few of them were actually intertaining to me. I did *not* watch the halftime show. For about the last 10 years I've had no idea who the people were who were headlining the show so I don't bother. I did enjoy Reba McEntire's National Anthem though. I think she could have toned down the country twang just a little, but that's her style. She would probably tell me "stop talkin' like a dang Yankee!" 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,461 #20 Posted February 12 17 minutes ago, davem1111 said: For about the last 10 years I've had no idea who the people were who were headlining the show so I don't bother. I don't know who decides on the halftime entertainment, but I've read where the Super Bowl key demographics of viewership were largest among women, Gen Z adults and millennials. God help us. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,461 #21 Posted February 12 Hey Mick, what's the halftime entertainment going to be at the UEFA EURO 2024? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mickwhitt 4,625 #22 Posted February 12 43 minutes ago, rmaynard said: Hey Mick, what's the halftime entertainment going to be at the UEFA EURO 2024? What on earth is that? Oh, yeah, football. I honestly don't have much to do with football. I can't cope with watching grown men belly ache and moan about a game. They roll around like they have been pole axed after the tiniest of contacts. They are paid ridiculous sums of money with the equally ridiculous excuse that they have to earn all their money before they become too old to play. What do they think working men do until they are 65, which is on its way up toward 71 in the near future. I prefer cricket and rugby which seem to still be pretty untouched by commerce. As regards half time entertainment, we don't pause for long enough to have a decent show. Just a quick suck on an orange and a good shouting at by the coach. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 55,243 #23 Posted February 13 My wife fell asleep during the game and watched the recording today. She said there was a naked streaker who ran across the field and they didn't even show it probably the best part of the show and they only talked about it. That confirms my decision to not watch. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenneth R Cluley 515 #24 Posted February 13 There was one reference to "football" with the Messi commercial! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C-85 681 #25 Posted February 13 The subject of football is tough for me, I'm a New England Patriots fan, so the last few years have been rough on us! My favorite ad yesterday was the State Farm ads with Arnold and being "like a good Neibor", I think that's how he must spell it C-85 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites