Will American Football Ever Achieve World-wide Popularity?

[_AJ_]

The real issue is the lack of understanding of the game. American Football is like a Chess match played with athletes. The complexities and intricacies are lost on those who don't have in depth knowledge of the sport. Unfortunately it take years to really understand the sport. In The United States kids grow up watching and playing football, therefore there is a broad base of knowledgeable fans. The NFL has yet to realize this fundamental problem. I don't believe simply having top tier players and teams in Europe are going yield significantly different results than NFL Europe. The reality is that it is going to take decades of exposure before it will catch on. Until they get kids playing the sport, the sport will not catch on. I really think they were better off with the NFL Europe model, but should have expanded it to provide support for youth football. The reason why other American sports have had more success in expanding around the world is that they are much easier to learn and understand.

Because we all like to watch Chess?

 

[Shepherd 2]

In answer to your question, I would ask another. "What chance does a snowflake have in hell?" None. When the kids in the streets of the barrios can afford to play so-called American football, the game may have a chance. In the meantime, real football or soccer as it is sometimes called will rule.

No ever. It is too much fun for other countries to hate us at this time in history. That is OK.
Shep+

 

[Lord Booticus]

No ever. It is too much fun for other countries to hate us at this time in history. That is OK.
Shep+

Yeah, no. Completely not why people don't like American Football. Anyone who would like American Football in England will already be playing/watching rugby (American football is an adaptation of rugby), all ready have a team, have a love for the game. American Football wont have the same feel as rugby, something they've been watching and/or playing since they were young.

Then you got the fact rugby is club and international so it has more to follow, more to support and more excitement for them. Internation games are extremely popular in England and Europe with massive followings. As paceyjack said he only watching internation football and so does a lot of other people so you take that out you take out a large fan base.

Then you have the fact some dunce called it football (even though the majority of the game is NOT played using the foot nor feet) that instantly puts it at odds with football in England. And before you say "Oh well you can just call it soccer" you forget English are too proud and stubbern to re-name their sports, especially when ours were here first. Trying to compete with football when your sport is also called football isn't going to end well. Especially when we already have the sport it was based off.

So them having an NFL game at wembley (ruining our pitches) wont gain any new supporters, or not a significant amount. Pretty pointless, futile attempt in my opinion.

 

[MidnightPrism]

I think think it will be popular worldwide, and I don't give a shit if it doesn't.

We love it here, so I'm fine with it being regionally popular.

The world can keep soccer.

 

[blackbeltninja]

No ever. It is too much fun for other countries to hate us at this time in history. That is OK.
Shep+

It's nothing to do with being hated.

It's about trying to gain support from people who already support something else, which is a.) local to them and b.) something they have probably played or even still play fairly routinely.

You also need about 400 people, it seems, to play a game of American Football (excluding the twenty seven coaches and everyone else hooked up to each other via radio). However, you can have a lot of fun playing football/soccer with 3 or 4 guys on each side, in an area as small as half a tennis court, or out in the street. Five-a-side touch rugby is also great fun.

In addition, American Football suffers for the same reasons that golf and ice hockey won't ever be the leading sports, even though both are popular. Golf - the equipment and green fees will kill you; and ice hockey needs, well, ice. Neither are "simple" enough to be picked up by the masses.

-d-

 

[duroc5088]

Soccer in fact IS taking off in America. People seemed to think there would be this huge explosion in the 70s, but instead, it's been a slow build. I don't know if it'll ever supplant the Big Three in terms of popularity, but it certainly will hold its own.

Football in the world? Never. Hell, we couldn't even get the XFL up and running here.

Lex

the XFL was a joke, anyone with a real sense of football, knew it would never last.

And for all the rest of you pups out there that don't understand/like am. Football, well, that nobodies fault but your own. I played the game until I graduated High school, and I'm telling you, other than rodeo, there's nothing more fun in the world than bending some poor kids face mask.

 

[walkabout]

American football is quite popular in our house atleast! we watch [or atleast try to whenever they show on satanta ] the matches. We do have our rugby and football teams but nfl has its own charm!
Btw yesterday's greenbay vs dallas was shit :< was hoping green bay would win

 

[greaves]

And an interesting article from today's London "Times".

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2980555.ece