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It's a fair point - the standing around is boring.. as a Saints gal I record games & fast forward the boring bits voila, I only watch 1 hr of an actual game without the standing around.
But I grew up on Aussie Rules where its also a 3 hr game - but with 30 minute qtrs of non-stop play. Now that's athleticsm - no padding either
That isn't actually true. The game clock does not stop after every play. It only stops when a pass is incomplete or a receiver/runner goes out of bounds. So the game clock can be running when there is no action happening on the field. Indeed, teams often run the game clock down by waiting for as long as possible before snapping the ball.
And how bout the way soccer players walk ever so slowly to the field for a subsitution if they are winning towards the end of a game. That certainly stops the action. I've seen it. And yes the add time at the end to make up for delays, but it certainly stops the action for a bit.
You're splitting hairs. There are fifteen minutes of on the field action per quarter. The vast majority of that time, the ball is in action. It's the exception, not the norm, for teams to run the clock down - and even so, it's only a matter of seconds that they are given to do so in nearly every case. They usually have just a few seconds to actually move the ball each play. And WHEN they are doing so, it's a matter of strategy, which is interesting to fans who understand that this is a strategic move.
I have seen teams standing around at the very end of a game for the thirty seconds or so, when there is absolutely no way for a comeback and the outcome of the game is already clear. But even that's an exception. Teams usually pound the field (and each other) vigorously till the very last few seconds.
My point is that the ball is IN ACTION for MUCH MORE than fifteen minutes per game. Come on, man!
According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent broadcasts, and similar estimates by researchers, the average amount of time the ball is in play on the field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes.
I have been to a great many Rangers v Celtic matches which is supposed to be one of the bitterest rivalries around. At one of the more controversial matches which was played in March 2011, there were just 34 arrests in a crowd of 60,000. Of those arrests, only one was for assault and that was 'assault by spitting'. The others were alcohol related or 'breach of the peace' which usually means shouting offensive things.
I am not suggesting that thuggery and hooliganism does not exist. It exists the world over and not just around soccer. What I am telling you is that its prevalence is grossly overstated and that you can go to soccer matches with absolutely no fear for your safety.
You can believe me or not. That is your right. But I will continue to go to matches until I am no longer able. Indeed, my mother had a season ticket for Rangers until she was 85 and it was only when Parkinsons began to get the better of her did she give it up.
I'm not saying that your accounts are not true, from your perspective. I'm not saying that you're lying in any way. You're relaying your own personal experiences.
I doubt I'll ever have to worry about my own personal safety at a UK soccer game. We can certainly agree on that point!
According to a Wall Street Journal study of four recent broadcasts, and similar estimates by researchers, the average amount of time the ball is in play on the field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes.
This headline is misleading. The ball may be actually moving for only fifteen minutes, but there's a lot more going on in a play than simply the ball being moved. ALL of each play is critical to the game, and fans don't lose interest just because the ball itself may not be in actual motion for every minute of each quarter.
Like I said, the entire PLAY is critical - we're watching what individual members of the teams are doing offensively, defensively, etc. Also, during the lulls between plays, when teams are huddling and planning or getting into place, the sportscasters play replays of the most recent play - often in slow motion - which is very interesting to fans, because the game is won or lost often by inches and seconds. So we're honestly not acutely aware of whether or not the ball is actually MOVING at this very moment, because even in the stadiums, we're watching the instant replays of the last play during the small lulls on the field.
We're also watching other things happening on the sidelines and in the stands - the antics of fans, a beaming wife or mother after their loved one's successful play on the field, that sort of thing. It's not just about what's happening with the ball every second.
So - the actual game -people playing football on the field - is fifteen minutes per quarter - one hour of playing time.
At the end of the day it doesn't matter. If you enjoy it, watch it and if you don't, then don't! I don't think there would be any resistance to having a team at Wembley but I think it has some way to go in attracting an international audience.
Last night on the national news they mentioned that NFL tv viewership numbers are at their highest ever. So, they are doing something right.
In my neighborhood, Sunday during football season many houses have small football watching parties going on. Every bar and pub in the city is packed. There are even some bars downtown where for example all the Pittsburghers that have moved to Philly gather to watch their team. Very festive atmosphere. It is kind of hard to explain if you didn't grow up with Sunday NFL football like we all did.
Sunday NFL is a very big deal in the US. In fact, some older Americans still hold a grudge against the NFL for not cancelling all NFL games the Sunday after JFK was assassinated.
... It is not popular here, the UK will always be a Football nation.
True enough - I did an analysis of responses from Brits/people that live in UK - the answer to the OP's question as to whether we wanted an NFL team (or conference) was a resounding "Nope".
In the USA, most of the stadiums are out of town and have very large car parks which facilitate 'tailgating'. In the UK, most stadia are in town, do not have large car parks and where the majority of fans use public transport to access them.
Not an NFL fan, but I remember going to an Auburn-Georgia Tech game in Atlanta several years back. We had to ride the subway in to their campus. It was absolutely electric being on the subway with hundreds of people in the trains and thousands in the stations wearing their school's colors while simultaneously singing their fight songs and chanting their cheers. Got to the stadium, and there was still a fair bit of tailgating right in the heart of Atlanta. The good guys lost that day in horrific fashion, but that's still my favorite road trip (and it would take quite a lot to top it).
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