The Best Football Team in America

[korn469]

there is a reason that football (american football damnit!) and not soccer is the number 1 spectator sport, and that is because it is very tv friendly and because the NFL is the best run professional sports league imo with the NBA being right behind it

while it is true that on the majority of plays in football nothing happens, there is the possibility on any given play that anything could happen. the guys playing in the NFL are monsters...unlike this falsehood that football players are strong slow fat guys...looking at both chicago football team's rosters you get the following

the fire's biggest player is 6'3 230 (zach thornton)
the bear's biggest player is 6'5 330 (ted washington)

i have no clue who is the best on the fire's team but i saw the banner for marsch who is 5'11 170

put him up against urlacher at 6'4 260, and runs a 4.59 40 (40 yard dash)

http://www.sportcenters.net/Urlacher.html

NFL players are strong, fast, and agile, and a game of football fits perfectly with commercials, which reaps the NFL billions, which is then split amongst all of the teams making everyone (except for the bengeals lol) competitive. plus look at pop culture, how many musicians wear NFL jerseys compared to MLS jerseys? while the NFL might not always keep soccer down, american football isn't going away anytime soon

[Imran Siddiqui]

That's my problem with your view, Sten . You know I love soccer, but I don't forsee it overtaking basketball in the next 25 years. Perhaps I am more of a pessimist, but it will be very hard for it to break through.

The best case scenario is for it to accelerate as NASCAR has, but in the national consciousness, NASCAR, while the fastest growing sport, is liked only by hicks. I think the media propaganda will be that soccer is only like by foriegners or kids of foriegners.

[Sten Sture]

Originally posted by korn469
i have no clue who is the best on the fire's team but i saw the banner for marsch who is 5'11 170

put him up against urlacher at 6'4 260, and runs a 4.59 40 (40 yard dash)

[

That is funny, considering that soccer is more like running a 10k. Who wins that race??

Zack's father played TE for the Bears, by the way...

[Imran Siddiqui]

there is a reason that football (american football damnit!) and not soccer is the number 1 spectator sport, and that is because it is very tv friendly and because the NFL is the best run professional sports league imo with the NBA being right behind it

Those are very good reasons and ultimatly correct. The NFL IS good for TV and is very, very, very well run (the anti-MLB). I agree with you that the NFL is going nowhere; however, I think the strength of the NBA is overstated. MLB WILL stay #2 for quite a while. People still love the game (ie, such as me) and the strategy within it.

[monolith94]

Chalk up another vote for the NE revolution here.

[korn469]

sten

you're missing the point, american football players are amazing athletes, and if you count the total amount of running done in a football game it is at least a couple of kilometers as well...if you are in the NFL you have size, strength, speed, skill, endurance, etc.

to me soccer doesn't seem to have that

[H Tower]

The fire usually play at Soldier Field in Chicago, (the same place the Bears play) except that the stadium is under renovation, so the Fire are playing at North Central College which is a bad venue IMO. I should know, I've seen two Fire games there and wish that Soldier Field would hurry and get finished. I really liked watching the Fire at Soldier Field.

[korn469]

imran,

I'm not a fan of baseball, it is one of my least favorite sports, but I seriously hate to see MLB's (mis)management be one of the most important reasons in the apparent decline of the sport. I can't make up my mind who holds the fans in more contempt the owners or the players. It's just really sad...

If they would do things differently I think MLB has the possibility of really staging a comeback. Baseball fans seems to be some of the most diehard fans out there.

[Imran Siddiqui]

korn, the real amazing thing, however, is that baseball's ratings and attendance are STILL high! They've been breaking attendance records and doing it well. People bemoan the management, but the game is still doing well. Imagine how great it would be if management was running smoothly!!

[korn469]

Imagine how great it would be if management was running smoothly!!

i agree with you on that, and I hope one day it actually happens

[Sten Sture]

korn - I don't disagree with you at all about the total physical package of NFL players. But only corners, receivers, backs, and QBs are light enough for soccer, the other guys just physically have to much muscle mass to run for a full 90 minutes without stopping.

American experience with American football's plays will be the feature that ends up making the US the dominant global soccer nation. True! We are starting to see the advantages to goalkeepers from traditional American sports. We will rule on set pieces, and our coaching skills with those will change the face of the global game. You heard it here.


For Rothy:

http://www.barnburners.com/

[Imran Siddiqui]

Hopefully, Sten .

I'd love to be in a Europe pub the day the US wins its first World Cup, just to see the stunned look on their faces .

[korn469]

sten

now don't get me wrong, i used to play soccer all the time after school, and i appreciate the game. I just think that in America tons of other sports are just far more rooted in our culture. Instead of trying to get MLS to compete with other professional sports for ratings, if I was trying to market soccer, I'd put on emphasis on NCAA soccer and try to build up a following there. Maybe a slight americanization of the rules could help boost soccer's status. One of the major things about the NFL, MLB, and the NBA is the matchups both on and off the field. While I know it is certainly possible for one soccer coach to out wit another, it isn't on the same level as in american football. A great team with a bad coach/coaching staff will lose to a good team with a great coach in most instances. Soccer has on the field matchups, but the relative few pauses in the game to readjust your strategy compared to the relative large amounts of time to get the ball back in play is a real downer for many americans. It's like they stop soccer for unimportant reasons, and the game lacks the strategic depth of American football.

[Sten Sture]

korn - I agree with every one of your points. Especially the NCAA thing. The MLS is doing a lot of things poorly, and their league structure is certainly one of them. Integrating American strategic sports design into soccer is one thing that will make the game work here

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I'd contend (being a big fan of soccer) that American football players have more skill than soccer players. Offensive linemen are one of the most skilled positions, you have to hit your blocks JUST right, especially on complicated pulling assignments and trap blocks. It requires great skill to pull that off and outsmart your defensive counterpart that the same time.

To me, it's a bit like sumo wrestling. Skill plays a role, yes, but strength is much more important, particularly when blockers can use their hands to grab and shove instead of just bumping with their bodies. It makes the job just that much easier.

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
You need quick feet, strong upper body, and an awareness of the defense at all times. The best offensive linemen are more valuable than anyone else on the team. WRs need skill in running crisp patterns and catching the ball in traffic. RBs need skill in finding holes in the line and exploiting them. Defensive players need great amounts of skill in decifering the offense and then trying to break it.

So do football forwards and centres. Since football is dynamic as opposed to static like handmelon, in fact each and every one of the players must be able to continuously evaluate the whole situation, discern the intents of your teammates as well as opposing players, and make your own moves accordingly.

On the other hand, football players just mostly carry out instructions, plans devised by the coach and various assistants.

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
If the offensive line doesn't require skill why do teams ALWAYS pick offensive linemen very high in the draft? A great offensive lineman (especially a great left tackle) can make your team good for at least a decade.

Sure, but QB's are always at the top "Very high" is just comparatively speaking.