By the time you read this either the Indianapolis Colts or the New Orleans Saints will have been crowned champions in the 44th annual Superbowl, a global sports super-event which is essentially the world cup final of American football.
Of all the sports of the U.S.A, and they have a few, football has made by far the biggest impact. In 2007 the NFL (that’s the National Football League for those scratching their heads) staged its first overseas league game at Wembley Stadium, entirely ruining the hallowed turf in the process, but it was such a success, with 81,176 fans attending, that it was made an annual event. Thanks to the passion of Britain’s loyal and somewhat obsessive American football followers there has even been talk of looking into the seemingly far-fetched possibility of a London-based team competing in the NFL, and the slightly less outlandish suggestion of upping the number of London games to two a year was only narrowly rejected recently.
Chances are that even if you know nothing about the sport you will know someone caught up in Superbowl mania, leading them to bellow incoherently at the television as you sit in perplexed ignorance. This begs the question: what exactly is the appeal of American football and what does it mean for sport in Britain?
Simply speaking American football is so appealing because it is so unique. On paper the game, an attempt to run or pass a ball the length of the pitch to score in an end zone, seems close to rugby. Football however is far more tactically complex, with hundreds of differing formations whose actual purpose can leave a novices entirely baffled but give hardcore fans scope for hours of heated debate. The exact rules and regulations are too varied and intricate to be explained here, the only way to pick the game up is to give it a watch.
Thankfully an understanding is not necessary to enjoy the sport because American football is not really just a sport, it is a spectacle and, for Americans, a way of life. The games seem to take place on another planet, with glamorous cheerleaders, smoke-machines, apparently insane supporters painted from head to toe in their team’s colours.
Even at college level the footballers are superstars and local celebrities, playing in gigantic arenas, several of which hold over 100,000 fans. College matches at York unfortunately rarely draw this sort of crowd. Maybe to call it a cultural experience is taking it a bit far but the enthusiasm and energy of American football is truly infectious. You can even see it here in York with the York Centurions currently competing in their first season in what has proven to be a challenging league, a 14-0 loss to Lancaster the latest in a line of unlucky and unmerited defeats. In Britain the London games have shown that a fan base for the sport does exist and with Sky’s fervent coverage and Channel Five’s lower key treatment (ideal for newbies) ensuring continued exposure, American football does not seem eager to quit Britain any time soon.
What does this mean for the sports scene in Britain? Are we ready to join the cult of the quarterback? Clearly American football can never hope to displace the behemoth of, and it pains me to call it this, ‘soccer’. Our own football is too engrained in the national culture, especially at the grassroots level, to be shifted. Besides which, as fun as American football is, it is loudly and unashamedly American. As much as it embodies that which is good abouthe U.S.A, it also gives us the America that many love to hate. The flag-waving patriotism does get a bit much and there are only so many commercial breaks that us non-Americans can take. American football is fun but it’s fundamentally alien and whilst it’s interesting to find an American team to support it can’t replace the enjoyment of following your local team. Even those adept at transferring their allegiance far from home, like Man United supporters for instance, would have trouble identifying with a team on the other side of the Atlantic.
So thankfully soccer isn’t going anywhere and I can sleep soundly in my bed at night, but it looks like our other British sports might be the ones to lose out. Cricket has already been abandoned by terrestrial broadcasters, and test cricket increasingly has to play second fiddle to the glamorous run-fest that is 20-20, with the upcoming series against Bangladesh likely to be the dullest sports event this side of a Grimsby Town match. Recent introductions such as cheerleaders at matches in the Indian Premier League are possibly popular amongst male supporters but have left it looking a little like a sport desperate for attention. On the rugby front, union faces dwindling crowds and more people watch darts than league, possibly the gravest of condemnations for any sport
So on the plus side American football is a genuinely interesting sport, fun to watch, and a refreshing break from real life in a glitzy, polished other world. On the negative side its probably bad news for our beloved gentlemanly British sports. So the recommended course of action? Give American football a try next year, enjoy it but make sure to feel suitably guilty for the traditions you’re murdering.