Spectator sports

[vivman1107]

I know that this is just asking for licks but I feel like it is my duty to do it. I was born in Trinidad and lived here until I was in Form 2. Then, my family emigrated to the US and I lived there until 2002. Since then I have been back in Trinidad.

When I was growing up, I was just like most other young boys in terms of my interest in cricket and football. That was mainly because we did not have cable TV yet in Trinidad and had little exposure to other sports. Tennis and the Olympics were shown on TV every now and then but not much else. Eventually, basketball in the form of the NBA started to come on TV and that seemed (in my eyes anyway) to be more exciting than the other sports I had seen up to that point. You had the Lakers with Showtime, the Bad Boys of Detroit and His Airness, Michael Jordan. What could beat that?

Well, when I was living in the US, I found out what could beat it: NFL football. Here is where I expect the heckles and jeers from the peanut gallery. "Why dey even call it football? Only a backward country like the US could have something like that." Ok, I understand that this is Trinidad and people are used to their cricket and football. However, there has been widespread acceptance of basketball here at the very least as a spectator sport.

There has been cable TV here for some years now so people have access to NFL games. I wonder why the NFL has not attracted as many people as the NBA has. I, for one, cannot see why Trinis would not like this sport. It is pure, unbridled violence packaged in a way that any Trini can appreciate. I have seen hits in that game that make me cringe and this is coming from someone who played through Gears of War twice.

There is also a high level of finesse at the skill positions - quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers especially. The NFL has some of the best highlights that can be found in the form of NFL Films. This is a company that was formed solely to catalog each and every game in movie-quality footage. They capture the action on the field as well as player reactions on the sidelines.

Of course, as with any game, there is a learning curve to understanding NFL football. It is a lot like chess when you finally do understand it (Battle Chess, anyway) with offense and defense having distinct players. I have found it to be more exciting even than basketball as a spectator sport. I realize that this is just a few words but I hope at least a couple people decide to watch a game or two when the next season starts later this year. Who knows ... You might end up being a fan.

Feel free to use this thread to debate my views above and also to express your own opinions on your favorite spectator sports.

[New Era Outlaw]

I've tried watching it a few times, and I always reach the same conclusion......American football is extremely boring. I'm not going to go really into any level of detail here...only that, from my P.O.V., it's pretty understandable why Trinis turn their nose up at it, and I couldn't tolerate more than five minutes before turning it off.

[vivman1107]

I agree that if you have two defensive teams, the game may seem boring to someone who is not familiar with it. In games like that, though, there are usually some major hits. This would be very similar to some football games without goals. Someone who is not a football fan would find that very boring as well. A fan would see the little nuances like a nice pass or a little skill to dodge a defender.

[Cross]

Really and truly I like to see the highlights of the NFl but to sit and watch the entire game....nah

And I think to when you think about it Trinidadian's like to see things that they can go out and imitate I mean practise....Just like when you see Ronaldinho score a free kick well at least in my case I would be trying every opportunity i get to try it.

What Im saying is that since we don't have 'football' as a regular sport it's hard for us to enjoy something we cannot be a part of  well again imho. You could still go out to the court and play basketball and I know alot of ppl who are hardcore NBA fans...and they love to play Bball..

[W1nTry]

I know alot of Trini's that like american rugby...  I mean rugby for girls.... I mean NFL. And sure its boring to most of us cause we're not familiar with it. I do however appreciate the technical effort that goes into the game (the little that I know). However of late my new sport to watch is boxing.. that's really a science dread... but let me not start to ramble.

[vivman1107]

Feel free to ramble and debate. I created this thread so we could hear about the sports others like to watch with both the good points and bad. I find that 2 things help me appreciate a sport more: living in a community that is passionate about it and playing the video game (if it is well made).

Without video games, I would not like the NHL as much as I do. That is probably the most fun sports video game I can think of. It is fast paced and skilled players can work wonders on the ice. Living in South Florida when Dan Marino was the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, you could not help but get drawn in to the NFL. That is all people talk about when the season comes around.

Also, just because the guys in the NFL wear pads, that really does not make it rugby for girls. I could show you some highlights that will surely change your mind. There was a show on CBS the day before the Super Bowl this year that highlighted great teams of the past. One of those teams was the 1985 Chicago Bears, widely regarded as the team with the greatest defense of all time. If you see some of the highlights of the way that team played defense, you will be amazed. It is like watching a nature film with a pack of lions coming after some other animal with 2 broken legs.

I also understand the point about being able to try out stuff that you see on TV. Well, all you really need to play US football is ... a football, a field and some padnas. I have to warn you that you may not want to try tackling each other unless you want some broken bones. Usually, a safe way to play is what is called two-hand touch where the alternative to tackling is touching/slapping the offensive player with two hands. One hand would not count. It sounds easy but some guys have a way of twisting to avoid that second hand.

[Cross]

Hm......i'd prefer to play 2 hand touch with some females

But i would like to try 'football' with the protective gear.....even though i might slide tackle the bastard who trying to get away....(bad habit sorry).......Infact this we3kend i going and by Madden 07 and try it out

[vivman1107]

Actually, for someone new to the game, I would recommend something like NFL Street or NFL Blitz. I, a fan of the game for a long time, have a hard time playing Madden (at least on the harder difficulty settings). NFL Street is more like a pickup game that you would play outside and is a lot easier and more arcade-style. Yeh, it is true that two hand touch is better with females especially when they are on defense.

[rb]

what about video game wise ? gaming is considered a sport too you know. What do you guys think is the ultimate spectator sport in gaming.