# (American) Football or Soccer? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 31, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849 "2011-05-31T14:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/1 "2011-05-31T14:12:32Z")
I have to do a poll here. I’m European but I’ve spent time living on both sides of the pond. I find football (soccer) a very exciting sport when both teams are in good form. I can totally understand how it’s the world’s number one sport. On the other hand, I just don’t “get” American football. To me, it’s hopelessly boring no matter how hard I try to get into it. But from my experience Americans tend to think American football is superior to football (soccer) and everyone else in the world thinks the opposite. Another intriguing thing is that nobody tends to like _both_. I have not yet encountered a person who didn’t fit into this pattern, so a poll would be in order. I don’t even know what’s up with that. And I want to see what mostly the reason behind this. Is it about national pride or a cultural thing? Did the people who dislike the other sport actually watch it/know the rules/give it a chance? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/2 "2011-05-31T14:16:16Z")
I like both. I doubt I am alone in that. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/3 "2011-05-31T14:45:18Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I like both. I doubt I am alone in that. Indeed. Also, I think “exciting” is a bad metric. To be honest, generally American Football is more exciting, it is designed that way. However, I prefer soccer/football due to a whole number of additional factors, some cultural, some to do with the league and cup systems and others just because. I can certainly see why a lot of Americans don’t like football/soccer though, especially if all they really see is the World Cup, which is about as boring as footie gets. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/4 "2011-05-31T14:58:03Z")
I grew up playing and watching American Football (and baseball too for that matter). At one time you could say that I loved the sport. I don’t play anymore and rarely sit down to watch a whole game but I still appreciate the Game and all of its intricacies. My kids grew up playing soccer. My oldest only played for a few years but my youngest is still playing goalkeeper for a S2 U15 team that he has been with since he was 5 years old. I have come to truly love and appreciate the width and depth of the sport of soccer. I don’t think it deserves to be compared to American Football in any way. It is simply a different sport. And, as far as I’m concerned, it is not nearly as boring as American Football or baseball simply from the fact that play never stops. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/5 "2011-05-31T14:58:14Z")
I think both are boring as hell. I doubt I am alone in that, either. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/6 "2011-05-31T15:01:42Z")
I know the basic rules of soccer, played the game at the intramural level. Don’t really care anything about it, but I will watch the U.S. team in the World Cup. Football is different. Considerably more violent, more scoring, and more closely tied in with American culture. I grew up playing football. I played in the first live soccer game I ever saw, and that was in college. Just don’t have the same connection to it. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/7 "2011-05-31T15:10:39Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Also, I think “exciting” is a bad metric. Yeah, you’re right. “Prefer” would have been a better word. Well, I can’t change it now :o ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/8 "2011-05-31T15:13:30Z")
Oh my God this is like the Twilight Zone! ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/9 "2011-05-31T15:28:56Z")
I’m not really interested, but I can find a soccer match exciting at times. American football competes with baseball in utter boredom. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/10 "2011-05-31T15:57:41Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/11 "2011-05-31T15:58:33Z")
> [@phantom\_lamb](#): > > And I want to see what mostly the reason behind this. Is it about national pride or a cultural thing? Did the people who dislike the other sport actually watch it/know the rules/give it a chance? Like everything else, what you are used to seems superior to you. This applies to speech, cooking styles, spelling variations, and, indeed, the sports you watch. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/12 "2011-05-31T16:09:35Z")
I like both sports, but selected “American Football”, since it’s a far superior game. 😉 But I watch European, South American and World Cup soccer whenever I can. But unless it’s an important soccer match, such as the World Cup, Champions League or big EPL, La Liga or Serie A game, I would always watch the American Football game if they were on TV at the same time. And that includes college football as well. As for baseball, well, nothing comes ahead of baseball. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/13 "2011-05-31T16:18:49Z")
I don’t understand why these two sports are compared so often. They have nothing in common. If it was “rugby vs. American football” or “soccer vs. hockey” then that would make sense. But why are people always so intent on comparing these two sports? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/14 "2011-05-31T16:35:37Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > …But why are people always so intent on comparing these two sports? Most popular sport in the world versus most popular sport in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/15 "2011-05-31T16:45:10Z")
I like and have played both sports, but I selected “American Football”, because I prefer watching and playing it. ---
**Author:** ![Ambihelical\_Hexnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Ambihelical\_Hexnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambihelical_Hexnut)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/16 "2011-05-31T17:01:34Z")
Non-North American here (UK): Neither is my favourite sport, but I do like both. My two favourite sports are cricket and baseball, a pair of sports which I suspect will be equally divisive, depending on whether or not you’re from North America. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/17 "2011-05-31T17:09:00Z")
Soccer is a game for kids; it’s entertaining enough to be useful until they learn proper hand-eye coordination. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/18 "2011-05-31T17:12:30Z")
Seventeen whole posts until this bull shit came up. Shocking, really. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/19 "2011-05-31T17:22:44Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Seventeen whole posts until this bull shit came up. Shocking, really. 😃 Your opinion is _at least_ as opiniony as mine. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849/20 "2011-05-31T17:25:56Z")
I’m North American, like both a lot, but prefer soccer to football (prefer cfb to NFL). I grew up with football, but gradually have become bored by the NFL, and playing soccer now helps me like it even more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-football-or-soccer/583849.md?page=2)