What do you all think of American Football and it’s fans here?

Omackeral

American Football, Gridiron, NFL... whatever you want to call it. I can’t place it in Irish society. Is it niche? Is it popular? Is it somewhere in between? What’s the profile of the Irish NFL fan?

Stevieluvsye

Has a cult following macker. I know a few of them. IT types, geeky. Always take the following monday off after superbowl. Tend to be "Pats" or "packers" fans

Have a horn for Tom Brady

GLaDOS

It'd be entertaining if there wasn't 5 minutes of ads for every 1 minute of action

Omackeral

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

Has a cult following macker. I know a few of them. IT types, geeky. Always take the following monday off after superbowl. Tend to be "Pats" or "packers" fans

Thought the same with regard the IT types but for some reason I think a few D4 types would be in to it too? The ones I know personally who are really into it are a bit odd. Then you’ve the fellas who just watch the Super Bowl to say they watched the Super Bowl.

Beechwoodspark

Yeah it’s a niche following here.

Went along to one of their events in captain America’s on grafton st years ago with a buddy

Was good craic. Mix of Irish and good few Americans who live here -

hot dogs/chicken wings and LOTS of drinking - lads passed out asleep on the couches at one point.

All good fun. I remember one American got bit aggro over being told to stub out his cigar inside.

The game itself is what it is. Stops every 2 mins or so and goes to ads.

Omackeral

The weird obsession with the Super Bowl ads is particularly mental carry on.

JP85

The red zone, Sunday evening on sky is the only way to watch it

Stevieluvsye

Omackeral wrote: »

Thought the same with regard the IT types but for some reason I think a few D4 types would be in to it too? The ones I know personally who are really into it are a bit odd. Then you’ve the fellas who just watch the Super Bowl to say they watched the Super Bowl.

Ye, what i found it's generally the odd types. Tried to get involved in a group conversation once and it didn't go down well. Said i liked the Jacksonville jaguars and got a barrage of questions of who was their wide receiver, who threw the most yards blah blah.

Harmless bunch. The same lads in to call of duty and online participation video games. Generally overweight and ugly fcukers

corks finest

Omackeral wrote: »

American Football, Gridiron, NFL... whatever you want to call it. I can’t place it in Irish society. Is it niche? Is it popular? Is it somewhere in between? What’s the profile of the Irish NFL fan?

Don't understand it tbh but I'll watch it occasionally but like chess I only get it in dribs and drabs - hurling - GAA - local soccer for me

corks finest

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

Ye, what i found it's generally the odd types. Tried to get involved in a group conversation once and it didn't go down well. Said i liked the Jacksonville jaguars and got a barrage of questions of who was their wide receiver, who threw the most yards blah blah.

Harmless bunch. The same lads in to call of duty and online participation video games. Generally overweight and ugly fcukers

Pc packed up last year so no Cod but wow what a game - world at war was unreal

.anon.

I'm not really a fan of anything American, least of all their sports. Something about it, the loudness and brashness of the commentary, the glitzy spectacle of it all, just really annoys me. Also, I have a weird mental block when it comes to baseball and American Football - I can never remember which is which.

PARlance

Aren't they all just wrestling fans who have matured to watching something more grownup???

world class wreckin’ cru

Omackeral wrote: »

American Football, Gridiron, NFL... whatever you want to call it. I can’t place it in Irish society. Is it niche? Is it popular? Is it somewhere in between? What’s the profile of the Irish NFL fan?

Well I'm not into it myself, but know a few who are. Just normal everyday people.

Omackeral wrote: »

Thought the same with regard the IT types but for some reason I think a few D4 types would be in to it too? The ones I know personally who are really into it are a bit odd. Then you’ve the fellas who just watch the Super Bowl to say they watched the Super Bowl.

Ah, so that's what the thread is really about. Got it.

The ones I know, fwiw don't fit you're description whatsoever.

Omackeral

PARlance wrote: »

Aren't they all just wrestling fans who have matured to watching something more grownup???

I would say there’s definitely a cross-over there between the fans.

A Shaved Duck?

world class wreckin’ cru wrote: »

Well I'm not into it myself, but know a few who are. Just normal everyday people.



Ah, so that's what the thread is really about. Got it.

The ones I know, fwiw don't fit you're description whatsoever.

It took all of 12 minutes for the OP's mask to slip

Stevieluvsye

Not cheap either. The same lads went to wembley for a game and forked out 150 for a ticket. They say it is more than about the game though. Plenty of entertainment apparently

ELM327

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

Ye, what i found it's generally the odd types. Tried to get involved in a group conversation once and it didn't go down well. Said i liked the Jacksonville jaguars and got a barrage of questions of who was their wide receiver, who threw the most yards blah blah.

Harmless bunch. The same lads in to call of duty and online participation video games. Generally overweight and ugly fcukers

Check

PARlance wrote: »

Aren't they all just wrestling fans who have matured to watching something more grownup???

Check




Yeah it's a stereotype of the "scene". Go to the woolshed (pre covid) and you'd have seen them all on a sunday evening.
I've watched obsessively since 2000, when I rented Madden 99 on the PS1 and my "random team" on my first play was the Drew Bledsoe led Patriots.


I was also a big wrestling fan.

French Toast

I've been a casual follower of the Colts for a few years now. My interest comes and goes, definitely not a die-hard of any sort.

The NFL is interesting. I'd struggle to sit through a full game with all the stoppages, more often than not I'll catch up with highlight segments.

I'd probably sooner watch NHL.

Omackeral

world class wreckin’ cru wrote: »

Ah, so that's what the thread is really about. Got it.

The ones I know, fwiw don't fit you're description whatsoever.

No need to be so defensive. I’m only asking! I said the ones I know who who are really into it, which is less than 3 people btw, are a bit odd. That’s why I’m asking others what their experiences are. I don’t really know many who follow it and wanted to get a jist of it.

Montage of Feck

I've tried watching it but just can't get into, infuriatingly stupid game due to all the stopages and ad breaks.

EmmetSpiceland

PARlance wrote: »

Aren't they all just wrestling fans who have matured to watching something more grownup???

No, that’s MMA cage fighting.

Omackeral

A Shaved Duck? wrote: »

It took all of 12 minutes for the OP's mask to slip

Not in the slightest. Very sensitive bunch in here. I watch bloody wrestling for God’s sake, hardly in a position to sneer!

ELM327

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

Not cheap either. The same lads went to wembley for a game and forked out 150 for a ticket. They say it is more than about the game though. Plenty of entertainment apparently

That was for better seats, they started at 70 odd quid a ticket. Same as concerts or soccer tickets, there's a spectrum of prices.

French Toast wrote: »

I've been a casual follower of the Colts for a few years now. My interest comes and goes, definitely not a die-hard of any sort.

The NFL is interesting. I'd struggle to sit through a full game with all the stoppages, more often than not I'll catch up with highlight segments.

I'd probably sooner watch NHL.

I often watch the games live, only watching the late game on record the next day. It's great to fast forward the many ad breaks. I havent been into NHL since Ed Belfour played for the Stars!

Omackeral

Omackeral wrote: »

I would say there’s definitely a cross-over there between the fans.

I'd say a lot of that is because they tend to be awake at US nighttime hours.

theteal

I have a soft spot for it but some parts I hate - mainly head tackles. I wouldn't watch much really but if there's nothing else on I'll give it a go. I'd actually be more inclined to watch a college game instead of NFL - that's just because BT shows the college stuff and I rarely have Sky.

I'm really interested in the culture of it though and how it brings small backar$e towns together for the big Friday game. Check out QB1 and Last Chance U on Netflix. They get mad crowds for games.

I did watch 30 mins of a game nobody wanted to win last week. Tom Brady kept throwing the ball away and the other team made some frankly weird decisions in an effort to give it back. I think that was a semi-final so the super yoke should be on soon.



Edit - oh and I only know the rules thanks to John Madden on the Mega Drive way back when

ELM327

For me, the interest is due to my asd tendencies. The game is loaded with stats, records, etc and it's driven towards analytics. I follow F1 obsessively too, have done since 94, for similar reasons.

callaway92

I generally associate it with people who weren't good at Soccer or GAA (and in-turn not fans of them) when growing up and had to find a different Sport to be a fan of and have knowledge of then.

Stevieluvsye

ELM327 wrote: »

That was for better seats, they started at 70 odd quid a ticket. Same as concerts or soccer tickets, there's a spectrum of prices.






I often watch the games live, only watching the late game on record the next day. It's great to fast forward the many ad breaks. I havent been into NHL since Ed Belfour played for the Stars!

Yes, obviously the tickets vary in prices. But they were more expensive than and premiership game. I'm not 100% on this but the price ranged up to a grand for the game they went to. They didn't have halfway line seats for the 150 they paid either.

Last prem game i went to i paid 75 quid for halfway line seats. Appreciate though that there was a novelty factor having the NFL in london so could charge as much as they wanted with a big demand in England especially

KaneToad

I've been to NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB games. All entertaining in different ways. The only one I'd be bothered looking at on TV would be NBA.

The average American sports fan really likes their precision stats. Although this is creeping into 'our' sports now...rugby/soccer now record the most obscure of stats...

bocaman

Because of the stop start nature of the game and the frequent and breaks I never got into it. But in saying that I wouldnt begrudge anyone their enjoyment. To each their own.

DraftDodger

I worked as a bartender in NY for years and despite it having a massive following over there and being on the bar big screens every night during the season i never got into it, ice hockey, baseball also utter tripe the lot of them. Basketball now there's a sport the yanks do well and i'd been to see a few Knicks games back in the 90's.