Out of curiosity...

[Devanshu]

We call "football" Soccer...what do soccer playing folk call American football?

[g_shocker182]

From what I hear, just that - American football.

[Gees]

Yep, in UK anyway.

I hate it. :c* I was a cheerleader the year a guy broke his neck and died. :,c( It was horrible.

[Craig Tucker]

Football is football, American football is American football. . There is no such thing as Soccer

[Conquest10]

in mexico, football is called north american football. soccer is called futbol. makes sense, its played with the feet.

[racer-x]

Gees wrote:

I hate it. :c* I was a cheerleader the year a guy broke his neck and died. :,c( It was horrible.

I'm sorry you feel that way Gees. I'll bet that boy really loved to play. Football is a rough sport, but he could've just as easily slipped on icy steps and broken his neck.

The piont is that a life without risks is a life not worth living. I've done some crazy and dangerous things in my life and loved every minute of it. Back when I was racing motorcycles, someone I new lost it @ 150+ mph and hit the Jersy barrior. They had to take him away in two plastic bags. It didn't damper my enthusiasim for racing one bit.

If everyone went through life worrying about getting hurt, than what a sad and pethetic lif we would lead.

My 8 year old son plays Football and reguarly comes home all beat and brused. He loves it. Although I feel football is not his forte(Baseball is his sport), I let him play anyway. I feel it's making a man out of him anyway.

[Devanshu]

My 8 year old son plays Football and reguarly comes home all beat and brused. He loves it. Although I feel football is not his forte(Baseball is his sport), I let him play anyway. I feel it's making a man out of him anyway.

Baseball is a great sport. It's boring to watch but really fun to play. I used to play back in HS but due to an injury, could not continue.

[Gees]

Football is a rough sport, but he could've just as easily slipped on icy steps and broken his neck.

Yes, but if you are on the field when it happened and saw stands of upset people and the family (Mom included) running past you screaming, it'd probably put you off it for life too.

I do realise there's lots of risky things in life. Just never was quite so close to the horror before - or since, thank God.

[gmatov]

Personally, I do not like football. I would not turn around to watch the Super Bowl if it was on the street behind me.

That said, I think it should be outlawed in school. There are not only more kids injured playing that moronic "sport" than in any other team sport, but, probably many more injured by having the BMOC, the jock, pushing around all the non players.

I'd give a hell of a lot more credit to a team of futbol players, who put in an hour and a half of continuous effort than to a bunch of 350 pound beeves who mill around for 5 minutes, grunt and push each other around for 5 seconds, then do it all over again till an hour has run off the clock.

My 11 year old granddaughter ran her little behind off today at a match, travel league Soccer. They won, but not because the other team didn't run and kick their hearts out. Our 4 foot, 50 pound (maybe) goalie was great, the sweeper just as good, and the rest of the girls played their hearts out.

And I'd sooner watch such a match than the biggest Super Bowl, ever..

Ah, well,

Off to bed.

Cheers,

George

[gmatov]

Craig,

Explain to me the etymology of the term football.

I'm going to bed now, but will give you the truth of it when I log back on.

Cheers,

George

[Craig Tucker]

I know that Soccer comes from association football, and was so called to distinguish itself from rugby football.

The word soccer has been used in the mother country of all football-type games since at least the mid-19th century, coined I understand by some toff from Oxford. The word football, however, is more descriptive of the game (i.e. kicking a ball with the feet!) and is the term more frequently used. The British exported the game, so the word football is the name mostly used all over the world.

From what I gather the Americans plumped for the word Soccer because they didn't want the population using the word Football because they wanted it for American Football. And really, only USA, Canada and to an extent Australia because of Aussie Rules use the word Soccer.

[Will Hay]

Gees wrote:

I hate it. :c* I was a cheerleader the year a guy broke his neck and died. :,c( It was horrible.

I'm sorry you feel that way Gees. I'll bet that boy really loved to play. Football is a rough sport, but he could've just as easily slipped on icy steps and broken his neck.

The piont is that a life without risks is a life not worth living.

That depends on your level of risk, and how important you value your life and how much your life is worth to your loved ones.

If everyone went through life worrying about getting hurt, than what a sad and pethetic lif we would lead.

I find this comment quite offensive to be honest.
I would never dream of subjecting myself to the level of risks you do on that motorbike you have/did have, but I don't consider myself sad and pathetic as you put it.
I live my life according to my own agenda, not yours, and the very fact you consider anyone who doesn't live by your rules, taking the same (proportionate) level of risks as you do, is frankly laughable.
W.

[Craig Tucker]

I think what Racer-X was saying is that we all take risks every day, some more so than others, you do not have to be involved in extreme or dangerous sports to be injured or even killed.

A life without risks would indeed be unbearable, we all take them but to us they are acceptable risks. Crossing the road, driving to work, either of these can end in a fatality, but the likelyhood is that they won't, so the risk is considered acceptable.

[SLICK RICK]

I think what Racer-X was saying is that we all take risks every day, some more so than others, you do not have to be involved in extreme or dangerous sports to be injured or even killed.

A life without risks would indeed be unbearable, we all take them but to us they are acceptable risks. Crossing the road, driving to work, either of these can end in a fatality, but the likelyhood is that they won't, so the risk is considered acceptable.

Well said Craig.

SLICK RICK

[gmatov]

Craig,

I would have to look through a lot of books to find the reference but "football" is supposed to have been started in the British Isles a thousand or more years ago after they either booted the Norman invaders, or Norse invaders or someone out of the Isles.

Supposedly a shepherd, or a knight, or someone found a skull, with some fragments of flesh on it, and booted it around a field. Friends came to see what he was doing, and he said he was booting the Norman, or whatever, head about, and they all got into the spirit and booted it with some alacrity. Someone finally grabbed it and threw it to someone else, and damned if they didn't start calling it football, after it was handed off.

Have to look for the article. Could of course be as bogus as many other things are, but.....

Cheers,

George

[Will Hay]

Supposedly a shepherd, or a knight, or someone found a skull, with some fragments of flesh on it, and booted it around a field. Friends came to see what he was doing, and he said he was booting the Norman, or whatever, head about, and they all got into the spirit and booted it with some alacrity. Someone finally grabbed it and threw it to someone else, and damned if they didn't start calling it football, after it was handed off.

That's not the story I read.
I remeber it being developed as a sport, but the familiarity with today's game was virtually no existent.
It started as a game between two local villages, and the aim was simply to get the 'ball' (it was a ball fashioned from the carcuss of a dead animal or some such thing, and wrapped) to a point in either village.
It was winner takes all, ie. first one to the post wins, and any means to get the ball to the post was allowed.
There was no rule of kicking only, the ball was mostly carried and many, many injuries followed.
Will

[gmatov]

I hate this. I post something, someone has posted something totally ludicrous after me, I have to come back with a rebuttal.

Race-X reminds me a little (just a little, as he has a kid now so retired his bike and his true love ) to the racer, who, Kyle Petty, who kept bumping the other drivers so his son or his team would win, thereby making him the greatest racer of all time, because his team had all these wins?

And he spun out and burst into a ball of fire and altered his seatbelt/harness to his liking, and died for his effort, AND, we have those who wish to name an interstate for, basically, a jerk.

We spend an eternity trying to get these jerks off the streets, and into racetracks and the like, and what do they say.? You are pitiful, you've never known real thrill. What a world it would be if there was no danger in life.

Actually, I could care less if you want to run your bike into brick walls. Be my guest. More of us will see it in the Bloopers films than will see it in the actual heats

[Craig Tucker]

The History of English Football

[pacmania_2001]

In Australia it pretty much goes like this:

Soccer = Soccer
Footy = Rugby League/NRL
Aussie Rules = AFL
Rugby or Union = Rugby Union/ARU
Gridiron or NFL football = American Football

[Devanshu]

Personally, I find soccer to be a boring sport to watch. Don’t get me wrong, I admire the amount of athleticism and effort those guys put into the game, but I can't watch an entire game without feeling drowsy. I think it’s like baseball...boring to watch but fun to play.

[Gees]

Personally, I find soccer to be a boring sport to watch.

:cO SHOCK! Horror!

This is the first time I have ever completely disagreed with you. I love football/soccer! I watch most matches and I think it's THE most exciting game you can watch. It is non-stop action.

You are probably getting drowsy just thinking about running for 90 minutes straight like those guys do. :cD

[Devanshu]

This is the first time I have ever completely disagreed with you. I love football/soccer! I watch most matches and I think it's THE most exciting game you can watch. It is non-stop action.

Well there's a first time for everything

You are probably getting drowsy just thinking about running for 90 minutes straight like those guys do. :cD

Like I said, I like playing it, but not watching it. I find football(American) exciting because there are a lot of chances to turn the game around. The only thing that I find exciting about soccer is the hi flying kicks they do and once in a while when they steal the ball. In football, there are interceptions, shotgun plays, Hail Mary and so on and so forth.

[racer-x]

Craig Tucker wrote:

I think what Racer-X was saying is that we all take risks every day, some more so than others, you do not have to be involved in extreme or dangerous sports to be injured or even killed.

A life without risks would indeed be unbearable, we all take them but to us they are acceptable risks. Crossing the road, driving to work, either of these can end in a fatality, but the likelyhood is that they won't, so the risk is considered acceptable.

Bullseye! Very well said Craig, your a better writer than I.

Will Hay wrote:

I find this comment quite offensive to be honest.
I would never dream of subjecting myself to the level of risks you do on that motorbike you have/did have, but I don't consider myself sad and pathetic as you put it.
I live my life according to my own agenda, not yours, and the very fact you consider anyone who doesn't live by your rules, taking the same (proportionate) level of risks as you do, is frankly laughable.
W.

Not even close Will. I would certainly hope you would live by your own rules as I do.

As for sports, I think that Soccer\futboll is probably the most phisically demanding and it's also a lot of fun to play. I think that Ice Hockey is easily the most dangerous followed by football. Baseball is a great sport and is my son's favorate.

I never played organized sports when I was growing up because my family didn't have the money. I always wanted to play but couldn't. This is why I'm behind my son all the way with sports. Besides, It's a hell of a lot better than playing video games.

[Devanshu]

I agree racer-x...sports are an important part of a person and parents should incourage their kids. My parents never liked me playing any(besides tennis) because they think its too agressive...but I still did anyway. Eventually I had to stop baseball because of an injury.

Soccer is the most demanding but you need more power for football. But I disagree w/ one thing, even though sports are good for you, there should also be some videogames or something that keeps you entertained in the off season. Good luck to your son in baseball

[Craig Tucker]

Soccer is the most demanding but you need more power for football.

Doesn't that depend upon the position you play in. I know very little about American Football, is it right that there are basically 2 teams 1 to defend and the other to attack.

[Devanshu]

Soccer is the most demanding but you need more power for football.

Doesn't that depend upon the position you play in. I know very little about American Football, is it right that there are basically 2 teams 1 to defend and the other to attack.

In my opinion, no matter what you do in football, you need power(especially if you play defense). For instance, if you are the running back, you need power and speed to get through the defensive line.

Craig, this is the way it works...there is offense and defense. The offense of one team tries to score a touchdown while the defense of the other team tries to stop you. If you are successfull in scoring, then the defending team goes on the offensive and vice versa. Does that make sense?

[Craig Tucker]

Sure, how many attempts at an offensive play do you get before the other side gets to go on the offensive, assuming no try is scored and the ball is not intercepted of course.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Ancient native Americans in Central America played a game similar to soccer(futbol) some 2,000 years ago,if you have some free time visit this site: www.ballgame.org/main.asp

BTW..the losers were often beheaded.

[tgpo]

Sure, how many attempts at an offensive play do you get before the other side gets to go on the offensive, assuming no try is scored and the ball is not intercepted of course.

You have 4 tries to advance 10 yards. In you fail then at that point the other gets the ball right there. Typically after the 3rd try the teams punts tha ball as far away as they can so the other teams has a longer way to go.

[Gees]

You have 4 tries to advance 10 yards.

And it takes forever!