How I learned to stop worrying and love the football
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Date: 2024-09-27
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Comments and reviews: 20
ihappy1
I remember liking a book called how football explains America. At first I didn't know where it was gonna go and the premise seemed ridiculous, but it turns out it a mostly sociological look at both football and the USA.
One of the main aspects the book talks about it is how the US, as well as football (specifically the NFL) are hyper individualistic. Yes Football is a team sport but so often the coverage laser focuses on specific players and features them as essentially the main characters of their team. The Patriots might be the whole team but people love to talk about just Tom Brady. Usually these main characters tend to be the quarterback, but can sometimes be receivers or running backs, and rarely defense like Raw Lewis.
But it speaks to how a lot of American media and stories focus on a single hero tackling the odds more so than a collective group, your John Wick, Batman, Joel Last of Us type characters.
Now this view definitely bleeds into other sports, Baseball highlights notable hitters, pitchers, or outfielders. And if course Basketball has it's superstars, but Football has this the most, maybe in part because everyone is wearing helmets, so the team as a whole blends together and leaves room for a story about an individual.
The book also talks about how in other countries that value a collective and group action tend to gravitate more towards larger group sports like Soccer. Where there is less of a main guy and more of a team working together. Obviously talented players will be noticed, and storylines will develop no matter where you are, but it's a bit less prominent compared to how US, and specifically our sports coverage here, covers it
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I remember liking a book called how football explains America. At first I didn't know where it was gonna go and the premise seemed ridiculous, but it turns out it a mostly sociological look at both football and the USA.
One of the main aspects the book talks about it is how the US, as well as football (specifically the NFL) are hyper individualistic. Yes Football is a team sport but so often the coverage laser focuses on specific players and features them as essentially the main characters of their team. The Patriots might be the whole team but people love to talk about just Tom Brady. Usually these main characters tend to be the quarterback, but can sometimes be receivers or running backs, and rarely defense like Raw Lewis.
But it speaks to how a lot of American media and stories focus on a single hero tackling the odds more so than a collective group, your John Wick, Batman, Joel Last of Us type characters.
Now this view definitely bleeds into other sports, Baseball highlights notable hitters, pitchers, or outfielders. And if course Basketball has it's superstars, but Football has this the most, maybe in part because everyone is wearing helmets, so the team as a whole blends together and leaves room for a story about an individual.
The book also talks about how in other countries that value a collective and group action tend to gravitate more towards larger group sports like Soccer. Where there is less of a main guy and more of a team working together. Obviously talented players will be noticed, and storylines will develop no matter where you are, but it's a bit less prominent compared to how US, and specifically our sports coverage here, covers it
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benpeterson4673
I like football for the nerdiness of it. There are so many tiny, seemingly meaningless little things that happen that end up being actually play and game determinative. There's a coach named Sean McVay, who heads up the Los Angeles Rams, and he's genuinely a genius on the offensive side of the ball. Seeing the different things that he cooks up is both fascinating and infuriating (I root for a rival team. Then we get to see what defensive minds bring to that side of the field and how they counter the existing offenses. It's really fun to watch the punch and counter punch. Sometimes the results of a play come down to where someone is standing at the start of a play, and if that had changed by even a foot or two that can be the difference between getting stopped behind where you started and scoring a touchdown.
That's not even getting into the absolutely insane displays of athleticism from all kinds of different body types. I genuinely believe that NFL athletes have some of the best burst athleticism in the world. Since a single play will last for 15 seconds at the very most, they can optimize their bodies for those short time windows and to truly crazy things with them. I've seen 250 lb men lift people 40-70 lbs heavier than them off the ground, and then outrun someone who is 30-50 lbs lighter than them, and absolutely bury them with a tackle. That's not even that uncommon, frankly. It's fascinating.
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I like football for the nerdiness of it. There are so many tiny, seemingly meaningless little things that happen that end up being actually play and game determinative. There's a coach named Sean McVay, who heads up the Los Angeles Rams, and he's genuinely a genius on the offensive side of the ball. Seeing the different things that he cooks up is both fascinating and infuriating (I root for a rival team. Then we get to see what defensive minds bring to that side of the field and how they counter the existing offenses. It's really fun to watch the punch and counter punch. Sometimes the results of a play come down to where someone is standing at the start of a play, and if that had changed by even a foot or two that can be the difference between getting stopped behind where you started and scoring a touchdown.
That's not even getting into the absolutely insane displays of athleticism from all kinds of different body types. I genuinely believe that NFL athletes have some of the best burst athleticism in the world. Since a single play will last for 15 seconds at the very most, they can optimize their bodies for those short time windows and to truly crazy things with them. I've seen 250 lb men lift people 40-70 lbs heavier than them off the ground, and then outrun someone who is 30-50 lbs lighter than them, and absolutely bury them with a tackle. That's not even that uncommon, frankly. It's fascinating.
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jacobsweet7327
The best way I could describe football (and why I think it's a hard sport to understand from an outsider) is poetry in motion, all 11 people on your team have to know their job and execute it well, in order for a play to happen. On a running play the center has give the ball to the quarter back who then gives it to the runner. all the while the offensive line (the people who line up at the ball usually around 5 people) have to block and create an opening for the runner to get through. In addition to that you have receivers and other players running around the line to make blocks against other defensive players that would allow you to run further. If at any point one of these people don't do there job the play will either end terribly or prevent you from moving further up the field.
It's such a team sport and to the point where unless you are familiar with the sport it's hard to tell why your team is doing bad or great. at least compared to other sports that I've watched. Basket ball, soccer (European football, rugby, baseball, I feel like it's alot easier to pick out what makes a team bad, even if in a general sense. Like if the passing is bad, or they are not good at hitting the baseball, the team is slow.
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The best way I could describe football (and why I think it's a hard sport to understand from an outsider) is poetry in motion, all 11 people on your team have to know their job and execute it well, in order for a play to happen. On a running play the center has give the ball to the quarter back who then gives it to the runner. all the while the offensive line (the people who line up at the ball usually around 5 people) have to block and create an opening for the runner to get through. In addition to that you have receivers and other players running around the line to make blocks against other defensive players that would allow you to run further. If at any point one of these people don't do there job the play will either end terribly or prevent you from moving further up the field.
It's such a team sport and to the point where unless you are familiar with the sport it's hard to tell why your team is doing bad or great. at least compared to other sports that I've watched. Basket ball, soccer (European football, rugby, baseball, I feel like it's alot easier to pick out what makes a team bad, even if in a general sense. Like if the passing is bad, or they are not good at hitting the baseball, the team is slow.
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Hymnbyrgyr
On the contrary! I was only a little into football when I was introduced into my wife’s (at the time Girlfriend’s) family. They were all very into football, all having their own teams, but mostly the Packers. I was always a Giants fan, but I didn’t know enough or watch enough at the time to really talk about it.
I ALSO had the same idea, where I realized if I learned more about football and appreciated it, I would be able to speak with them more and get along.
In my case, it worked! I ended up REALLY getting into football, where I don’t even just watch one team, I watch a BUNCH of teams, and keep track of storylines. And not to mention, I began having lots to talk about with them and now Ive got a group of people in the family that I really enjoy watching and talking about football with.
It also helps when I’m out somewhere and someone sees my hat (Giants, and will either bring them up or talk smack lol. I don’t mind the smack talk too much, it’s kind of nice to converse with people.
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On the contrary! I was only a little into football when I was introduced into my wife’s (at the time Girlfriend’s) family. They were all very into football, all having their own teams, but mostly the Packers. I was always a Giants fan, but I didn’t know enough or watch enough at the time to really talk about it.
I ALSO had the same idea, where I realized if I learned more about football and appreciated it, I would be able to speak with them more and get along.
In my case, it worked! I ended up REALLY getting into football, where I don’t even just watch one team, I watch a BUNCH of teams, and keep track of storylines. And not to mention, I began having lots to talk about with them and now Ive got a group of people in the family that I really enjoy watching and talking about football with.
It also helps when I’m out somewhere and someone sees my hat (Giants, and will either bring them up or talk smack lol. I don’t mind the smack talk too much, it’s kind of nice to converse with people.
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Kazekou
Sports isn't hard. The appeal is: Narrative.
It's really that simple. It's Game of Thrones, but real.
When you see Jon Snow finally rise up and conquer. You get a feeling of catharsis, right
Well, when you see Baker Mayfield join the league expected to be the best. Get humbled, considered trash. Get thrown away. Get a second chance and comeback a mature man with humility, and take his team to the playoffs. It's the same as Jon Snow. But real.
This underdog didn't overcome because someone wrote it. The Baker-man really did that. He actually cameback. He actually triumphed over disadvantageous odds. His tears are real. His joy is real. And it hits so much harder because of it.
If you're not paying attention to the implicit narratives in sports, then you'll never get it.
No-ones watching the NFL to watch 1 big guy push another big guy. They're watching because what those pushes go on to mean
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Sports isn't hard. The appeal is: Narrative.
It's really that simple. It's Game of Thrones, but real.
When you see Jon Snow finally rise up and conquer. You get a feeling of catharsis, right
Well, when you see Baker Mayfield join the league expected to be the best. Get humbled, considered trash. Get thrown away. Get a second chance and comeback a mature man with humility, and take his team to the playoffs. It's the same as Jon Snow. But real.
This underdog didn't overcome because someone wrote it. The Baker-man really did that. He actually cameback. He actually triumphed over disadvantageous odds. His tears are real. His joy is real. And it hits so much harder because of it.
If you're not paying attention to the implicit narratives in sports, then you'll never get it.
No-ones watching the NFL to watch 1 big guy push another big guy. They're watching because what those pushes go on to mean
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PlaySA
I'm a huge football fan, although I'm a bit outside of the norm in the sense that there is not one team that I am 'committed' to. More than anything I am fascinated by questions of personnel, roster management, formations, plays, coverage schemes, blocking assignments, offensive and defensive theories/coaching trees, blitz concepts, run concepts, pass concepts, etc. etc. There's no other sport with that level of complexity in terms of what you can teach the guys on the field to do and then have them execute. It's a very unique sport, and I think for the most part it was the complexity that fascinated me when I first got into it.
Also, socially it does less than nothing for me. I can count the number of football conversations I've had with friends on two fingers, the vast majority of my friend group could not care less about the sport. Or video games, for that matter.
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I'm a huge football fan, although I'm a bit outside of the norm in the sense that there is not one team that I am 'committed' to. More than anything I am fascinated by questions of personnel, roster management, formations, plays, coverage schemes, blocking assignments, offensive and defensive theories/coaching trees, blitz concepts, run concepts, pass concepts, etc. etc. There's no other sport with that level of complexity in terms of what you can teach the guys on the field to do and then have them execute. It's a very unique sport, and I think for the most part it was the complexity that fascinated me when I first got into it.
Also, socially it does less than nothing for me. I can count the number of football conversations I've had with friends on two fingers, the vast majority of my friend group could not care less about the sport. Or video games, for that matter.
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iRekishi
This is a good video for me to watch. I have always adored football and so seeing the perspective of someone who doesnt get it is interesting.
Im at the 2: 55 mark so if i say something not relevant to the rest of the video then oops.
I learned to love football first through marveling at individual athletes and gawking at their abilities to push past what i believed humans could do when i was a kid, Julio Jones, RG3, Megatron, Ray Lewis, and Tony Gonzalez were my superheroes. (Particularly RG3) as i grew up, listening to my coaches explain these ultra complex formations and audibles and their reasoning gave me an appreciation for the chess match of the sport.
Maybe trying this would work for you Find someone you cant believe is real and follow their story, along the way you may learn to love the game as a whole. Even if you don’t, respect for trying!
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This is a good video for me to watch. I have always adored football and so seeing the perspective of someone who doesnt get it is interesting.
Im at the 2: 55 mark so if i say something not relevant to the rest of the video then oops.
I learned to love football first through marveling at individual athletes and gawking at their abilities to push past what i believed humans could do when i was a kid, Julio Jones, RG3, Megatron, Ray Lewis, and Tony Gonzalez were my superheroes. (Particularly RG3) as i grew up, listening to my coaches explain these ultra complex formations and audibles and their reasoning gave me an appreciation for the chess match of the sport.
Maybe trying this would work for you Find someone you cant believe is real and follow their story, along the way you may learn to love the game as a whole. Even if you don’t, respect for trying!
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queenofthesalt5199
As a person who, while not a football genius, IS a football enthusiast to an extent where I regularly watch a game each week(my teams are the Steelers and Texans, I’d like to share an opinion.
Football doesn’t socially help me in the way that it fixes my conversational skills. Those are passable at best. What it DOES do is allow me to talk with people who I would otherwise be terrified of talking to. I’m a certified Weeb, I’ve got a list of favorite anime that’s 90 shows long, and anime’s the type of thing I’ll talk about most of the time.
Knowing about football gives me a base of knowledge in something culturally separate from my other interests, which allows me to relate to people I otherwise would have nothing in common with.
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As a person who, while not a football genius, IS a football enthusiast to an extent where I regularly watch a game each week(my teams are the Steelers and Texans, I’d like to share an opinion.
Football doesn’t socially help me in the way that it fixes my conversational skills. Those are passable at best. What it DOES do is allow me to talk with people who I would otherwise be terrified of talking to. I’m a certified Weeb, I’ve got a list of favorite anime that’s 90 shows long, and anime’s the type of thing I’ll talk about most of the time.
Knowing about football gives me a base of knowledge in something culturally separate from my other interests, which allows me to relate to people I otherwise would have nothing in common with.
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polygon
My favorite things about football is the deception and the challenge of predicting that deception. I personally really only watch college football because for me I think the extra level of challenge comes when you’re getting unproven talent that you have to use, there’s obviously incentives to recruit players and there are teams that are historically over talented but a lot of times it feels you have to work with what you’ve got and unlike other sports where you can have one really talented player join a mediocre and suddenly they’re amazing, in football there’s so many key rolls that need to play at the highest level in order to be successful. If you’re into historical military maneuvers, you could definitely get into football.
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My favorite things about football is the deception and the challenge of predicting that deception. I personally really only watch college football because for me I think the extra level of challenge comes when you’re getting unproven talent that you have to use, there’s obviously incentives to recruit players and there are teams that are historically over talented but a lot of times it feels you have to work with what you’ve got and unlike other sports where you can have one really talented player join a mediocre and suddenly they’re amazing, in football there’s so many key rolls that need to play at the highest level in order to be successful. If you’re into historical military maneuvers, you could definitely get into football.
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Lananotdelray
ok maybe i’m projecting but soooo much of this video is applicable to transitioning. studying up on girl stuff and stuff that makes you female not only doesn’t matter, it doesn’t work. just like with football, trying to get into it now won’t matter, we didn’t get the right socialization. but who cares just like with football, knowing more girl stuff won’t make us better socializers, it will just make us know more girl stuff. we can’t just be normal girls because there’s no such thing as a normal girl. all you can do, in football and in transition, is be comfortable in your own skin. that’s how you make your way through life
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ok maybe i’m projecting but soooo much of this video is applicable to transitioning. studying up on girl stuff and stuff that makes you female not only doesn’t matter, it doesn’t work. just like with football, trying to get into it now won’t matter, we didn’t get the right socialization. but who cares just like with football, knowing more girl stuff won’t make us better socializers, it will just make us know more girl stuff. we can’t just be normal girls because there’s no such thing as a normal girl. all you can do, in football and in transition, is be comfortable in your own skin. that’s how you make your way through life
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robertwhelan3553
Also truth be told, 95% percent of sport talk had nothing to do with the sport.
If you wanna sound like you know what you’re talking about you just need to know what teams are good or bad and why. (Why being who specifically on the team is good or bad)
And most sport people care about there team and then the superlatives (those being the absolute worst and best teams. If you want to a cheat for this year to instantly sound like you know the game of football this year just say hey have the panthers even won a game this year
I promise you will get a laugh out of them or they will at least think you are little football savvy.
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Also truth be told, 95% percent of sport talk had nothing to do with the sport.
If you wanna sound like you know what you’re talking about you just need to know what teams are good or bad and why. (Why being who specifically on the team is good or bad)
And most sport people care about there team and then the superlatives (those being the absolute worst and best teams. If you want to a cheat for this year to instantly sound like you know the game of football this year just say hey have the panthers even won a game this year
I promise you will get a laugh out of them or they will at least think you are little football savvy.
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mitchelpaulus4078
Biggest part about sports is the storylines, just like any other piece of pop culture. Sports talks shows rarely talk about the actual play and talk more about is he gonna show out when he plays against his old team for the first time or is it time for him to hang up his cleats and retire or If he wins another title, will he be considered the greatest of all time. Interviews, tweets, and off-season activities fuel the biggest moments from the season. And then sometimes a guy will throw a ball 60 yards and another guy will catch it with one hand while running backwards.
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Biggest part about sports is the storylines, just like any other piece of pop culture. Sports talks shows rarely talk about the actual play and talk more about is he gonna show out when he plays against his old team for the first time or is it time for him to hang up his cleats and retire or If he wins another title, will he be considered the greatest of all time. Interviews, tweets, and off-season activities fuel the biggest moments from the season. And then sometimes a guy will throw a ball 60 yards and another guy will catch it with one hand while running backwards.
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SeanFranchise
Despite growing up in a household that watched UNC football every Saturday growing up, I didn't understand football at all until receiving Madden 64 for Christmas and playing it all night with my dad and brother in law. It was the perfect way to learn downs/conversions, formations, and play calling work, as well as the joys of jamming A to plow through defenses Jerome The Bus Bettis. I've loved the sport ever since, but it wouldn't have happened without video games.
Also I'm a NCSU Wolfpack fan these days, but the Demon Deacon is my favorite mascot in NC - good choice.
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Despite growing up in a household that watched UNC football every Saturday growing up, I didn't understand football at all until receiving Madden 64 for Christmas and playing it all night with my dad and brother in law. It was the perfect way to learn downs/conversions, formations, and play calling work, as well as the joys of jamming A to plow through defenses Jerome The Bus Bettis. I've loved the sport ever since, but it wouldn't have happened without video games.
Also I'm a NCSU Wolfpack fan these days, but the Demon Deacon is my favorite mascot in NC - good choice.
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mastern8555
10 years ago I interned at a trucking company and didn’t have anything to talk to my coworkers about, so I decided to start paying attention to my college football team and it was almost immediately so much easier to make small talk. Since then I’ve literally gotten promotions at least in part due having something to talk about with most people. Bc something they don’t tell you about sports is you only have to be into one to be able to participate in conversations about any of em once you know the generic phrases to use
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10 years ago I interned at a trucking company and didn’t have anything to talk to my coworkers about, so I decided to start paying attention to my college football team and it was almost immediately so much easier to make small talk. Since then I’ve literally gotten promotions at least in part due having something to talk about with most people. Bc something they don’t tell you about sports is you only have to be into one to be able to participate in conversations about any of em once you know the generic phrases to use
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jmarvins
I went to Boston College and the football players definitely all got their science requirements out of the way via geology - realistic detail lmao.
the game does not capture, however, how I once saw an offensive lineman do the most blatant cheating i've ever witnessed: when the old-school professor went to the bathroom, he literally walked up in front of everyone, opened her grade book, and replaced all his grades with As - never caught and nobody wanted to be the one to turn him in, it was so brazen
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I went to Boston College and the football players definitely all got their science requirements out of the way via geology - realistic detail lmao.
the game does not capture, however, how I once saw an offensive lineman do the most blatant cheating i've ever witnessed: when the old-school professor went to the bathroom, he literally walked up in front of everyone, opened her grade book, and replaced all his grades with As - never caught and nobody wanted to be the one to turn him in, it was so brazen
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jennegatron
Another excellent video from Pat. Your videos are always must watch for me. As a sports liker who is also anxious about social interactions like this, your friend is right. Unlike the weather, there are so many sports weirdos. Are you talking to mr. sports betting Is he just a fantasy football weirdo Does he have strong opinions about how Colin Kaepernick definitely deserved to be kicked out of the league Does he think deshaun watson deserves a 35th chance Dog with an orange in his mouth is way safer.
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Another excellent video from Pat. Your videos are always must watch for me. As a sports liker who is also anxious about social interactions like this, your friend is right. Unlike the weather, there are so many sports weirdos. Are you talking to mr. sports betting Is he just a fantasy football weirdo Does he have strong opinions about how Colin Kaepernick definitely deserved to be kicked out of the league Does he think deshaun watson deserves a 35th chance Dog with an orange in his mouth is way safer.
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TheeSaltyAce
2: 50 is literally heartbreaking to hear because at this point there should already be tons of people who’ve been introduced to football via madden like how 2k sells globally and helps grow the nbas brand but the games are so poorly designed that they’re only really appealing if you’re already fairly interested in football and on top of that since they’re developed by EA, year after year it’s just a sloppily made bug fest with all the development time going into pay to win game modes
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2: 50 is literally heartbreaking to hear because at this point there should already be tons of people who’ve been introduced to football via madden like how 2k sells globally and helps grow the nbas brand but the games are so poorly designed that they’re only really appealing if you’re already fairly interested in football and on top of that since they’re developed by EA, year after year it’s just a sloppily made bug fest with all the development time going into pay to win game modes
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ianwatson3238
I find that when I talk about football, it’s almost always with people who like the same team as I do. We have a common understanding of who the players are and are equally excited/saddened by how they are playing. Nobody really talks about stuff like how switch releases are so effective or why jet sweeps never seem to work.
There’s also the fact that college football fans and NFL fans can have very little in common as one can know next to nothing about the other’s league.
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I find that when I talk about football, it’s almost always with people who like the same team as I do. We have a common understanding of who the players are and are equally excited/saddened by how they are playing. Nobody really talks about stuff like how switch releases are so effective or why jet sweeps never seem to work.
There’s also the fact that college football fans and NFL fans can have very little in common as one can know next to nothing about the other’s league.
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templeislandriven
You kinda hit the nail on the head for why I've always found football video games boring as hell. There feels like there is very little player agency during the play.
Contrast this to basketball, hockey, soccer (or you know, FOOTBALL) or baseball where you have agency during the play almost always and I've always been left scratching my head where the fun comes from in NFL video games.
When I play a sports game, I typically want frenetic, visceral action.
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You kinda hit the nail on the head for why I've always found football video games boring as hell. There feels like there is very little player agency during the play.
Contrast this to basketball, hockey, soccer (or you know, FOOTBALL) or baseball where you have agency during the play almost always and I've always been left scratching my head where the fun comes from in NFL video games.
When I play a sports game, I typically want frenetic, visceral action.
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PhilaDelNorte
I know football reasonably well and this is my first encounter with the word jurdle.
I would say, I’m kind of confused by your lack of getting the appeal. Like, how is it not immediately obvious, especially to someone like you. When you called out the Ottoman’s rookie mistake, the analog to football is readily apparent. The game footage for that game even features opposing forces in parallel, unevenly spaced lines. Like, how much more on the nose could it be.
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I know football reasonably well and this is my first encounter with the word jurdle.
I would say, I’m kind of confused by your lack of getting the appeal. Like, how is it not immediately obvious, especially to someone like you. When you called out the Ottoman’s rookie mistake, the analog to football is readily apparent. The game footage for that game even features opposing forces in parallel, unevenly spaced lines. Like, how much more on the nose could it be.
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