New name for american futbol

[Flatfrog]

If "American football" is too long, you could always just short form it. AmFoot. Has a nice ring to it, I think.

Or by association with Soccer you could say 'Mericer'

 

[Rylot]

snip

It's because it's played on foot to distinguish it from sports played on horse back. A few hundred years ago a lot of different games were considered football, hence two of those games managed to keep the same name.

These threads always amuse the shit out of me since its boils down to 'stop liking what I don't like'. Odds are good that you're gonna like the sports that you grow up watching and rooting for.

Edit - re-reading your post you don't actually say which is harder, just which is more dangerous. I apologise: I agree, American football is the most dangerous of the 3, but that's in no way a good thing.

...Hence the padding.

(Directed at the thread at large)

I've never gotten why soccer/football/futbol/WTFOMGBBQ fans act so superior for having sports with less padding. Every sport which has a governing body implements safety measures to try and keep their sport safer than it otherwise would be. Even sports like MMA and boxing where the objective is to hurt your opponent have padded gloves and rules to make it safer. Players getting ankle injuries from slide tackling? Shin guards are now required. Players are getting hit in the head by the puck? Helmets are now required. Players are still getting hit in the face? Face masks are now in use (I don't think ice hockey has made face masks for players a requirement yet but they're in way more use and probably soon will be mandatory) Gridiron started off with little padding but as the injuries piled up and game changed more and different padding as well as rule changes were introduced. Not sure why this reality is such a high point of pride for some.

Edit: This seems like a good place to ask this question: In rugby I get that the scrum is each team on a side pushing against each other and some one throws the ball in the middle. Is each side trying to kick the ball back to their side with their feet? Also what governs who gets to throw the ball in? Some times a player from one side will, other times the ref does. Anyone care to explain.

 

[DSK-]

I don't know? Rugby?

I mean that's technically what it is, right?

Well, Rugby is basically gridiron but they play in futbol/soccer/international football/FIFA uniforms.

Rugby is massive different. Yes its similar but the differences are huge

Handegg seems to be an american slang. In Britain we tend to call it "poof rugby" (not that I condone the term but its a common saying) or "padded rugby"

Personally I think americans should just play rugby instead of american football. Its similar enough for the skills to be transferable yet different enough to make it a better sport. American football is ok I guess but its designed for TV which ironically makes it worse to watch. Its constant ad breaks and its too stop/start to have a free flowing game. Football and rugby pre-date TV and theres only 15 mins at half-time for an 80-90 min game. They stop for substitutes but only a few mins not like american football where they stop to rearrange the whole team

As long as "padded rugby" exists im happy to call it american football but I refuse to call football soccer

This is pretty much what I have been told, taught and heard throughout life ("AF is rugby with padding", "Americans are just pussies and throwing backwards only is too hard for them".

I did try to watch an NFL game played at Wembley stadium, but there was more shots of the pundits, people singing and adverts then there was throwing and kicking balls/players. It was so boring I didn't even get an idea of the sport. I think the most entertaining part of the match was seeing the cheerleaders.

And yet my friends say that fussball is boring. What's that all about?:/

 

[Stu35]

Edit - re-reading your post you don't actually say which is harder, just which is more dangerous. I apologise: I agree, American football is the most dangerous of the 3, but that's in no way a good thing.

...Hence the padding.

The padding(especially helmets) is what makes it dangerous. [http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntamny/2012/05/27/memo-to-the-nfl-to-reduce-concussions-ban-football-helmets/]

Once again - more dangerous does not equal more hard.

An American Football lineman may be able to throw all 350+lbs of his muscle into a great hit on a running back. He'll then stand up, catch his breath, relax for 30-40 seconds, and then do it again. If he does this well, then he only has to do it 4 times before he gets a nice long break while the offense has the ball.

A Rugby League Prop will throw a similar hit, get back up, retreat 10 metres, then go make the same tackle again a few seconds later. If he does well then he he has to do this 5 times. Then, when his team has the ball he has to take part in that.

He does this for 40 minutes before getting a break, then do it for 40 minutes again - dependent on how subs bench is being used.

Edit: This seems like a good place to ask this question: In rugby I get that the scrum is each team on a side pushing against each other and some one throws the ball in the middle. Is each side trying to kick the ball back to their side with their feet? Also what governs who gets to throw the ball in? Some times a player from one side will, other times the ref does. Anyone care to explain.

In Rugby Union the front row of the scrum has a player called a hooker.

In the olden days (and to a lesser extent these days) the hookers job was to "hook" the ball with his feet. I say in the olden days, because back then the hooker was a wirey little bastard whos nimbleness was utilised in other areas of the game.

As Rugby Union has changed, Coaches at the professional level have started employing other fat fuckers (also called "props") at the hooker position - they still use their feet to hook the ball, but mostly they use their superior size to just muscle their way over the ball.

So really, it's a combination of the two at the scrum - you want to hook the ball back with your feet, but you also want to push the opposition back.


The person who puts the ball in is usually the guy who plays the position of "Scrum Half" - which in normal play is one of the two main "quarterback" like positions in Rugby.

Which team gets to put the ball in depends on what called for a scrum to be called - generally if a team Knocks on (fumbles forward), Passes the ball forward, or fails to get the ball out of a Ruck or Maul (JFGI), then the opposition will get the put in at the scrum.




Finally - the ref never, ever puts the ball in at the scrum. If you're seeing it done like that then you're not watching Rugby Union, or at least, no form of Union I've ever seen.




Finally Finally: Go watch some Rugby League, it's way better for the spectator than Union, and is much less stop-start. (Although as an American Football fan I'm sure that stop-start doesn't bother you so much).

In fact, I'm told by my American friend that they're showing NRL and Super League (The Australian and British top divisions of Rugby League respectively) on Fox Soccer(? is that a channel? I don't know, I may have misheard him) these days. The Castleford Tigers (my local team) are playing on Thursday night (UK time). You (and everyone else in the world ever) should catch that game, should be a good one.


I actually like American Football, but I find the 40 second break between plays reprehensible.

 

[Rylot]

snip

Just to get it out of the way: They play with hookers on the field? I might have to give it a watch.

Also: At least American Football players wait till after the game to bring the hookers out.

Okay, I'm done.

I did go to a game while in Sydney but it was a good ten years ago so I'm probably just remembering it wrong.

There's a couple reasons I feel like Americans aren't bothered by the start and stop nature of gridiron:

- At least some time is required to get both sets of 11 players lined up in position

- The offense needs time to decide what they're gonna try next and defense needs time to decide how to react

- While you can watch a game by yourself it's kinda like seeing a movie alone; weird and not usually done. Usually you're at a friend or family members house or a bar with other people to talk to. You watch a play and then either celebrate or curse/ tell everyone why the coach is an idiot and what he should have done (armchair quarter-backing).

- It gives you time to pee and/or get food without missing anything

- It adds another layer of strategy with clock management. If you're up you want to waste as much time while you can so your opponent has less when they get the ball. Need a touchdown late in the fourth quarter? Time for the no huddle hurry up offense.

I get that having a lot of breaks where no plays are happening can hamper getting invested in a new sport that you might not know a lot about. But Americans know what options and plays a team can go with in certain situations so it builds anticipation to see what they're going with and if it'll work or not.

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the first part there: I wasn't arguing that football is the most physically demanding, just pointing out that the padding is necessary, which didn't really fit the point you were making... Sorry, didn't get enough sleep last night.

For most physically demanding sport I'd have to say ice hockey. You have to be able to control a small rubber disk with a long slender stick with a small paddle on the end while getting knocked around while on ice skates. It almost sounds like they made a sport using mad libs.

Hookers...

 

[happyninja42]

Can you guys help me come up with a non-insulting term for american futbol?

Thanks!

....non insulting...*looks at list, crumples it up* Welp! So much for posting these!! xD

 

[Andy Shandy]

Well I call one football and the other Superbowl because that's the only time anyone I know in real life cares about American Football.

 

[Kolby Jack]

As an American living in America, fuck anyone who tries to correct me calling Football "football." That is what it is called in America, and it would be redundant to refer to it as "American Football" and incorrect to refer to it as anything else. If you want to talk about the other football in America, well, it's called soccer here. In America means American rules; that's just the way things fuckin' are, so you better get used to it, Nancy. Quit yer bitchin'.

Now, if I were to ever be OUTSIDE of America and talking about said sports, then I'd call them "American Football" and "Football" unless I was talking to another American. There's no need for new names as long as you aren't stupid with context. but if you insist on new names, then BOTH should be renamed, just to be fair. How about "Awesome-ball" and "YAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWN!"? I'll let you figure out which is which. ;P

 

[LetalisK]

Did you not watch Brazil - Germany?
Also, football is 2x 45 minutes (1.5 hours) of standard play.

When poundings like that even come close to being as common as a 0-0 tie, then I'll gladly start calling it soccer again. >

 

[Stu35]

snip

Just to get it out of the way: They play with hookers on the field? I might have to give it a watch.

Also: At least American Football players wait till after the game to bring the hookers out.

Okay, I'm done.

Haha, thought you might get a chuckle out of it - I always do enjoy introducing the concept of the hooker position to people unfamiliar with Rugby. (incidentally I used to go out with a lass who played Women's rugby, aside from being the only non-lesbian on the team, she played a bit of hooker, and was therefore very fun to introduce to people.)

There's a couple reasons I feel like Americans aren't bothered by the start and stop nature of gridiron:
snip

All are fairly valid points (although I'd argue most sports share the social aspects you alluded to), and I do fully appreciate that American Football is all about the well planned out set-piece over the kind of on-your-feet thinking of the likes of Rugby. The time-management and play-planning aspects actually appeal to me quite a lot.

It's the adverts (commercials), every fucking 5 minutes that do it in for me - I have to watch games that I've recorded. Live games go on in the background when I've got a few mates round for some beers (the social aspect again), but becomes mere noise with an occasional look to see the score (or watching a replay of a particularly good play).

I get that having a lot of breaks where no plays are happening can hamper getting invested in a new sport that you might not know a lot about. But Americans know what options and plays a team can go with in certain situations so it builds anticipation to see what they're going with and if it'll work or not.

Spoiler: I think British people would just rather everybody got on with it.

It's part of our national psyche.

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the first part there: I wasn't arguing that football is the most physically demanding, just pointing out that the padding is necessary, which didn't really fit the point you were making... Sorry, didn't get enough sleep last night.

No dramas, I've been known to have the occasional drunken rant on here, so I'll forgive anyone a bit of misinterpretation here or there.

For most physically demanding sport I'd have to say ice hockey. You have to be able to control a small rubber disk with a long slender stick with a small paddle on the end while getting knocked around while on ice skates. It almost sounds like they made a sport using mad libs.

No arguments here. The only unfortunate aspect of ice hockey for me is that there are fewer rinks in all Britain than there are in the greater Toronto area, so opportunities to play are limited. (Also, the kit's fucking expensive - I'm alright now I'm an adult and can play with the same gear until it rots, but as a child a lot of my christmas and birthday presents consisted of skates, pads, etc. - First world problems I know.)

Hookers...

Yep. Every team gets one.

 

[Souplex]

?
What are you talking about?
The sport with the tackling and touchdowns is called "Football".
The sport with the kicking and lack of arm-use is called "Communist Kickball".

 

[Souplex]

Well I call one football and the other Superbowl because that's the only time anyone I know in real life cares about American Football.

By that logic shouldn't you call it "The world cup finals" and the "Superbowl"?

 

[Andy Shandy]

Well I call one football and the other Superbowl because that's the only time anyone I know in real life cares about American Football.

By that logic shouldn't you call it "The world cup finals" and the "Superbowl"?

Nope, because I know and talk to plenty of people in real life that care about football the whole time, unlike it's American namesake.

 

[Lieju]

...

I don't think it's as bad as the mouthful that is 'Amerikkalainen jalkapallo', in other words, American football in Finnish.

But we also do not care about the sport, so...

I just call it 'that other thing where people run around on the field for no bloody good reason'.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

why does it have to be changed at all? what is wrong with football? or maybe I should be saying what is wrong with calling it soccer? sorry OP but a little confusing. which game are you suggesting we rename: football or soccer? I am sorry if I piss anyone off (and I am sure I will) but football is what Peyton does. the other game is soccer.

Huh Europeans talk about American Football? I was under the impression that they just used the sport to make a few stupid jokes then go on to talk about their obsession with soccer.

Well color me surprised.

Wikipedia says some other countries go with gridiron, so I'd go with that if it's too confusing to use American football to differentiate it from Soccer.

I don't know if it still exists but the NFL Europe league was really popular a while back and even produced a few NFL players, most notably John Kitna, who started for a number of teams.

 

[Yopaz]

Thank you! It's always struck me as arrogant that a person might think that their game is the "real" football, and that they feel they have to degrade the other sport.

Considering one sport uses a ball and is played with the feet while the other one doesn't I think the term real football can be applied. I mean the NAME should give something away here. It's not like we call Canadians American even though they do live in North America.

OT: Seriously, call it American football. Also write it "American Football" rather than futbol. It just makes you look like an idiot. People understand what you mean when you say American football and calling it something else will just confuse people. This isn't rocket science. Having a "correct" name for it is only useful as long as both parties know what that means. This is a lesson we should have learned after the deal with people getting worked up over dihydrogen monoxoide which is the correct word for water, but not the word you should use if you are talking to normal people.

 

[Brownie80]

Hello. I live in America. In America we call it "soccer." Now all you other people not in America might call it *insert one of 713 names* but in America, it's soccer. The league of all the "soccer" teams in America (yes we have a league of "soccer" teams) is called the MLS. Major League Soccer. So, in America, call it soccer. In any other country for all we care you can call it Meg Ryan for all we care. But in USA, it's soccer.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Hi there,

I talk with a fair number of people online and they bring up sports a lot. They really enjoy american futbol and we often talk about that and real football, the problem is that it gets annoying saying 'american futbol' and they really don't like it. So I'm trying to think of a subsitute name. Obviously I can't call it 'handegg' as it comes off insulting. They've taken to calling football 'footy'. So the best I have so far is 'pass ball'. Handball is already used so that's out of the picture. 'Soccer' is off limits as it's insulting(even if it's a bastardized version of a word a select few used to refer to football a long, long time ago).

Can you guys help me come up with a non-insulting term for american futbol?

Thanks!

No other name... its just Football. Period. Trust me, we arent going to call it anything else. And it is the real football, to us, by the way. Over here, your futbol is called soccer, and the real football is called just that... Football.

 

[AnarchistFish]

some awful comments itt

makes me laugh how worked up some people get over this subject which really doesn't matter in the end

 

[AnarchistFish]

?
What are you talking about?
The sport with the tackling and touchdowns is called "Football".
The sport with the kicking and lack of arm-use is called "Communist Kickball".

thank you for making a horrible thread worthwhile lmao