Why do we love football?

[SWC75]

I was watching some vintage football clips on You-Tube and thought this would be an interesting thread: Why do we like football? Why do so many of us like it more than any other sport?

- In my case, it was the first sport I became a fan of. In 1961, my father brought home a booklet he’s pick up at a bank about the coming NFL season. He wanted something he could do with his 7 year old son. Jim Brown was the best player ever and he came from Syracuse and another player named Ernie Davis was playing for Syracuse and would follow big Jim to the Browns and who was going to stop them? I was hooked. Baseball came when I joined Little League and basketball when Dave Bing and company were scoring 100 points a game. That seems a small difference in years now but football was first by a big margin in those days.

- It also has a long history, now going back over 150 years. That’s a lot of games and personalities. Baseball can match that but not the other sports.

- I think the colorful uniforms matter. They cover more of the player than in basketball. Baseball was bland for years. They’ve gotten into colors now. I’m not a hockey guy. I’m not sure why but most of the people I know who like basketball are not big on hockey. I also think that football uniforms, at least for successful teams, tend to change less than in other sports. The colors and design are part of their personality.

- There’s a military aspect to it. I’m a political liberal but the idea of two teams battling over territory has always seemed exciting to me. It may not appeal to the better angels of my nature, but those little devils are still there. In other sports, you beat the other team. In football you conquer them.

- It’s the ultimate team sport. Every successful play is the result of the coordinated actions of 11 guys. A team is as strong as its weakest link.

- Home runs are great but the most exciting thing in sport is a long play in football: a bomb, a tailback bursting into the open or a kick returner getting past the first wave and then the second wave.

- No day is as beautiful a great fall day. The ’87 Penn State game was the most beautiful day I’ve ever seen: temperature in the low 70’s with warm zephyr of a wind, puffy white clouds floating across the sky, all kinds of reds and yellows in the trees and on the ground below them. I just knew that nothing bad would happen on a day like that and it didn’t.

 

[SU91]

Agree with your sentiments. I also liked tacking people as a kid. I was not a poorly behaved kid or a rough kid, but when I played tackle football, there was nothing I liked more than hitting someone cleanly and within the rules. There’s something about playing a game fair and square while also being able to also light up one of your friends for fun!

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I was watching some vintage football clips on You-Tube and thought this would be an interesting thread: Why do we like football? Why do so many of us like it more than any other sport?

- In my case, it was the first sport I became a fan of. In 1961, my father brought home a booklet he’s pick up at a bank about the coming NFL season. He wanted something he could do with his 7 year old son. Jim Brown was the best player ever and he came from Syracuse and another player named Ernie Davis was playing for Syracuse and would follow big Jim to the Browns and who was going to stop them? I was hooked. Baseball came when I joined Little League and basketball when Dave Bing and company were scoring 100 points a game. That seems a small difference in years now but football was first by a big margin in those days.

- It also has a long history, now going back over 150 years. That’s a lot of games and personalities. Baseball can match that but not the other sports.

- I think the colorful uniforms matter. They cover more of the player than in basketball. Baseball was bland for years. They’ve gotten into colors now. I’m not a hockey guy. I’m not sure why but most of the people I know who like basketball are not big on hockey. I also think that football uniforms, at least for successful teams, tend to change less than in other sports. The colors and design are part of their personality.

- There’s a military aspect to it. I’m a political liberal but the idea of two teams battling over territory has always seemed exciting to me. It may not appear to the better angels of my nature but those little devils are still there.

- It’s the ultimate team sport. Every successful play is the result of the coordinated actions of 11 guys. A team is as strong as its weakest link.

- Home runs are great but the most exciting thing in sport is a long play in football: a bomb, a tailback bursting into the open or a kick returner getting past the first wave and then the second wave.

- No day is as beautiful a great fall day. The ’87 Penn State game was the most beautiful day I’ve ever seen: temperature in the low 70’s with warm zephyr of a wind, puff white clouds floating across the sky, all kinds of reds and yellows in the trees and on the ground below them. I just knew that nothing bad would happen on a day like that and it didn’t.

Gambling.

I don’t gamble at all and just love the game but i think gambling has alot to do with its popularity.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Suttin' to do, I guess.

 

[Cuseregular]

The game is a metaphor for life, you can do well on an individual basis if you’re willing to work hard, even gain notoriety and accolades, but to be really really successful, You need to get beyond yourself and your own personal interests and integrate your abilities by buying into and fully embracing a team concept getting beyond yourself for the collective good of not only yourself but your team.

It’s a sport that demonstrates the toughness and discipline you need in life to be successful both on the field, but especially beyond it no matter what avenue of work in life you get into.

It’s a top dog/King of the mountain/Lion in the jungle sport where, as you note you are literally fighting for territory trying to be the top dog alpha, a sport where you can live vicariously through others In that regard if you can’t do it yourself.

It’s communal giving an opportunity to spend precious time and moments with family and like minded friends.

It’s crazy, it’s entertaining and it’s exciting, being a part of it or rooting for your team that can get you the highest of highs both as a fan, or as a participant, but where sometimes the opposite occurs ripping your heart out, giving and experiencing the lowest of lows.

In other words, once again, it’s just like life with all its peaks and valleys, good times and bad times as a metaphor for life itself, No better sport in the world.

 

[McNabb2Brominski]

-it’s the ultimate team sport
-the football season has fewer number of games so each game has more significance
- it’s violent
- fantasy sports translates best to football