Why don't Europeans like American football?

Question

SOME of them seem closed minded towards American sports. Especially baseball and American football. Note that I said some. Not all. But I am American and I am quite open minded towards their sports. I love soccer (football). And rugby isn't bad. Cricket is OK with me. My Bosnian friends hate American sports simply because they do not understand them. And I think that is a poor reason. To be so arrogant to start ripping on the sport simply because you do not understand it. Ignorant is probably a better word to use.

Answer 1

Most europeans prefer sports where men wear either short pants or some type of a sweater vest. There's really no accounting for taste.

Answer 2

You're funny. Last time I checked there have been no riots over American Football games. And when there is a score in American football the players don't prance around like a bunch of sissies. Perhaps you should study up more on the sport of American football before you make uninformed statements. Out of shape? I'd like to see you say that face to face with a Pro NFL player.

Answer 3

Its due to many factors. I am from England but have lived in the states for 12 years. I love soccer and hockey but Im not a big fan of football or baseball. I agree that a lot of people are ignorant of the rules and thats a big factor but I have tried and its just a different mindset. The stopping and starting, the fact that it takes so long and that the game doesnt flow. Many people criticize soccer for being boring and thats fine but at least the game flows and doesnt stop every 30 seconds. Another big turn off is how most NFL games are really over with 5 minutes left and then you have to watch people wasting time and taking a kee, etc. Its just a product of what you grew up watching.

PS. To the asswipe who considers football too much of a thinking man's game for us. Ive seen players on tele who cant even complete a coherent sentence yet they manage to understand it and memorize the playbook, so I hardly think it qualifies as rocket science.

Answer 4

Most Europeans hate sports with breaks (something that football and baseball have an excess of). Notice that cricket is only played in the UK. Most mainland Europeans I've met hate cricket even more than baseball!!
You might have noticed that basketball & hockey are much more popular in Europe than baseball & U.S. football.
However....
European basketball is faster paced and more physical.
European hockey is less physical but is faster paced.
Even soccer...Americans complain soccer is too slow, that's because the soccer most Americans see is the MLS and South American soccer, which thrives on exaggerated acting and constant passing. Europeans hate MLS/South American soccer as much as Americans do.
European soccer is faster and more aggressive. The refs are more tolerant of physical play.

So it's all about speed. Europeans like to see speed.

Answer 5

I agree but i guess there's an ok following for football cuz of the NFL Europe thingy.

Also, i think that they believe that baseball and football are just rip-offs of thier sports. Which is kinda true. But i understand where you're coming from though and i think thats stupid to hate a popular sport u don't understand. I use to not understand Australian football but when i learned wth they were doing from watching tv I started to like it. Aussie football is like Quidditch to me but in a good way.

Answer 6

That's Europeans. It's why many people fled to the Americas or New Zealand and Australia to get away from these close-minded idiots. I'm with you, I like rugby a lot, soccer a bit (more in the '70s and '80s when goals were scored)...cricket I get as a sport but hard to wtach the whole thing...LOVE Aussie Rules footy and also dig the sports here esp. hockey (I'm Cdn so it's the religion up here).

The thing that annoys me is the Euroweenies saying how soccer is so popular and why don't Ameeicans embrace it? Hello, they do. Millions play soccer.

Euroweenies seem to not understand that as a "spectator" sport, it's just does not match up to the big 4 over here. Diving, low scoring defensive play just does not cut it. It has nothing to do with anti-Europeanism. It's just boring to us brought up on sports that have action and scoring.

Now if the players were like in the old NASL days, maybe we'd get into it Pele-wise again...but sorry, we don't love your sports to death. We don't ask you love ours.

I just don't see why Euroweenies need us to follow them in anything? Vice versa. Like what you like and stop worrying about what others think. That's my message to Eurowhiners.

Answer 7

I hate football and I'm an American. It just depends on people's personality... it doesn't matter where they are from or what race they are. It's just their opinion on the sport, that's all.

Answer 8

well that is their problem and they always say that our football is not football and why is it named that. Soccer is their football so they feel that we are backwards i think. I have no real idea but that's all i hear. They think they are better then us Americans too like the way we talk and all kinds of other things lol.

Answer 9

Because it is not football.

Football should be about a ball that is played around with the foot. See the resemblance to Soccer??

Maybe if American Football was called Soccer it would make more sense.

Answer 10

I'm Mexican and I hate American football.

Answer 11

Because the Europeans play football on their what they learned , but the American play football on their brain .