NEW to American football, help me become a fan

[bconngemini]

Hi all, I'm not American but I want to start following the NFL. I'm trying to get into this sport because it seems like a great combination of rugby and chess, and I like the friendly atmosphere that surrounds the sport. Hopefully you guys can help me out pick a team to follow and answer a few questions.

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch?

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL?

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL? What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere?

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback?

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come????

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something???

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused....

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently?

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?

 

[CowboyWay]

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch? Watch the Chiefs, Rams and Bengals.

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL? I usually go to Extremeskins.com Those guys fantasize about what its like to have a good team.

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL? What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere? Seattle vs Miami is an incredible rivalry. They are so close to each other that the hatred can actually be seen. Don't ever miss one of those games if you get a chance.

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback? Kicker. Without a good one, you'd be lucky to win a game. quarterbacks are overrated.

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come???? Because kickers aren't men. They are midgets who have no business on a football field. They are equivelant to fluffer girls in porn.

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something??? Do you have anything better to do? What are you a superhero or something? Pop open a beer, sit your foreigner *** down and watch it.

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused.... ????? Are you stupid? Listen.....and listen good. Soccer blows donkeys. Always has, always will. Any fool can kick a soccer ball. I know because I coach my sons 4 year olds soccer team, and I loathe soccer.

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently? All time......no question about it.....Ryan Leaf. Right now? Probably Martellus Bennett.

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?[/QUOTE]

First you have to remember that soccer blows. Then remember that you foreigners only watch it because there is nothing else to do in the majority of the countries that enjoy it. Tailgating is nothing more than getting together with freinds, eating some good, drinking some beer and discussing how much better we are of a country than everyone else.

You stick to those basics and you'll be fine.

 

[CowboyMark]

Hi all, I'm not American but I want to start following the NFL. I'm trying to get into this sport because it seems like a great combination of rugby and chess, and I like the friendly atmosphere that surrounds the sport. Hopefully you guys can help me out pick a team to follow and answer a few questions.

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch?

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL?

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL? What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere?

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback?

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come????

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something???

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused....

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently?

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?

1.)LaDanian Tomlinson, Tom Brady, Shawn Merriman, Terrell Owens, Tony Romo, Osi Umenyiora, DeMarcus Ware, Peyton Manning, are all great players. I can name more but I don't want to type so much.
2.)I don't play fantasy so I couldn't tell you.
3.)Cowboys vs Commanders, Raiders vs Chiefs, Bears vs Packers, Patriots vs Colts are probaly the best rivals right now. As far as passionate fans, well let's see Packers, Chiefs, Steelers, Raiders, and Bills all have great fans. The worst fans are Eagle fans. But I think all fans are great in their own way.
4.)I would probaly say running back. I love break away speeds. I love watching them break tackles. Overall all positions are equally important but in diffrent ways. One really can't be successful without the other.
5.)Kickers don't do much. All they do is kick. They probaly play a combined 2 minutes per game. They really don't do much. They don't score tds, don't make tackles, don't run for anything other than their lives. The only real pressure situations are end of games. They have never done much and it will always be that way, I think.
6.)Unless you have DVR no. All american sports have timeouts, ref timeouts, commercial breaks etc... You would probaly get used to it. If you can't you won't like it very much. But like all sports it can be exciting. Especially in the end of games.
7.)Because the NFL has it's own world cup called the super bowl. It's the second biggest sporting event in the world. The U.S. doesn't really take international competitions all that seriously. Mainly because it's the best league in the world. Theyr'e making millions as it is. They probaly figure for what.
8.)All time is debateable. Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor, and Walter Payton are a few that come to mind. But it's a matter of opinion. IMO the greatest player of all time is Jerry Rice. Currently to me is LaDanian Tomlinson. He runs, passes, scores, clutch player, very intimidating. Second to me is Tom Brady. When both these guys are finished they will be mentioned in the greatest of all time debate.
9.)I have tailgated at Texas Stadium before and it's fun it really is. I really don't know who or how it got started or who has the best tailgate parties. The only thing required is knowing how to have fun. Ocassionaly you will run into a jerk or two. But most of the time people are cool and great no matter what team you root for. However, they will bag on you for rooting for the road team.
I hope I answered some of your questions. Um, I don't know everything but I do know alot so please feel free to ask anything. If I can't answer I'm sure someone on here will. BTW, be a cowboys fan. We are America's Team. We have the biggest loyal and bandwagon fanbase in the country. We are one of the most recognized teams in the world. They are the most successful franchise in the super bowl era. I can go and on. Basically who else can be better than the Dallas Cowboys baby!
9.)

 

[Rampage]

:laugh2:

 

[Dave the Sicilian]

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch? Watch the Chiefs, Rams and Bengals.

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL? I usually go to Extremeskins.com Those guys fantasize about what its like to have a good team.

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL? What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere? Seattle vs Miami is an incredible rivalry. They are so close to each other that the hatred can actually be seen. Don't ever miss one of those games if you get a chance.

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback? Kicker. Without a good one, you'd be lucky to win a game. quarterbacks are overrated.

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come???? Because kickers aren't men. They are midgets who have no business on a football field. They are equivelant to fluffer girls in porn.

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something??? Do you have anything better to do? What are you a superhero or something? Pop open a beer, sit your foreigner *** down and watch it.

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused.... ????? Are you stupid? Listen.....and listen good. Soccer blows donkeys. Always has, always will. Any fool can kick a soccer ball. I know because I coach my sons 4 year olds soccer team, and I loathe soccer.

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently? All time......no question about it.....Ryan Leaf. Right now? Probably Martellus Bennett.

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?

First you have to remember that soccer blows. Then remember that you foreigners only watch it because there is nothing else to do in the majority of the countries that enjoy it. Tailgating is nothing more than getting together with freinds, eating some good, drinking some beer and discussing how much better we are of a country than everyone else.

You stick to those basics and you'll be fine.

Do you think you're funny??...Oh yes, you were talking about stupidity...There are no doubts who is the stupid...

 

[CowboyWay]

Do you think you're funny??...Oh yes, you were talking about stupidity...There are no doubts who is the stupid...

Nothing to see here. Just some american humor. I see you are from Italy. No wonder you don't get it. Now quit reading this and go play soccer.

 

[Dave the Sicilian]

Nothing to see here. Just some american humor. I see you are from Italy. No wonder you don't get it. Now quit reading this and go play soccer.

I prefer keep laughing to your gags

 

[CATCH17]

Did you send an email to talking Cowboys on dallascowboys.com?

 

[CowboyWay]

I prefer keep laughing to your gags

See....you're starting to come around to the whole american humor bit afterall!!!

 

[thekavorka]

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch? Watch the Chiefs, Rams and Bengals.

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL? I usually go to Extremeskins.com Those guys fantasize about what its like to have a good team.

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL? What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere? Seattle vs Miami is an incredible rivalry. They are so close to each other that the hatred can actually be seen. Don't ever miss one of those games if you get a chance.

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback? Kicker. Without a good one, you'd be lucky to win a game. quarterbacks are overrated.

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come???? Because kickers aren't men. They are midgets who have no business on a football field. They are equivelant to fluffer girls in porn.

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something??? Do you have anything better to do? What are you a superhero or something? Pop open a beer, sit your foreigner *** down and watch it.

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused.... ????? Are you stupid? Listen.....and listen good. Soccer blows donkeys. Always has, always will. Any fool can kick a soccer ball. I know because I coach my sons 4 year olds soccer team, and I loathe soccer.

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently? All time......no question about it.....Ryan Leaf. Right now? Probably Martellus Bennett.

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?

First you have to remember that soccer blows. Then remember that you foreigners only watch it because there is nothing else to do in the majority of the countries that enjoy it. Tailgating is nothing more than getting together with freinds, eating some good, drinking some beer and discussing how much better we are of a country than everyone else.

You stick to those basics and you'll be fine.

kind of sad you typed all that just to be a douchebag

 

[thekavorka]

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch?

Most exciting teams to watch right now: Dallas, Denver
Players: Romo, McNabb, Terrell Owens, Brandon Marshall, Adrian Peterson, Marion Barber, Jason Witten,

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL?

I'd suggest Yahoo Sports.

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL? What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere?

Rivalries: Dallas/Philladelphia, Dallas/Washington, Dallas/New York Giants, Colts/Patriots (not so much now that Tom Brady is injured),

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback?

I would say Left Tackle. He's at the very left end of the offensive line and is essential in protecting the Quarterback's blind side. Without a solid offensive line, no team will be successful.

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come????

Kickers aren't really involved in the game. They just go out there and kick the football couple times and that's it. They don't run, tackle, block, etc. There's no contact involving kickers.

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something???

If you wait couple hours after the game is over, a couple users may put the entire game online where you can download it and skip the commercials.

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused....

I don't even know what the american football world cup is. No one really pays attention to international competition involving football because only amateurs and scrubs play in it. We only watch the NFL exclusively, and the championship..the Super Bowl...is HUGE in our culture.

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently?

It's hard to designate the "greatest player of all time" since there are so many different positions and roles to play.

Best player currently is Tom Brady, but he's injured for the season. After him, it's hard to say who is a "best player".

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?

In the parking lot, you don't really see opposing fans hanging out with each other.

Not sure where tailgating originated from, but it's really fun and you can meet other fans who share the same passion as you.

Best tailgate? Don't really know, but tailgate parties at Texas Stadium are really fun.

 

[Dave the Sicilian]

See....you're starting to come around to the whole american humor bit afterall!!!

A little bit of training on the job

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Hi all, I'm not American but I want to start following the NFL. I'm trying to get into this sport because it seems like a great combination of rugby and chess, and I like the friendly atmosphere that surrounds the sport. Hopefully you guys can help me out pick a team to follow and answer a few questions.

1)Whats the most exciting players and teams to watch?

Players: Here's a list for each team of offensive players:

Tony Romo (Dal)
Terrell Owens (Dal)
Clinton Portis (Was)
Santana Moss (Was)
Donovan McNabb (Phi)
Brian Westbrook (Phi)
Plaxico Burress (NYG)
Brandon Jacobs (NYG)
Devin Hester (Chi)
Adrian Peterson (Min)
Calvin Johnson (Det)
Roy Williams (Det)
Greg Jennings (GB)
Drew Brees (NO)
Reggie Bush (NO)
Joey Galloway (TB)
Steve Smith (Car)
Michael Turner (Atl)
Roddy White (Atl)
Matt Hasselbeck (Sea)
Steven Jackson (Stl)
Frank Gore (SF)
Anquan Boldin (Ari)
Larry Fitzgerald (Ari)
Brett Favre (NYJ)
Tom Brady (NE)
Randy Moss (NE)
Wes Welker (NE)
Ronnie Brown (Mia)
Marshawn Lynch (Buf)
Lee Evans (Buf)
Willie Parker (Pit)
Santonio Holmes (Pit)
Ben Roethlisberger (Pit)
Braylon Edwards (Cle)
Kellen Winslow, Jr. (Cle)
Willis McGahee (Bal)
Carson Palmer (Cin)
Chad Johnson (Cin)
TJ Houshmandzadeh (Cin)
Peyton Manning (Ind)
Joseph Addai (Ind)
Marvin Harrison (Ind)
Reggie Wayne (Ind)
Andre Johnson (Hou)
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jac)
Chris Johnson (Ten)
Vince Young (Ten)
Jay Cutler (Den)
Brandon Marshall (Den)
Antonio Gates (SD)
Ladanian Tomlinson (SD)
Darren Sproles (SD)
Darren McFadden (Oak)
Larry Johnson (KC)
Dwayne Bowe (KC)


DEFENSIVE PLAYERS (can't get one for every team since exciting defensive players don't grow on trees).

DeMarcus Ware (Dal)
Jason Taylor (Was)
Asante Samuel (Phi)
Osi Umenyiora (NYG)
Brian Urlacher (Chi)
Jared Allen (Min)
Ernie Sims (Det)
Aaron Kampman (GB)
John Abraham (Atl)
Julius Peppers (Car)
Julian Peterson (Sea)
Pat Willis (SF)
Darnell Dockett (Ari)
Lamar Woodley (Pit)
Troy Polamalu (Pit)
Shaun Rogers (Cle)
Terrell Suggs (Bal)
Dwight Freeney (Ind)
Bob Sanders (Ind)
Mario Williams (Hou)
Rashean Mathis (Jac)
Champ Bailey (Den)
Nnamdi Asomugha (Oak)
Shawne Merriman (SD)
Antonio Cromartie (SD)


Teams are a bit different because injuries have such an impact on team performance. It's pretty rare to see a team have a coach for say 15 years that's able to get them to play a certain way (either exciting or non-exciting). Instead, coaches usually hang around for 3-10 years and it's a series of up and down play. Right now the exciting teams are the Cowboys, Eagles, New Orleans, Seattle, San Diego and Denver. But over the past few years you could add Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh and others to the list, but they have injuries now hurting their play.

2)Whats the best fantasy site for the NFL?

Depends what you are looking for. If you're looking for a site with info I'd probably suggest ESPN. If you're looking for a site to keep the fantasy stats, then I would probably look elsewhere. I don't play fantasy football, so I'm not too knowledgeable.

3)What are some of the rivalries in the NFL?

Dallas vs. Philadelphia
Dallas vs. Washington (probably the biggest in the NFL)
Philadelphia vs. NY Giants
Dallas vs. San Francisco (they only play once in awhile and it was a much bigger rivalry in the 90's)
Dallas vs. Pittsburgh (Faced each other in 3 different Super Bowls, but rarely play each other)
Chicago vs. Green Bay (NFL's oldest rivalry)
Green Bay vs. Minnesota
Atlanta vs. New Orleans
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
Cleveland vs. Baltimore (Baltimore used to be Cleveland, but the old owner moved the team to Baltimore due to financial troubles)
Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore
New England vs. Indianapolis
Kansas City vs. Oakland
Denver vs. Oakland (Denver head coach used to be the Oakland head coach years ago and was fired by Oakland owner. Denver head coach has never forgiven Oakland owner).

What team has the most dedicated\passionate fans and best atmosphere?

Passionate is hard to quantify. Dallas has the largest fanbase, but their stadium is hardly the loudest. Here's a list of passionate fans.

Dallas
Washington
NY Giants
Philadelphia
Chicago
Minnesota
Green Bay
Seattle
New England
NY Jets
Buffalo
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Baltimore
Denver
Oakland
Kansas City
San Diego

4)What's considered the most important position, other than the quarterback?

That's a tough one. I'd probably say defensive end (aka pass rusher). These are the guys responsible for trying to tackle the Quarterback.

5)I noticed that the top scoring players at the end of the season (and of all time) are pretty much all kickers. Yet I've also discovered that kickers are ostracized and sometimes hated by both the team and many fans...how come????

For starters the kickers only kick the ball. They get most of their points because they get a point for every extra point field goal kicked after a touchdown. That's pretty easy to do. It also doesn't help that they are usually a small player who avoids contact at all costs and they only are remembered when they screw up and miss a field goal. For example, if a kicker makes 10 field goals in a row and then misses one from a decent distance, all the fans, coaches and players will remember is that missed field goal.

6)One of the things that was offputting is all the down time in the sport, and that in a 3 hour game only about 12-15 minutes is actual playing action. Is there any way to watch the games without commericials and downtime, like on tape delay or something???

There's actually at least 60 minutes of playing action in an NFL game. The only way you can watch it without commercials is to record the game and then fast forward it through. Compared to other sports, like baseball, the commercials are not bad.

7)How big is the American Football World Cup in the US? How come the US only won it once? confused....

I think you're thinking of something else. There is no Football World Cup as it pertains to American style football. If there was, the United States would destroy everybody since this is the only country that really plays American style football.

8)Who is considered to be the greatest player of all time? Who is considered the best player currently?

All time is Jim Brown. He played running back for the Cleveland Browns in the 1960's. He was very big and extremely fast during his playing days. Put it this way, the equivalent of Jim Brown playing today he would be a man that weighs about 130 kg and is the fastest and strongest player on the field.

9)The notion of "tailgating" is very foreign to me (in soccer here, the opposing fans pretty much have to separated at all times to avoid brawl from starting), but I love the idea of it. Do opposing fans in the NFL co-mingle regularly before the game in the parking lot? Where did the tradition come from? What team has the best tailgate parties?

Tailgating can take on some different forms, but essentially people hang out at their car in the parking lot hours before the game and then cook, eat, drink alcohol, throw the football around and play music. Generally fans from both teams can mingle, unless you have people taking things too seriously. A lot of it is the food, but it's becoming more and more about getting blindly drunk. Best tailgates are Dallas, Philly (if you're a Philly fan), Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Tampa, Seattle, Buffalo, New England, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Denver, and Kansas City. Green Bay and Buffalo are probably the best known tailgates.



Hope that helps.






YAKUZA

 

[The Patriot]

William Belichick is the most well-respected coach in the league.

 

[tomson75]

William Belichick is the most well-respected coach in the league.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

kind of sad you typed all that just to be a douchebag

 

[kmp77]

kind of sad you typed all that just to be a douchebag

"Douchebaggery knows no limits." - kmp77

 

[Brandon]

Nothing to see here. Just some american humor. I see you are from Italy. No wonder you don't get it. Now quit reading this and go play soccer.

Actually, its football in 97% of the world. So you sir, are wrong. Typical arrogant American. Go watch NASCAR or Baseball or something, or start a gun collection.

 

[The Patriot]

My best advice is to pick a team and watch the games.

The NFL is like crack. You can't get enough of it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

William Belichick is the most well-respected coach in the league.

But of course.

atriots: