I believe the Nottingham Panthers are the best supported British team. And yes @Wendoverman, you look exceptionally young!
I think a fundamental difference in American pro sports is that they are more family focused, to the point of absurdity, so that every silence has to be immediately filled by loud music, a silly game on the jumbotron, or an inflatable polar bear dropping free burritos into the crowd. The chants are simple ("Let's go insert team name here") so that kids can learn them. It can be endearing at times, and completely irritating at others.
Hi @Shev finally a thread mentioning the NHL. I’ve never understood why hockey isn’t more popular. Frankly the other stateside sports are dull in comparison.
@Morrisital said:
Hi @Shev finally a thread mentioning the NHL. I’ve never understood why hockey isn’t more popular. Frankly the other stateside sports are dull in comparison.
I agree heartily @Morrisital! I just got to a Vegas home game on a visit back, and it was fantastic. Nice to see your Sharks doing well too!
Followed this thread with interest as I’m on a short break in Florida at the moment. Went to see Florida Panthers (‘Let’s go Panthers’...keep repeating till the next burger break comes along) ice hockey team and in a couple of days will be watching Miami Heat basketball team.
Shev describes the experience of American sports perfectly and whilst the general presentation can be over-the-top for us Brits it’s still enjoyable and I like how they respect the members of the military in the crowd.
I also agree that baseball and American football are a lot less exciting than ice hockey and basketball. Still rather be at Adams Park any day!
I can see Ice Hockey being entertaining, as it's the closest of those sports to football.
But Basketball surely only has any sort of excitement in the last minute, as it's generally just a procession and most plays end with scores surely?
Ive been to a few Bracknell Bees & Hornet games the last 20 months or so. I must admit to being terrified at the speed of the puck being arrowed at the goal. I still wonder at the lack of sanity being required to keep goal in that game?
@bookertease said:
Can we play ‘Help’ when we get a throw-in?
As in “I knee’d somebody”
No, sorry, that doesn’t work.
When I saw that there were 36 new posts on this thread I expected to see @DevC featuring very prominently. I have dutifully read every post but as a complete and utterly disinterested ignoramus when it comes to American sports I was (almost) hoping he might have entered the fray.
Meanwhile, an intriguing battle taking place in Bridgetown.
I remember the excitement prior to eating my first bar of American chocolate and the disappointment when I discovered it tasted vaguely like vomit, my introduction to American football was a similar experience. The strange thing however is that there are British people who swear blind that they love either or both.
Ice hockey is different and immensely enjoyable to watch live although it may be because it’s Canadian.
@BuckinghamBlue said:
I remember the excitement prior to eating my first bar of American chocolate and the disappointment when I discovered it tasted vaguely like vomit, my introduction to American football was a similar experience. The strange thing however is that there are British people who swear blind that they love either or both.
Ice hockey is different and immensely enjoyable to watch live although it may be because it’s Canadian.
@BuckinghamBlue said:
I remember the excitement prior to eating my first bar of American chocolate and the disappointment when I discovered it tasted vaguely like vomit, my introduction to American football was a similar experience. The strange thing however is that there are British people who swear blind that they love either or both.
Ice hockey is different and immensely enjoyable to watch live although it may be because it’s Canadian.
Ice hockey is actually French.
No it’s Dutch, Irish, Native American, English, not Chinese, Scottish, or Scandinavian, I wonder if anyone has had an online argument over the origins of a sport.
Either the Dutch or the Danes used to play a version in medieval times called 'kolf' or something like that. It's probably like the origins of numerous sports in that various countries had their own version of it at some point.
Blighty codified a number of sports but any attempt to run through old records to see who the first people were to kick a bag around or hit sticks is probably a bit pointless
Mainstream American beer is awful but they have the best craft beer scene in the world and have had for decades. The USA episode of the 1980s TV series The Beer Hunter is well worth seeking out.
Comments
Should it not be 'Slow Down'!
I believe the Nottingham Panthers are the best supported British team. And yes @Wendoverman, you look exceptionally young!
I think a fundamental difference in American pro sports is that they are more family focused, to the point of absurdity, so that every silence has to be immediately filled by loud music, a silly game on the jumbotron, or an inflatable polar bear dropping free burritos into the crowd. The chants are simple ("Let's go insert team name here") so that kids can learn them. It can be endearing at times, and completely irritating at others.
Hi @Shev finally a thread mentioning the NHL. I’ve never understood why hockey isn’t more popular. Frankly the other stateside sports are dull in comparison.
You'd think it was the summer with talk of these lesser sports!
I agree heartily @Morrisital! I just got to a Vegas home game on a visit back, and it was fantastic. Nice to see your Sharks doing well too!
Followed this thread with interest as I’m on a short break in Florida at the moment. Went to see Florida Panthers (‘Let’s go Panthers’...keep repeating till the next burger break comes along) ice hockey team and in a couple of days will be watching Miami Heat basketball team.
Shev describes the experience of American sports perfectly and whilst the general presentation can be over-the-top for us Brits it’s still enjoyable and I like how they respect the members of the military in the crowd.
I also agree that baseball and American football are a lot less exciting than ice hockey and basketball. Still rather be at Adams Park any day!
I can see Ice Hockey being entertaining, as it's the closest of those sports to football.
But Basketball surely only has any sort of excitement in the last minute, as it's generally just a procession and most plays end with scores surely?
Ive been to a few Bracknell Bees & Hornet games the last 20 months or so. I must admit to being terrified at the speed of the puck being arrowed at the goal. I still wonder at the lack of sanity being required to keep goal in that game?
As in “I knee’d somebody”
No, sorry, that doesn’t work.
When I saw that there were 36 new posts on this thread I expected to see @DevC featuring very prominently. I have dutifully read every post but as a complete and utterly disinterested ignoramus when it comes to American sports I was (almost) hoping he might have entered the fray.
Meanwhile, an intriguing battle taking place in Bridgetown.
I remember the excitement prior to eating my first bar of American chocolate and the disappointment when I discovered it tasted vaguely like vomit, my introduction to American football was a similar experience. The strange thing however is that there are British people who swear blind that they love either or both.
Ice hockey is different and immensely enjoyable to watch live although it may be because it’s Canadian.
Ice hockey is actually French.
No it’s Dutch, Irish, Native American, English, not Chinese, Scottish, or Scandinavian, I wonder if anyone has had an online argument over the origins of a sport.
Either the Dutch or the Danes used to play a version in medieval times called 'kolf' or something like that. It's probably like the origins of numerous sports in that various countries had their own version of it at some point.
Oh, that’s where golf comes from.
Blighty codified a number of sports but any attempt to run through old records to see who the first people were to kick a bag around or hit sticks is probably a bit pointless
@Micra I’m kneeding you to tell me where that apostrophe came from...
American chocolate is appalling.
American beer too.
Mainstream American beer is awful but they have the best craft beer scene in the world and have had for decades. The USA episode of the 1980s TV series The Beer Hunter is well worth seeking out.