College football finally makes BBC sport front page in the same season that the game stops being shown on TV in the UK. Seems to be just about the only thing that TNT have dumped following the takeover from BT Sports. Always a great atmosphere watching the games and an interesting outlook into American sports culture in general
Tonight would have been a great evening to watch most of the early kick off before the tennis starts with no other live sports on Sky.
Pondering on this a little it does seem slightly bizarre that the under-21 equivalent appears to be more popular than the senior version.
coming from a totally ignorant position (so nothing new…) does that reflect that the college version is a better version to watch as sport or are there no discernible differences?
As an alternative, do the huge stadiums for college football have some relationship with the locality in a way that franchise American football teams don’t necessarily?
These are sensible questions. The first time I saw the "football" stadium at University of Texas in Austin my brain just couldn't make sense of it at all. I don't think it's even that big as college football goes, but still bigger than any stadium in England.
Think there's loyalty for these regional teams and massive alumni that can't really happen with the ultra commercial entities, franchising can't help and prices are huge for major US sport, heard wherever Messi plays for example they have airline style surge pricing and it could be £2500 for a ticket they would have struggled to give away two months ago.
Also it's a huge country so state and regional TV is huge and they officially still don't really pay players, although that's starting to change.
I think it’s a more entertaining version of American Football. It’s probably not technically ‘better,’ as only the very best college players end up in the NFL. But on the rare occasion there’s a pro game and college game on at the same time I’ll always watch the college game.
It is bizarre that ostensibly amateur 18-22 year olds are at the center of a billion dollar sport. The highest paid public employee in most states is a college football coach. The huge stadia get used for six home games a year. But most people live hundred and hundreds of miles away from their nearest pro team, and college sports provide (and reflect?) a sense of local, regional pride that doesn’t really exist in the UK. There’s nothing like it.
Thanks all. Some informative responses so much appreciated. I did wonder whether college football was a slightly freer, less predictable and somehow more fun version of the real thing.
(I do actually quite like American Football as a sport but must admit I can’t recall ever seeing a college game)
I hear lots of cuts at GB as paying right wing millionaires to speak them truths is not as lucrative as was expected...and apparently lying and misleading people is against some lefty woke Ofcom codes. And dark forces think blackmailing colleagues with secretly filmed sex tapes while working at major newspapers might be illegal or something. It's PC gone mad!
Real advert paying companies want them to tone it down and be popular Sun Lite TV, actual backers, and probably half the presenters, want them to double down and sod anyone who complains, unless it's them complaining of course in which case they want them to deliver their lines verbatim.
Weird spot at RWC, which I'm not at all close to , but are all the managers former coaches of the other nations? Or the same nation in Wales case? Think it's 4 out of 5 that I've heard of so far, is international rugby that different to club rugby?
Warren Gatland is on his second stint as Wales coach, He has also been head coach of Ireland in the past, and coached Wasps for a while.
Eddie Jones now coaches Australia for the second time, having been sacked as England coach, Michael Cheika is a former Australia coach, now in charge of Argentina.
Steve Borthwick has never previously coached any international side, he was previously head coach at Leicester Tigers.
International rugby is definitely a step up, you have half a yard less space, and half a second less time to react. Just as some players are not able to make that step up, some coaches are not good enough to make the transition.
A question for those clued up on American football...
If your field goal attempt is blocked, the ball fortuitously comes straight back to one your players without touching the ground and you go on to score a touchdown - bearing in mind you've not yet made a forward pass - does it count? My initial thought was yes as a fake FG resulting in a TD is legal.
I'm sure I saw it almost happen in the 49ers - Steelers game the other night.
Not sure what soda is. Seem to remember ice cream soda in my youth and soda water from a siphon during the middle years but don’t think I’ve had soda on its own.
Hot dogs. Yes, sir. I currently favour the Polish Berlinki one (available from all good ASDAs) which come in packs of five, individually wrapped in a tight-fitting thin plastic sheath for ease of freezing and (when thawed) easily sliced lengthwise for removal of sheath, chopped into small pieces and added to scrambled eggs towards the end of the microwaving process.
I'm wondering though - if it was blocked into the air, wouldn't the ball still be live, so in theory if the offense then caught it, they could try to advance it? I have no idea, just throwing out a theory.
Comments
I think that's quite new, and not even in a 'major' city IIRC? There's also that HUGE one in Pyongyang because North Korea.
32.000 sit on the roof.
It’s in Ahmedabad which is the fifth biggest city in India (over 20 times the size of Stoke I believe)
iv got the itinerary for the next week
Monday: Celebrating the Kim family.
Tuesday: Celebrating the Kim family 2 electric boogaloo .
Wednesday: What makes the Kim family great.
Thursday: Down with the decadent West and did I mention how great the Kim’s were.
Friday: how overrated is rice:
Saturday: If you’re still reading this expect a knock on the door.
Sunday: doesn’t exist.
Ah right. Still, feels like the equivalent of Wembley being in Leeds.
I think the cricket world cup final is going to be there?
This is the most American thing I've ever seen https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1700172444097483033
College football finally makes BBC sport front page in the same season that the game stops being shown on TV in the UK. Seems to be just about the only thing that TNT have dumped following the takeover from BT Sports. Always a great atmosphere watching the games and an interesting outlook into American sports culture in general
Tonight would have been a great evening to watch most of the early kick off before the tennis starts with no other live sports on Sky.
College football is the number one sport in most of the country...
Pondering on this a little it does seem slightly bizarre that the under-21 equivalent appears to be more popular than the senior version.
coming from a totally ignorant position (so nothing new…) does that reflect that the college version is a better version to watch as sport or are there no discernible differences?
As an alternative, do the huge stadiums for college football have some relationship with the locality in a way that franchise American football teams don’t necessarily?
Im genuinely intrigued if anyone knows anything
These are sensible questions. The first time I saw the "football" stadium at University of Texas in Austin my brain just couldn't make sense of it at all. I don't think it's even that big as college football goes, but still bigger than any stadium in England.
Isn't it slightly cheating because there are benches rather than individual seats?
Think there's loyalty for these regional teams and massive alumni that can't really happen with the ultra commercial entities, franchising can't help and prices are huge for major US sport, heard wherever Messi plays for example they have airline style surge pricing and it could be £2500 for a ticket they would have struggled to give away two months ago.
Also it's a huge country so state and regional TV is huge and they officially still don't really pay players, although that's starting to change.
I think it’s a more entertaining version of American Football. It’s probably not technically ‘better,’ as only the very best college players end up in the NFL. But on the rare occasion there’s a pro game and college game on at the same time I’ll always watch the college game.
It is bizarre that ostensibly amateur 18-22 year olds are at the center of a billion dollar sport. The highest paid public employee in most states is a college football coach. The huge stadia get used for six home games a year. But most people live hundred and hundreds of miles away from their nearest pro team, and college sports provide (and reflect?) a sense of local, regional pride that doesn’t really exist in the UK. There’s nothing like it.
Easy to forget there are 18 whole states and huge cities / areas of the country that don't have an NFL team at all.
Thanks all. Some informative responses so much appreciated. I did wonder whether college football was a slightly freer, less predictable and somehow more fun version of the real thing.
(I do actually quite like American Football as a sport but must admit I can’t recall ever seeing a college game)
Sensational stuff from GBeebies https://twitter.com/rickburin/status/1700805458888441991?t=zghVwU_jV2XzSlFlbn-iDA&s=19
I hear lots of cuts at GB as paying right wing millionaires to speak them truths is not as lucrative as was expected...and apparently lying and misleading people is against some lefty woke Ofcom codes. And dark forces think blackmailing colleagues with secretly filmed sex tapes while working at major newspapers might be illegal or something. It's PC gone mad!
Real advert paying companies want them to tone it down and be popular Sun Lite TV, actual backers, and probably half the presenters, want them to double down and sod anyone who complains, unless it's them complaining of course in which case they want them to deliver their lines verbatim.
Weird spot at RWC, which I'm not at all close to , but are all the managers former coaches of the other nations? Or the same nation in Wales case? Think it's 4 out of 5 that I've heard of so far, is international rugby that different to club rugby?
Warren Gatland is on his second stint as Wales coach, He has also been head coach of Ireland in the past, and coached Wasps for a while.
Eddie Jones now coaches Australia for the second time, having been sacked as England coach, Michael Cheika is a former Australia coach, now in charge of Argentina.
Steve Borthwick has never previously coached any international side, he was previously head coach at Leicester Tigers.
International rugby is definitely a step up, you have half a yard less space, and half a second less time to react. Just as some players are not able to make that step up, some coaches are not good enough to make the transition.
Some MK Dons fans were seen at an NFL game:
AI robots went to Dolphins-Chargers game and freaked out everyone (msn.com)
A question for those clued up on American football...
If your field goal attempt is blocked, the ball fortuitously comes straight back to one your players without touching the ground and you go on to score a touchdown - bearing in mind you've not yet made a forward pass - does it count? My initial thought was yes as a fake FG resulting in a TD is legal.
I'm sure I saw it almost happen in the 49ers - Steelers game the other night.
Yes, you can return a failed FG for a TD. The 'kick six,' in the Auburn v Alabama game a few years ago is the most famous example.
https://youtu.be/2v1EVSn95yk?si=IP0VpdNYHTrw6q_y
Chanced upon this thread; beat a hasty retreat.
You'll be back in a few mins with soda and a hot dog once the ads are over
Oh no, I mean your own FG!
Oh, that's a great question. No, i don't think so. The ball can be recovered and returned by the defence, but not by the offense.
Not sure what soda is. Seem to remember ice cream soda in my youth and soda water from a siphon during the middle years but don’t think I’ve had soda on its own.
Hot dogs. Yes, sir. I currently favour the Polish Berlinki one (available from all good ASDAs) which come in packs of five, individually wrapped in a tight-fitting thin plastic sheath for ease of freezing and (when thawed) easily sliced lengthwise for removal of sheath, chopped into small pieces and added to scrambled eggs towards the end of the microwaving process.
No bun involved. Yum yum 😋
I'm wondering though - if it was blocked into the air, wouldn't the ball still be live, so in theory if the offense then caught it, they could try to advance it? I have no idea, just throwing out a theory.