Physicality, toughness, grit, determination and most importantly, heart, are just a handful of the traits one requires to play of football. It is a game of twists and turns, bumps and bruises, glory and despair – the only predictable thing about the game is that it will be unpredictable. It is the latter observation more than any that has drawn crowds of tens of thousands on a consistent basis for the best part of the past six decades. I am fortunate enough to have experienced the consistent thrills this game has to offer since the year 2006 when I first discovered it in rather unusual circumstances.
As the evenings became darker and the once sun-soaked front lawn outside my living room window became ravaged by rain and inclement weather, I didn’t need a calendar to tell me it was September and the seasons were changing. Little did I know when I sat down on my sofa that Sunday evening that my usually uneventful Sundays were about to change dramatically. I scanned through the channels and happened upon “NFL Live” on Sky Sports. In the past, I was inclined to flick past such programmes, opting instead for the safer option of repeats of the Simpsons or other comedies. This was different. I watched men on the screen scratch and claw for every yard they could come by and unite for a common cause. This was no game – it was a battle of wills, a war without firearms. As a sport, it was the perfect storm.
Suddenly I awoke to the realisation that this game demanded a second look. Never before that night had I taken the time to process it, instead dismissing it based on hearsay stories like “It’s just big men in tights”. The National Football League was so much more than that, and I was on the cusp of finding out just why it gained such popularity. Sunday evenings spent watching the game became commonplace, with my interest growing as the weeks progressed.
Most people are of the opinion that the game of American football has not yet made its mark on Europe and the rest of the world. This could not be more untrue. The NFL has already played two regular season games in the United Kingdom, drawing full houses to Wembley Stadium each time. I attended both games in person and I have no doubt that this is the beginning of a surge in popularity that is long overdue. On Sunday October 25th the NFL hosted its third regular season game in Wembley Stadium, when the New England Patriots, winners of three Super Bowl championships in the past decade, took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose owner may be familiar to soccer fans as Malcolm Glazer, the Manchester United owner. Needless to say, a sellout crowd attend the game. The NFL is making baby steps towards enhancing its reputation and fan base all over the world, with the UK and Ireland being its primary focus in the short term. Many more international games are being scheduled for the future. This is a game that will not go away any time soon, and will only go from strength to strength in the next decade.
As a matter of fact, Trinity College itself has an American football team known only as “Trinity Football” or DUAFC (Dublin University American Football Club). A good friend of mine happens to play for the team and through that connection I witnessed firsthand the kind of enjoyment he experienced being involved with such a tight-knit group. This year marks the team’s first year in the Irish American Football League (IAFL) after participating in a mandatory year in the developmental league to hone their skills and equip themselves properly for the future. This is a club that should only grow in membership as we approach their regular season.
I have barely scratched the surface of the game of American Football, merely giving you all a brief introduction to what you have been missing out on all these years. However, with the popularity of the game increasing exponentially and increasing television and internet coverage, you can join this great community of fans who every week expect the unexpected, experience a whole spectrum of emotions and enjoy this most unique of sports – American football.
