Two different rules, two different balls, two different sports; at first glance Rugby and American football seem to have very little in common, but in reality they actually have a lot in common. Many of the fans that declare allegiance to one sport seem to condescend and down the other. Perhaps that is because they are so similar that it is easy to declare that one is better than another. For example you would not say that basketball has a more efficient scoring system than baseball or vice versa, not because they are equal but because they are two different sports and are incomparable. But on the other hand two things very similar like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are competing constantly. If you were to compare Rugby and American Football the things that you would have to look at would be the history of the sports, the rules of the games, and the fans comments to each other.
The history of rugby comes from a somewhat strange but true story. A junior soccer player, while in game, picked up the ball and ran with it towards the opponent’s goal. This seemingly juvenile act sparked one of the world’s most popular sports; Rugby (Potter). The sport was a huge hit with youths at universities first. And only ten years after soccer had officially formed, Rugby had its own organization: The Rugby Union. Rugby then took off as an international hit. It went to many places such as Australia, New Zealand, Africa, France, and even America. Rugby players to this day are not paid nearly as much as other sports and most still have “Day jobs”, such as “lawyers, doctors and advertising executives” (Potter). American Football has its roots deeply invested in Rugby.
Football first came as a variation of the British rugby. When it first arrived in America i...
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... proven because the two sports are beginning to take hold in each other’s origin. The American Rugby team has been getting more and more popular and the NFL Europe has been getting a lot of publicity also. So instead of just attacking each other’s sport the fans should tune in to see the sport that they hate so much and maybe they will like it.
Works Cited
"Rugby, game." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010): 1. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
Potter, Matt. "A gentleman's game." In Britain 9.10 (1999): 54. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
Madden, John. Heroes of Football The Story of America’s Game. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2006. Print.
"Football." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010): 1. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
Diffen. 28 March 2011. Web. 31 March 2011.
Football is not a game but a religion, a metaphysical island of fundamental truth in a highly verbalized, disguised society, a throwback of 30,000 generations of anthropological time. (“Football Quotes, Great”, par. 12)
America’s newfound favorite pastime, football, came from a bizarre chain of events. Football started when a soccer player got fed up with just kicking the ball, so he picked up the ball and ran to the goal. His actions of picking up the ball and running with it fathered a new European sport, rugby, which was soon brought over to American shores, and was altered slightly, the shape of the ball and a few other small rules. The sport became organized into a league and produced the NFL(National Football League). The NFL had a slow beginning, but has picked up popularity, currently having a $9 billion yearly revenue.
The author covers the most prevalent groups and events relating to football. Some of them are pep rallies, marching band, cheerleaders / pep squads, spectators / ex-players, and the brains / farm kids / nobodies. The pep rally is a school-wide event,
Soccer is still the world?s most beloved sport, and will continue to be the number one sport for generations to come. However, North America is never bound to join this band wagon because we simply find the sport dull. The fake injuries, scoreless games, and long game lengths disappoint the majority of North America, whom would much rather watch other exciting sports. Because of lacking a long-time tradition, excitement during matches, and good opportunities for big time television networks to broadcast the games, the real football fails to succeed as the superior sport in North America. Paying $250 million dollars to David Beckham won?t do any good in promoting soccer across North America. ?Football? will continue to be less than a second thought, so long as we have these other terrific sports at hand.
American Football is a huge spectator sport where offensive and defensive players will use teamwork and perseverance to try and score more points than their opponent. Football is highly respected in America, where boys will try and pursue the dream of playing in the NFL (National Football Association) someday; but if you look at an average neighborhood, you will find that kids and adults of all ages love to go out and throw around the pigskin. (Lerner and Lerner 275). One thing Americans will take pride in is the college and NFL football teams they root for. People sit down with a beer and talk hours upon hours of football and two individuals can get in a heated discussion in the local sports store of whose sports team is better.
American football for youth emerged as a social benefit in 1929 when Joseph J. Tomlin, of Philadelphia, organized the first competitive youth football league called the Junior Football Conference [1]. At the time, society was experiencing an influx in youth vandalism; thus, in response to the issue, Tomlin’s solution was to create a youth football league to get these idle youth off the streets and into an athletic
Rugby is the true sport of men, because you wear no pads, and it is even more violent than football; however, football requires that you wear pads, thus being the true sport of want-to-be men.
Silk, Michael. (2005, Nov 2). Week 9 Fall 2005: Star Spangled Sport: Nation, Culture & American Exceptionalism. Presented at a KNES 293 lecture at the University of
Football can be traced by rugby and soccer. Walter Camp is the “Father of Football” (Bennett).The first American football game played in the 1860’s (Bennett). Football has a lot of history in the game. The rules are important to the game. The beginning of the National Football League is still going strong today. Strategies and formations of the game are important to study. Football is an aggressive sport and is one of the most played sports in the United States.
In the world of sport, soccer and football with respect to demographic has had numerous controversies. Although both sport are known famously around the globe, for many years fans from both sides are known for asking, is American football same as soccer? What’s the time limit on both sports? What’s the game objective? Do they use the same ball? However they both have similarities and differences which I will be talking about in this essay.
... from its most humble beginnings to now being the most viewed game and valued form of entertainment, the NFL and the Super Bowl have become a staple and reliable boost for our economy. Everyone knows about football and it is on pace to become, if not already, the most influential and dependent resource ever.
In the modern day United States the sport American football has become not only entertainment but also a tradition whether it’s watching the BCS college championship or watching the super bowl with the family. The sport of American football is unique to the United States and has grown and became iconic over the years and has become a part of many Americans lives. American Football was made in 1869 and was modeled after the sport of rugby. They took the basics of rugby and changed it to make it fit better for them. The game has changed over the years but it also affected many Americans as the tradition of Monday Night football has begun. The game has had problems with the United States government as it was said to be too dangerous to play, this lead to an upgrade in the equipment and they tried very hard to make the equipment well ensuring player safety throughout the sport.
Football is said to have originated from the Han Dynasty in China, from around two or three B.C. Although there is no specific creator of Football, there is evidence that the Chinese ‘dribbled’ balls made of various different animal skins filled with light-weight materials. After dribbling the ball, they were to kick the ball into a small net. Along with being a leisure activity for the ancient Chinese, evidence has been found that they also used it for training their vast army, the only difference in the training was the height of the nets. The balls were to be kicked into a net that was thirty feet or higher off the ground in order to make the Chinese army ready to move and also to make them stronger in the legs. Since the Chinese played ‘Football’ there have been many advancements in the game around the world and the rules have also changed greatly.
Imagine it is a Friday night underneath the lights, in October, and you are walking into a stadium packed with fans cheering. But the only noise you can hear is the sound of your cleats hitting the pavement as you are marching up to the field, and the only thing you see is the other team and the end zone. It is such a stimulating feeling, it is unforgettable. Now, you may think I am talking about an American football game, but I am not. I am talking about a rugby match. Believe it or not, football derived from rugby. Differences are in rugby, there are no pads, the ball does not have laces, fifteen men to a side, and above all else, it is an international sport and it is safe compared to football. How come if it is safe, and it is a worldwide sport like soccer, why is it not a school sport like football is too many high schools and colleges across the country? Rugby needs to be a school sport not only because it is safe or it is international, but because it builds character in those that need support, teaches people how to work as team, and to expose what real brotherhood is.
12. No Christian End! The Beginnings of Football in America. Professional Football Researchers Association, 2012.