Football - The Great American Game

American style football came from a combination of soccer and rugby. Football is a relatively new game and wasn't created until the nineteenth century. Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, attracting millions of spectators and thousands of players each year.

United States football has its own culture; in fact it's practically an institution. Most high schools have a football team, and it's the center of a great deal of attention. Students, parents, and other fans turn out in droves to watch the rivalries between schools. The homecoming game follows with a dance that is possibly bigger than the prom. Usually the most popular boy in school is the quarterback.

Football rules are fairly complex. Those who don't understand them, or care, can find the game slow moving and boring. On the surface it looks like running and tackling is all the players do, but actually the strategy is difficult and confusing. The coaches and assistants spend years studying offensive and defensive moves that go into making touchdowns. Often they aren't given enough credit for their hard work.

Professional football began way back in 1895 in Pennsylvania. Within the next ten years more teams emerged and colleges started creating football teams as well. The American Football Association formed in 1920, but two years later became known as the National Football League.

These days pro football and the NFL are extremely popular. Many of the top players are national celebrities. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest television draws each year. As it's the final game between the two top contenders, millions of people from the US and many from Canada crowd around their TV sets to watch.

National television stations charge millions to advertisers for slots during the Super Bowl, and the commercials are an event all their own. So is the star- studded half time show which is usually quite the spectacle thanks to recent "wardrobe malfunctions".

Football is popular in the US due to a variety of reasons. No one particular reason can be attributed to its success. Many are of the opinion that the game is very violent and barbaric. Many people end up with injuries due to the brutal tackling methods of the game. Some find the anticipation as the most exciting part of the game. For the one who has been a football player, the strategy employed in the game is of paramount interest. Spectators also like the way players scream at the coaches for employing wrong strategies.

Football has turned into an attractive professional sport. It is as popular as baseball and hockey. Canadians play a different style of football which has slightly different rules from the one played in the US. But it is not as popular as it is in the US.

Football is introduced to many when they are just small children and it's not just a game for boys anymore. Girl's teams are sprouting up all over the place and are proving that any gender can play any sport, and play it well.

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About the author: Matt Ristman is the chief editor for Football is Best, the best place on the internet when you're after fresh up to date advice and comment to do with Football. For further information on Football please visit: www.footballbest.com/articles
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