If American Football wasn't called "football", would it be more popular...

^^^ half the NFL is bigger than that dude, and probably much faster

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^^^ random NFL players


an NFL locker room makes a soccer locker room look like something out of grade school

Look at this lard ass

Tyron Smith 6' 5" 308lbs

[IMG]http://onepithyparable.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/441092_display_image.jpg[/IMG]

Quite honestly, the guy that you posted looks to have the build of an average NFL skill position player.

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^^^ dudes vertical higher than most the NBA


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^^^ that is Dez Bryant...not an NBA player, but like many NFL players has no issues dunking or playing the game of basketball...can many soccer players dunk?...no not many of them, they aren't as athletic

[QUOTE=johndeeregreen]NFL has "marginal athletes." Now I've heard it all.:oldlol: Not liking the sport is one thing, but just being completely fu[color=black]cking[/color] ignorant is another. An NFL linebacker, for instance, is probably the single most complete package of athlete in pro sports FFS.[/QUOTE]

Never knew eugenics was still so in fashion these days.

American Football, a sport that is played in really only one country in the world (where it's just one of many popular sports), a sport that a handful people around the world practice professionally and sport that only about 5% of the world population is exposed to [U]of course still has the absolute elite athletes in the world.[/U]

:rolleyes:

Because they're American, right? And the "American race" is inherently more athletic than the rest of the planet?

:rolleyes:

Please. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard, you guys need a dose of reality.

[QUOTE=The Macho Man]I'm not saying they aren't athletic, but posting a bunch of pictures of guys with nice physiques doesn't prove they are athletic. [B]It's pretty sexy though[/B] and better than this dumb argument, so continue.[/QUOTE]

:oldlol:

[QUOTE=LJJ]Never knew eugenics was still so in fashion these days.

American Football, a sport that is played in really only one country in the world (where it's just one of many popular sports), a sport that a handful people around the world practice professionally and sport that only about 5% of the world population is exposed to [U]of course still has the absolute elite athletes in the world.[/U]

:rolleyes:

Because they're American, right? And the "American race" is inherently more athletic than the rest of the planet?

:rolleyes:

Please. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard, you guys need a dose of reality.[/QUOTE]

Gridiron Football makes more money than every other sport on the planet...

I believe the Dallas Cowboys just past up Man U as the most expensive sports franchise in the world

I'm not sure where you get this "5%" stuff...but it is BY FAR the most popular sport in the US

a single NFL playoff game will beat out the entire NBA Finals in terms of TV ratings

[QUOTE=The Macho Man]I'm not saying they aren't athletic, but posting a bunch of pictures of guys with nice physiques doesn't prove they are athletic. It's pretty sexy though and better than this dumb argument, so continue.[/QUOTE]
size and strength is part of athleticism

[QUOTE=LJJ]
Because they're American, right? And the "American race" is inherently more athletic than the rest of the planet?
[/QUOTE]
African Americans are inherently more athletic than the rest of the planet because of how they were bred, yes

African Americans are vastly more athletic on average than Africans

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]Didnt post him for his physique guys. Posted him because someone said something about natural athletes and how only Lebron could compete in that regard. Sonny Bill is a WBA Boxing Champ, aswell as a Ruby Union world cup winner, and Rugby League Champ. Also that first photo is from when he was eighteen......I was showing his progression.

PS. Angel Eyez......I watched 5 games of NFL a week this last season. Youve watched one rugby game your whole life. Rugby isnt even one of my favorite sports (Ive prob watched more NFL in the last three years). I follow NBA and Soccer religiously. Im giving my unbiased opinion, and honestly....I dont think NFLs as tough as you yanks claim it. Thats all :)[/QUOTE]


First of all, don't even pretend like you know anything about the NFL, because you clearly don't. The NFL has some of the greatest natural athletes you'll ever see and I don't care how many countries play the sport. Calvin Johnson is about as natural as an athlete will get.

[QUOTE=-p.tiddy-]African Americans are inherently more athletic than the rest of the planet because of how they were bred, yes

African Americans are vastly more athletic on average than Africans[/QUOTE]

Aah, finally we get to the bottom of things.

You guys think 20 million African Americans are more athletic than the rest of the world combined.

So you are a eugenist, like I said. That's fine. I think your assertion is ridiculous, but I'm not really going to sit here and argue with a proponent of eugenics.

Most of the points made here are pretty valid on both sides, so I figured I'd throw out a thought that hasn't been mentioned.

One of the major reasons the NFL is so insanely popular in the US and not abroad is because of it's structure. It is the only sport in the country that is not oversaturated. All of the other major sports are wildly oversaturated. Even a hardcore basketball fan like myself will probably miss 20% of the NBA playoff games played this year because the schedule is nuts. The late weeknight games by west coast teams, the Friday and Saturday night games that will conflict with social activities ...
NFL Sunday rarely conflicts with a social activity, because it is in fact a social activity. It's Sunday schedule winds down the weekend. It's a chance to gather and rehash the week or weekend with your friends. The complaints of it being slow, of it only containing x amount of minutes of action over the course of a 3 hour game are fair to a point, but it's that same element that makes it a perfect social game, because it doesn't require 100% attention to follow it's narrative. If you walk into a soccer game and see a team losing 1-0, you don't necessarily know that the losing team has been on the offensive side of the field half the game and just couldn't finish, or that the leading goal was a fluke. Score, clock, possession, Field Position, are instantly understandable for an in the moment take on a football game. And don't underestimate the value of gambling on the NFLs popularity. It's scoring structure makes it the most accessible sport to bet on, and it's weekly layout makes it feel more socially reasonable, and more able to be prepped for with a week of newspaper coverage leading up to it.

Now the minutae of the game is incredibly difficult to understand. And that sparse schedule means that unless you were raised in the culture of football as most americans were to a degree (and I played my entire youth, and coach now), you're probably not going to pick it up jumping into a 16 game season.


The thing about NFL athletes is absurd. I'm personally of the mind that the NBA athlete is the best athlete in the world on average. But that's in part because the average is brought down by some of the NFLs heavier guys, who are amazing athletes in their own ways. But yeah, the level of athleticism of the average Linebacker, Safety, Corner, WR, and even TE these days, is absolutely off the charts.

And as for physicality, I know that some of these other sports are exceptionally physical. But those sports are contact sports, while football is the only sport I know of that's a collision sport. Outside of the combat sports, it's more dangerous than anything else. And even something like boxing rarely sees the instant impact type of injuries that football sees on week to week basis.


It think the "Difficulty to Play" argument holds a lot of water too. It is hard to play. Even at it's most basic level, it requires more space and people to play than most sports. It doesn't work on a 1v1 or even 2v2 level the way hoops does. Even soccer played against a wall works as 2v2. And even played well on american playgrounds by kids, it's the most bastardized version of the sports. Even if it's tackle being played, the two completions for a first down is a completely different animal than the chain style game that's really played. It is expensive to play, even in an organized setting.

[QUOTE=LJJ]Aah, finally we get to the bottom of things.

You guys think 20 million African Americans are more athletic than the rest of the world combined.

So you are a eugenist, like I said. That's fine. I think your assertion is ridiculous, but I'm not really going to sit here and argue with a proponent of eugenics.[/QUOTE]

:wtf: Did he really ever claim to be a proponent of eugenics?

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]I dont know NFL because I dont think its the toughest sport in the world?

I probly hate America because I dont think its the greatest country in the world too.

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Know you don't anything about the NFL because of your continual emphasis on "armour" as you put it. You have a lack of understanding of the dangers and also of the great athletes who play it. This has nothing to do with America, I don't care about that at all. Your complete dismissal of the sport is what gets me.

[QUOTE=LJJ]Aah, finally we get to the bottom of things.

You guys think 20 million African Americans are more athletic than the rest of the world combined.

So you are a eugenist, like I said. That's fine. I think your assertion is ridiculous, but I'm not really going to sit here and argue with a proponent of eugenics.[/QUOTE]

what's your reasoning for calling them marginal athletes?

[QUOTE=Andrew Wiggins]what's your reasoning for calling them marginal athletes?[/QUOTE]

Marginal talent pool. It's not rocket science.

[QUOTE=LJJ]Aah, finally we get to the bottom of things.

You guys think 20 million African Americans are more athletic than the rest of the world combined.

So you are a eugenist, like I said. That's fine. I think your assertion is ridiculous, but I'm not really going to sit here and argue with a proponent of eugenics.[/QUOTE]
If you don't think the ginormous slave trade did anything to African Americans in terms of physicality then you are in denial...simple as that

most African Americans don't deny this and understand it...watch a Chris Rock stand up

and you're right, no point in arguing it with someone that pretends it didn't happen

[QUOTE=LJJ]Marginal talent pool. It's not rocket science.[/QUOTE]

lol


by your logic, countries like lithuania have no business being competitive in basketball, yet they regularly are among the top 5 in the world

[QUOTE=LJJ]Marginal talent pool. It's not rocket science.[/QUOTE]
why do you think the talent pool is marginal?


if every NFL player and every soccer player on the planet all participated in a giant 100 M race the first 100 people to finish would all be from the NFL...

[QUOTE=-p.tiddy-]why do you think the talent pool is marginal?


if every NFL player and every soccer player on the planet all participated in a giant 100 M race the first 100 people to finish would all be from the NFL...[/QUOTE]

this is untrue

[QUOTE=Andrew Wiggins]this is untrue[/QUOTE]
it is mostly true...no way to prove it though

many NFL players have world class sprinter speed...were track stars in college

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]What about an IQ test?[/QUOTE]

Why is that relevant to a conversation regarding athletes? The only IQ that matters in football is football IQ.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i28MU8-lcw[/url]


^^^ Jacoby Ford 40 yard dash


can Beckham do that?...lol

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]What about an IQ test?[/QUOTE]

What was the relevance of that question?

This thread will only be useful to The Macho Man.

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]What does a 100m matter in soccer? The best soccer players concentrate on possession and passing, not un-necessary running (Except the English, but that's why they suck). Why would "who ever is the fastest" determine who are the better athletes?[/QUOTE]

Ok, and the best NFL players (especially QB's) memorize dozens of complex play calling. Receivers have to understand route running.

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]What does a 100m matter in soccer? The best soccer players concentrate on possession and passing, not un-necessary running (Except the English, but that's why they suck). Why would "who ever is the fastest" determine who are the better athletes?[/QUOTE]
speed is part of athleticism...as well as strength, leaping, coordination, etc


the ONLY facet of athleticism that soccer players have over NFL players is endurance...I'll give them that...but EVERY OTHER FACET goes to the NFL

[QUOTE=-p.tiddy-]speed is part of athleticism...as well as strength, leaping, coordination, etc


the ONLY facet of athleticism that soccer players have over NFL players is endurance...I'll give them that...but EVERY OTHER FACET goes to the NFL[/QUOTE]
I dont know, soccer player might be more agile...but other than that i agree. LJJ is just a comedian in this thread.

[QUOTE=LJJ]Never knew eugenics was still so in fashion these days.

American Football, a sport that is played in really only one country in the world (where it's just one of many popular sports), a sport that a handful people around the world practice professionally and sport that only about 5% of the world population is exposed to [U]of course still has the absolute elite athletes in the world.[/u]

:rolleyes:

Because they're American, right? And the "American race" is inherently more athletic than the rest of the planet?

:rolleyes:

Please. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard, you guys need a dose of reality.[/QUOTE]
You're a fu[color=black]cking[/color] moron, end of discussion. You know nothing about game. Ignore list you go.

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]What does a 100m matter in soccer? The best soccer players concentrate on possession and passing, not un-necessary running (Except the English, but that's why they suck). Why would "who ever is the fastest" determine who are the better athletes?[/QUOTE]

It wouldn't determine who the best overall athletes are because the athletes in the two sports possess entirely different skill traits. Soccer takes more endurance than american football, but that's just because NFL players have to sacrifice endurance for explosive speed, mass and strength. I personally prefer soccer over american football anyway, as well as basketball and aussie rules. IQ really has nothing to do with athletics, whatsoever. So speed is definitely a lot more relevant to this conversation than IQ. You claim that the NFL isn't that tough of a league to play in, but you ignore the talent level, size, and athleticism of these super athletes. I'm sure it wouldn't be tough for you to step onto a field where 220-330 lb behemoths run at you at elite speeds. :rolleyes:

I've played both football and rugby, and football hits are way worse, it's much more violent when it comes to tackling. It's simply more high impact.

It's not about who has better genes, it's about the pads, the mentality, and situational tackling. Rugby doesn't stop and reset nearly as much as football, you would be stupid to leave your feet to try to crush a player, you would be so out of position, and you would create a hugeee defensive liability for your team. It's not nearly as important to hit your man football-style in rugby. There is a lot more tying up/dragging going on without going to the ground all the time.

Now in other aspects, football, rugby, aussie rules fb, etc. are similar. There is a shitload of cleat stomping, knees, forearms, scrotum grabbing, eye gouging, finger/ankle bending goodness.

I'm a football fan over soccer even though I like both, but if you gave Cristiano Ronaldo a through ball, his speed to that ball would be faster than a good amount of football players.

It just blows my mind how butthurt and defensive Euros get the second anyone says "NFL has crazy athletes and is insanely violent." It's like saying that is an immediate challenge to their manhood and they go crazy trying to make it sound like NFL is like Nerf rugby. Get a f*cking clue guys, nobody's saying you don't have to be a great athlete to play soccer/rugby/aussie rules, whatever. This isn't a personal challenge to you. Take a breath and get a grip.

[QUOTE=Maksimilian]Cool what are the other facets of athleticism?

And why would NFL players automatically be faster? Is it because African-Americans (And Carabean Africans) dominate running events at the olympics so it means African Americans in the NFL could do it too? Isnt that stereotyping?

By that logic Soccer players should automaticaly be stronger than NFL players because white Europeans dominate the world in weight lifting, Crossfit Judo, and wrestling etc?

[B]Right????[/B][/QUOTE]
Weight lifters don't play soccer...they play in the NFL though

and yes I fully believe African Americans are faster on average than any other race on the planet, evidence in shown by the fact that they ARE faster, just watch some sports...Jamaica's gene pool comes from the exact same slave trade, who dominates the Olympics in speed?...Jamaica and the US...all part of that same history

the top 8 fastest speeds of all time are all from Jamaica and the US...which have the same ancestors