Alright, let’s talk about this NFL thing, you know, the football they play in America. I hear some folks sayin’ nobody outside America cares about it. Well, that ain’t entirely true, but it ain’t exactly the whole world’s favorite either. Let me tell ya what I’ve heard and what I reckon.
First off, them Americans, they love their football. It’s like their bread and butter, you know? Grew up with it, their daddies and granddaddies played it, it’s in their blood. But other places? Not so much. They got their own games, like that soccer, where they kick the ball around with their feet. Or that basketball, where they bounce the ball and throw it in a hoop. Every place got their own thing, you see.
- Them other countries, they got their own sports they love, been playin’ ’em for ages. Hard for this American football to just barge in and take over.
- Some places, they don’t even know what American football IS! Never seen it, never heard of it. Can’t expect ’em to love somethin’ they ain’t never seen, right?
Now, I ain’t sayin’ NOBODY outside America watches the NFL. That ain’t true neither. I heard tell that in places like Canada and Mexico, they watch it some. And over in Europe, in them places like Germany and England, they’re startin’ to get into it a bit more. Apparently, they even show the games on TV over there now. But it ain’t like everybody’s glued to the TV watchin’ it, you understand? It’s more like a few folks here and there, curious like.
And get this, they even got some kind of program, the “Global Markets Program” they call it. Sounds fancy, huh? Basically, these football teams, they’re tryin’ to get folks in other countries to like ’em. Marketin’ and all that. They want more fans, see? More people watchin’, more money comin’ in, that’s how it works, I reckon. They’re doin’ all sorts of things, sendin’ players over there, puttin’ on shows, tryin’ to make it a big deal.
But there’s problems too. I heard some folks are gettin’ tired of seein’ the same teams win all the time. Like them “Chiefs,” they say. People get bored, you know? They want somethin’ new, somethin’ excitin’. And some folks say them games are too darn long. Three hours to watch a game? That’s a long time to be sittin’ around, even if you like watchin’ people runnin’ around and smashin’ into each other.
Another thing, I heard someone say that this American football, it’s too… American. Like, it’s all about America, America, America. And some folks in other countries, they don’t like that. They think them Americans are a bit… full of themselves, you know? Like they think their way is the only way. So that turns some people off, I guess.
And let’s be honest, this game ain’t the easiest to understand. All them rules and all that strategizin’, it’s a lot to take in. If you ain’t grown up with it, it’s hard to figure out what’s goin’ on. You got all them fellas runnin’ around in them funny helmets and pads, and then they all huddle up and talk secret-like, and then they run around some more and then somebody gets tackled. It’s confusin’! So that makes it harder for folks to get into it, I think.
So, yeah, the NFL, it’s big in America, real big. But the rest of the world? Not so much. Some folks watch it, some folks are curious, but it ain’t taken over the world like them Americans might want it to. They got their work cut out for ’em, that’s for sure. But who knows, maybe someday everyone will be watchin’ this American football. But for now, it’s mostly just them Americans and a few curious folks elsewhere.
And I heard somethin’ funny, they said one time someone timed one of them long games and figured out that even though it takes almost three hours to watch, all the actual playin’ time is only like eleven minutes! Can you believe that? All that waitin’ around for just a few minutes of action. No wonder some folks get bored.
Anyway, that’s what I’ve heard and what I reckon about this NFL thing. It ain’t the whole story, I’m sure, but it’s enough for an old woman like me.
Tags: [NFL, American Football, Global Sports, Sports Popularity, International Viewers, Cultural Differences, Fan Engagement, NFL Global Markets Program]
