Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with football

What's an "exotic blitz"?

jackypaper — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:25:30 -0800

In the NFL, what is an example of an "exotic" blitz package or a "complicated" defensive scheme?

I know about Arsenal Gooners...

vacapinta — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:27:29 -0800

What are the reputations of the supporters of the different Premier League Clubs? Whats the stereotype of a Chelsea supporter? An Arsenal supporter? Aston Villa? Liverpool? This is just part of my ongoing education as an American ex-pat in Britain. Thanks.

Why won't the lineman move?

RajahKing — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:58:42 -0800

Can anyone explain why the linesman in this video clip of the Florida/FSU football game last Saturday did not move as the play unfolded? I am no football expert, but I do waste a lot of time watching it. But in the video, you will see a lineman on the right side (tackle? guard? I don't know) not even leave his stance as the play unfolds - every other player on the field is engaged in the play, while this guy sits there frozen. The quarterback even runs right past him.

I can think of no strategic reason for this to happen - has anyone out there heard a full explanation?

Am I doomed to be a Football n00b forever?

TooFewShoes — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:45:54 -0800

I am a red blooded American, but I just can't seem to grasp football. I understand very little, as in once the ball gets to the end zone the team gets points. I like watching the games, but I feel like a moron. Help me! My dad is not a sports guy. My husband is not a sports guy. My brother-in-laws try to explain to me what's going on, but they are so involved in the games that it's hard for me to get it. I saw this question, but the asker was much better informed than I am and the answers confused me. This question was more what I'm looking for, minus the basketball suff. I am a very visual person, so anything with labeled diagrams or pictures would be appreciated.

Is there a book that I should read? I need something that breaks down everything from the positions to the rules and includes the plays. Is there anyway to catch up on the politics? Is there some "History of Football" out there for me? Are there blogs that I need to follow? I don't get the newspaper, but even if I picked up the sports page I would be totally lost. Is this something that I can be casually interested in during the season, or do I need to be fully obsessed? Can somebody clue me in on the system for college bowl games, because it seems random to me.

FWIW I prefer watching college football to the pros, and I like to root for Arizona State University and the University of Utah, but this is just because that's who my family roots for. I have no pro team loyalties. Utah has no pro team, so how do I go about choosing who to root for. College and Pro rules are different right? How are they different?

My son is starting to show some interest in the sport, and I'd love to get him in the local Pee Wee (is that what it's called?) league, but I need to understand what it's about before I can watch the games.

I am normally a pretty intelligent person, and it is really frustrating for me that I just can't get this.

Help a British Ex-Pat Access Overseas Content (BBC, iTV, premier league football, etc...)

ghostpony — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:10:32 -0800

My father is a British ex-pat who is craving some good old fashion football/cricket/BBC. Please share some advice about best way to access this content while in the states. My father is a British ex-pat who has lived in the states for some 20 odd years. After many years of paying through the nose for pay per view football matches and the occasional cricket test match he gave up.

Can you give us some advice about the best way to access this content? He is interested in watching Premier League matches, cricket, rugby, and most everything the BBC puts out. He is particularly interested in live-streaming matches, but would take what he can get.

Also news to me Hulu has a UK only site that features content from Channel 4, ITV, and other UK only channels, and so access to that would be welcome.

Do you have any advice? Where do we start?

What makes a good TV sports game?

fantasticninety — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:15:11 -0800

What are some examples of good and bad sports TV production? I've always enjoyed NFL football, and have often wondered what are some hallmarks of good and bad production of these games (I think about this when they cut to the production booth from time to time).

I know one obvious thing might be the commentating. One thing I have noticed is that I enjoy the game more if the sound of the audience is relatively high in the mix (although there is a threshold that I don't like it to break through).

So sports nuts out there, what are some things I could notice that would distinguish a great productino of a sports game from a not so great one?

Thanks so much!

Catching el clasico soccer game in DC?

uk_giffo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:50:59 -0800

Where in Washington DC will I be able to watch el clasico (Barcelona v Real Madrid) this Sunday afternoon at 1pm? I don't have cable so I want to get out to a good bar or cafe to watch the soccer game. Can any locals recommend somewhere? Anywhere metro-accessible I suppose, but the more central or NW the better. The Washington Redskins and a ton of other American football teams are playing at exactly the same time so I don't think I'll have much luck seeing it at the traditional sports bars.

As a cheeky bonus question (sorry!), are there any useful DC-centric general forums? I'm looking for an online space where I'll be able to ask these kinds of local questions and others. The forums I've found seem to lean quite heavily towards discussing politics on the hill (understably so).

Rounding the Cape

micklaw — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:30:39 -0800

Is there a website where I can (legally or otherwise) watch the France v Ireland World Cup Qualifier Playoff? Should Ireland qualify, me and three mates are going to South Africa for a month to watch Ireland's three group matches and then a match from each stage including the final. Woot.

I'm in Australia and we don't get that match live except on pay channel which I can't access.

Can you help?

What does it mean that the community owns the Packers?

xmutex — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:42:02 -0800

Green Bay Packer fans love to point out that the Packers are the only community-owned professional sports team. Are there any actual benefits to this? Does it mean anything? Are the citizens of Green Bay allowed to cast a vote on team operations? Do they receive dividends of some kind? Can they sell their 'share' in the team?

"I've never regretted taking the train set"

galaksit — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:26:29 -0800

Apart from the Dennis Bergkamp cheese-packer one, what were the other Reebok "other career" adverts that ran on UK television in the late 90s, and where can I find them? These adverts potrayed famous footballers in alternative lives where they have mundane and/or stereotypical careers, recounting how they turned down a childhood birthday present of Reebok football boots for a different toy, the implication being this decision stopped them from going on to be successful players. For example, Bergkamp tells how he opted for a train set and that he's never regretted it, pictured awhile working in a Dutch cheese factory.

I've got a memory of there being a Peter Schmeichel one where the Danish keeper is portrayed as a pig farmer (Danish bacon being famous in the UK).

Were there any others? My Google/YouTube efforts have failed.

Was it a different campaign from which I remember a sequence with Ryan Giggs as a road-side flower seller, or something like that?

Arsenal Streaming Audio Options

boombot — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:53:51 -0800

What's the best way for me, in the U.S., using 3G, not wi-fi, to stream audio of Arsenal games to my iPhone?

Help me find an intelligent soccer forum

deern the headlice — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:17:15 -0800

What comes the closest to being "the Metafilter of football/soccer"? You might remember I asked awhile back about about keeping up with games - thanks again for the answers. I've got a good list of news sources, but nowadays I mainly want to find decent interactive discussions...

I've got plenty of the obvious news sources to check for EPL and La Liga games (Guardian, ESPN, Football365, etc), but I'm curious about forums. All the ones I've found seem to be populated with high school kids or just really bad writers. I would love some funny, smart, substantial, balanced dicussions without silly meltdowns.

Thanks in advance!

They think it's all over....it is now (for my current boots)

mooreeasyvibe — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:23:34 -0800

What is the best 5-a-side football outdoor footwear? I play twice a week on modern outdoor five-a-side pitches (the ones with the little black rubber balls). My Nikes have finally given up the ghost and are being held together with gaffer tape at the moment. I thought Adidas Samba but my mate says they'd be wrecked in two matches. Any ideas? Ta.

Help me understand American football

dcrocha — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:06:25 -0800

Help me better understand the fine game of American Football. I have been watching football since 1990, when I was 12. But in Brazilian TV all that was shown was the Super Bowl so we just had the opportunity of watching a single game a year. That made it hard to grasp the rules when you have no Internet and virtually no access to games and commentators who know what they are talking about.

Since 2000 we started getting ESPN on cable so I started watching many more games and get a better understanding of the game, in a way that I really started liking the sport, and I can say it has many fans in Brazil as of now.

However, earlier this year I moved to the U.S. so now I feel I need to step up my knowledge of the game in order not to be embarrassed when watching games with local friends.

Here I go:

1) What is a touchback?
2) When does a safety occur? There seems to be more than one case.
3) I don't see teams doing offensive plays with lateral passes unless they are really desperate (e.g. Cardinals at the last play of Super Bowl 43). Why is that so? Seems a good way to fool the defense and keep the down going.
4) What makes a good punt? Why aren't fake punts used more?
5) Rules for onside kick? Are there any other kinds of plays to be made during kickoff to try to recover the ball quickly?
6) Why do teams insist so much in rushing the ball when passes seem to be more effective? It looks hard to me to cross a barrier of giant men with any chance of holding the football.

You gotta help me with this one, as I don't like baseball and golf and my friends don't get soccer so American football is our only chance of an excuse to drink together while watching TV!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

j1950 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:19:57 -0800

Can I use Kansas football student tickets if I'm not a KU student? A friend of mine and I want to buy 2 tickets to Kansas' game next week against Oklahoma. Problem is, they're student tickets, and we're not tickets. I've been told there's an upgrade fee, but it's unclear from the website.

Can we use these tickets? I don't want to buy them if I can't.

Thanks!

Football (American) strategy question

glenngulia — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:09:09 -0800

Football (American) strategy question: You're down 15 and score a TD with about enough time left to kick-off, try to force the other team to punt, then get the ball back with a chance to tie. Why do all teams opt for the extra point rather than the 2-point conversion? I guess the strategy is get within 8, then hopefully the team's pumped up to make a stop on D, then tie the game up at the end of regulation. But wouldn't you want to work with all available info? Shouldn't you go for 2 right away?

If you convert, carry-on with the original strategy, except you don't have to go for 2 on the 2nd TD (in fact, if you're feeling aggressive, you could go for the win with a 2nd 2-pt conversion on the 2nd TD).

If you don't convert, you're now down by 9, and you know you must go into crisis-mode by attempting the onsides kick. You allow yourself the maximum amount of time for strategy adjusting.

My thinking is this: the coaching staff has failed at its job if they score the 1st TD, get the extra point, get the ball back, score another TD with about no time remaining, then fail to convert the 2-pt conversion. You had the opportunity to know whether or not you were going to convert the 2-pt conversion a long time ago with time to adjust your strategy accordingly. But you chose to postpone the inevitable, and leave yourself with no time to adjust.

Where am I wrong here?

Big Ten Network football on streaming video?

ragtimepiano — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:34:08 -0800

Can I get Big Ten Network football games on streaming video online? Does anyone know if this is possible, and if so, how to do it?

Injured football player

edavidoff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:19:26 -0800

I remember an incident several years ago when an NFL player suffered a serious eye injury when he was hit in the face by a referee's penalty flag. I have forgotten the player's name, and I have never seen a follow-up to his injury. I vaguely recall at the time that it was suggested that his career might be over as a result of this incident. Can someone bring me up-to-date on the current status of this player?

Does an NFL placekicker have better distance at Invesco Field in Denver?

jackypaper — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:56:06 -0800

NFL/science question: From time to time a sportscaster or writer comments on an NFL kicker's success in the "high elevation" of Denver's Invesco Field. I understand that there's less air pressure when you're a mile above sea level, but does this really have an appreciable effect on a 55-yard field goal attempt?

Help me understand (real) football!

dfriedman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:13:57 -0800

I've decided to make football my sport. Not American football, but real football, that is, the sport properly played on a pitch by actual athletes. AKA soccer. Problem is, as an American, I have limited exposure to it. Which web sites do you (real) football fans follow? I'm looking for online English-language resources via which I can learn more about the game, the various international leagues and competitions, etc.

For example, Major League Baseball has MLB.com as its official site, plus the teams' individual sites, but, in addition, there are all manner of blogs, sites devoted to statistics, etc.

Presumably there is something analogous for football, though I don't know what it is.

Thanks.

Ralph McInerny uses real names in his fictional mysteries. How?

ragtimepiano — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:11:46 -0800

How is mystery writer Ralph McInerny able to use real people's names and make reference to real events in his novels? In his latest books in the Notre Dame series, for example, he uses "Charlie Weis" and writes about real games and real scores. McInerny is a professor of philosophy at ND (now retired, I think) so has he obtained consent? The references to Weis, and others, are not flattering. They are in the content of long narrations of the author's view of college football; they are also scattered throughout the books.

supersecret doubleunderground touchback rule?

ohio — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:06:58 -0800

Vaguely remembered football filter: I remember a game maybe 5 years ago, definitely Michigan, I think playing Michigan State (but could have been someone else). Something crazy happened in an end zone, and one of the teams (I think it was Michigan) was awarded 5 points, or some other strange number of points. What was this and why did it happen? I remember that it was an obscure rule, because the commentators didn't know what was going on for a while, and the referees took a long time to declare the score. It wasn't a safety or a two point conversion.

I hope I'm not misremembering this, and I may have some of the details wrong. Is this ringing a bell? Googling and wikipedia are not helping, probably because my memory is so vague.

Thanks!

Drinking in Behind Enemy Lines

me3dia — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:40:30 -0800

Tangentially college sports-related food/drink question: At your school, was there a bar or restaurant where fans of your rival team would congregate? What I'm after is analogous to, say, a Bears bar in Green Bay, but for NCAA teams. This is for a post on a travel blog I write for, in case you're curious, so the particular rivalry isn't all that important.

NFL Bingo

theichibun — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:09:34 -0800

The wife and I are going to a friend's house to watch (American) football tomorrow. I'll be watching the game. She won't. Is there anywhere online where I can find football bingo for non fans? She doesn't like football, everyone else there does. I'm already taking it as a good sign that she's willing to go and hang out with us doing something she doesn't like.

What I'm looking for is something similar to Wal-Mart Bingo where she doesn't have to understand what's going on in the actual game but where she does have to pay attention to the TV.

But if I can't find something already made I'm willing to make some cards myself, so ideas for things that can go on the card would also be great.

Where should I buy a ticket for in Camp Nou?

ascullion — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:05:38 -0800

I'm going to Barcelona in October and am going to take in a football match at Camp Nou. Tickets are currently freely available in the stadium - is there a particuarly good or bad place for a neutral/tourist to sit?