Few things impact culture more than sports; and in Iceland, as with most of northern Europe, people watched the Super Bowl finals, seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals at the Raymond James playground. This was the Steelers seventh Super Bowl appearance and their sixth championship title.
This most American of sports is a cult favourite in Europe and managesto grab attention worldwide for the final game of the season, when the best teams meet and play in the Super Bowl.
American football is not to be confused with the type of football usually called Soccer in the States – it is much closer to rugby.
For those that want to learn more about American Football and how it works check out the coach Stilo web site, or alternatively, there is always the official NFL site.
Then we will have to wait for the 2009 figures.
I don’t doubt that many people find the game mind numbingly boring.
Also many people find Cricket mind numbingly boring.
Both sports, imo, are anything but.
Most of those who find AF boring also don’t understand the game and it’s hard to find any discussion about AF without it being tinged with anti american bias.
The feedback from this Superbowl and last years have been very positive from newcomers to the game
Knowless:
The 400K (to the end of the match) was LAST years figures, I don’t know this years numbers, but it includues SKY viewers (on the basis that over 50% of the 173K tuned out after the start).
But obviously 400k is not an increase as you claim
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7227794.stm
“I find that many people have just so many misconceptions and prejudices about American Football based on an almost complete ignorance of the rules..”
I think you will find that most people consider the sport mind numbingly boring. Even after watching many games (it was televised weekly – and promoted – for a few years on UK TV. Viewing figures decline and it was stopped. There is simply no getting away from the fact that its a dull and tedious game to watch.
No one watches it in the US either.
People go to parties, get together with friends and eat an obscene amount of food — but no one actually watches the game. Some of the commercials maybe. And sometimes the cheesy half-time act.
I liked one thing about this NFL Europe, a german player of I think Frankfurt Galaxy, Manfred BUergsmueller. He was a KICKER, meaning he only went into the field when a goal kick could be scored directly. He was very good at this and he was already over 50 !
Amsterdam admirals also had a former pro football player as a kicker (Silvio Dilliberto) but he was far less fun than BÜrgsMüller.
The matches of Amsterdam admirals were more about the show around it:if you liked this it was fine but there was no bigger audience for it.
Small correction
Those figures reflect an average of 1.5 million tuning in for the FIRST 3 hours of coverage.
The game was live on the BBC. I watched the last 10 minutes of play, which took about an hour.
400,000 watching the game on the BBC from start to finish in the UK is a 33% rise from last years classic final and is a very good viewing figure considering the actual game started sometime before midnight did not end until 3am.
Plus I think the game was on Sky as well (with US coverage) probably at least 175,000 viewers.
Those figures reflect an average of 1.5 million tuning in for the 3 hours of coverage.
The Superbowl is one of the great tv sports spectacles, like last years cricket world cup in the West Indies.
Of course people have personal sporting preferences.
I find that many people have just so many misconceptions and prejudices about American Football based on an almost complete ignorance of the rules and even stupid anti US bias.
If one is half way curious about the game it is good to have someone explain the game as it proceeds
There have been some attemtps to popularize american football in Europe, mostly unsuccesful. There used to be some european league in which 6 to 8 teams from the UK, Germany, Spain and Holland competed but it was disbanded in 2007 for lack of popularity. It was called NFL Europe I think.
The dutch team, Amsterdam Admirals never attracted more than 15000 spectators while Ajax, in the same stadium, has 45000 even in ordinary league matches.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Europa
Funny, in the final year the competitors were Amsterdam admirals and 5 teams from Germany…
Nobody watches American Football in France. As a matter of fact, probably no one has heard of superbowl except maybe on movies when a terrorist attack happened during the “superbowl” in the USA.
But maybe France is considered as being in the south of Europe.
I haven’t noticed people in Finland were watching it either.
Overall, I found this news article a bit out of the context.
Very true, to be honest I’m kinda getting drunk with Pittsburgh Steelers going all the way.
I’m very new to this board, but the folks at EVE are kinda folks from well you know…the North West of USA. To be honest now listen to me..no one but Frisk, even before this board about IS. That’s the way it works in IS. However, the Spring light is coming from up north and I’m happy. I’ve been kicked out… but still love the that crazy place.
MelP:
UK viewing figures are about 400K to the end of the match. Compare that with an average Saturday football match of 8Million, a Champions League final with over 14million viewers and World Cup matches of 18million.
Some UK people watch the superbowel (probably mostly Americans), but 50 times as many watch the World Cup matches.
@MelP
>Peter, I wouldn’t say nobody watches it in the UK – one of my UK pals had GO STEELERS as his Facebook status
Possibly Sheffield Steelers(Ice Hockey) – rather han Pittsburgh Steelers (American Football)? – I think Ice Hockey now has quite a following in England.
http://www.sheffieldsteelers.co.uk/home/index.html
Yes, it is suppose to be the game when the best two teams meet. However, Professional Sports in the US has become more focussed on business and viewers, than the truth of an honest and even athletic event. The officiating in this game, as with most NFL games, was completely one sided. The NFL has for years now, been creating “made for TV” style outcomes in their games. This is not a biased opinion. I am a fan of neither team competing. I stopped watching American Sports because I cannot stand to see money and influence take away from good athletic competition.
Peter, I wouldn’t say nobody watches it in the UK – one of my UK pals had GO STEELERS as his Facebook status on Sunday, and I’ve been in London on a couple of Super Bowl Sundays and I know some people watch.
I don’t know about Iceland, but nobody watches American Football in the UK. I doubt its watched in other European countries either.
Sixth Super Bowl title not Seventh.