American football is a sport that until I moved to the U.S was pretty much a joke. Rugby with pads, a game for oversized pansies who cover themselves in reinforced plastic. The NFL has not caught on in England. Before I came here I couldn’t name a single team and certainly couldn’t explain the rules. A month after leaving England, I have been swept away by football mania. Whether it was Brett Favre’s move to the Jets, Tom Brady’s knee injury or the Manning Brother’s sibling rivalry. Most entertaining was Cincinnati’s very own Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson, the running back who changed his name to match his jersey. It is only week two of the season, the theatre as much as the game has grasped me.
Recently I decided to attend a live football game at Eastern Illinios University (EIU). I was excited to experience the theatre first hand. I went to the game with some Americans just in case I needed something to be explained; I’m still only a rookie. It was a calm evening; the warm breeze was relaxing and gave the night a sense of mellowness. As we walked to the stadium that all changed, the warm breeze brought with it a strong smell of anticipation. A flurry of people passed us, anxious to get to the game. Moving into earshot of the stadium we could hear chants from the crowd EI,EI,EIU. We picked up the pace as if pulled in by some imaginary force. We took our seats on the left side of the main stand.
The first thing I noticed was the amount of activity on the field. The bands played their own take on Bon Jovi, an exuberant choice; an exuberance matched by the giant tubas playing the music, glistening under the field lights. The cheerleaders waved their arms and screamed in mid air. High pitched tones somehow feeling out of place on the same stage as such a masculine sport as football. I found all of this pretty strange and it made it hard for me to actually concentrate on the game itself. The only comparison I can make is with a soccer game in England. At soccer games, the game is played with no other distractions; everyone’s focus is on the players. I was a little overawed by it all at the football game. This is not to say I didn’t enjoy it. It was certainly an interesting experience; I was impressed by how many people attended the game. Again I can only compare with England and how popular university sports are there. The boat race between Oxford and Cambridge is the only event that attracts a big crowd. Even then the crowd is usually impartial and attends for the spectacle rather than to cheer on one team. The support at the EIU football game was fantastic. One half of the stand was standing and singing for huge parts of the game creating a party like atmosphere inside the O’Brian Stadium. The visiting fans also turned out in good numbers; unfortunately for them they were well beaten so had little to sing about. Universities in England play soccer, cricket and rugby but get nowhere near the amount of support and coverage as college sports in the U.S.
The parts of the game I did see were exhilarating, fast paced and intense. Every time a good play was made the crowd was re-energized and the atmosphere rose again. The brutal tackles and incredible speed of the players helped divert my attention from the entertainment below. At times I felt like I was studying for an exam, trying to learn the ins and outs of the game so I could really appreciate each play just as the fanatical crowd behind me was. As the game went on and I became more engrossed in the game and less in the cheerleaders I began to really enjoy myself.
English soccer stadiums are more intimate. The supporters are crammed in stands like sardines. If you want to eat or use the restroom then you have to wait for half time or risk causing others discomfort. American football is different; the stands are not as close to the field so you can move without the rest of the stand missing some of the action. For this reason I found the aroma filling the arena was different than at soccer games in England. The scent of melted cheese and hotdogs filled the air at the O’Brian stadium throughout the game. Distracted again; I grabbed a hotdog halfway through the 3rd quarter. At home this would be unacceptable behavior. At soccer games the first half smells are of leather, mud and bitter coldness. At half time there’s a rush as every fan buys a pie and a beer. The jovial pie scented atmosphere usually lasts ten minutes until the coldness bites back, time to sit down again, brrrrrrrrrrr!
The norms of behavior when watching America and England’s biggest sports are reflected in the societies of both countries. The condiments available throughout American football games illustrates America’s obsession with convenience food. Similarly, England’s stereotypical reserved and polite attitude is reflected at soccer games. Fans would rather be hungry than attract unwanted attention moving through the crowd. America is different from England in sports and society as a whole. America is the most self assured and confident country in the world. This fact was confirmed to me at the start of the game when the American national anthem was played. I found this fascinating. Such overt patriotism would be dismissed in England as ridiculous. The English national anthem is only ever played before international games. It is a testimony to America that it can display such pride towards itself so frequently without embarrassment. Before I came here I knew that in America everything is bigger, the roads, the shops, and even the food portions. It should come as no surprise to me then that American sports are also in a league of their own.