Football, a Love Story
Growing up, sports were never the first thing on my mind. Being an only child raised by a single mother, I spent most of my time as a loner. My friends and I spent our days roughhousing, watching cartoons, playing video games and pretending to be superheros. I never played little league or went to games; I was more interested in causing mischief around the neighborhood. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I first encountered football.
Who came up with the name? Why are there so many rules? And what are they wearing? Football was something new to me; sports in general were a foreign concept. I was a little surprised at how good people thought I was, because I could’ve cared less for sports the year before. After starting my first year playing, the game quickly grew on me. I was a natural at running back, but I spent most of my time on defense. When people talk about football in the South most would say that it’s like a religion, and they wouldn’t be too far off. Things were moving fast, but I knew I loved football.
The Houston Texans was the pro team I rooted for. I finally understood the rules! I became obsessed with the game while living in Texas, even envisioning becoming a professional one day. I was a true football junkie, same as many other boys my age and even younger. I knew that if I got even the slightest chance I could be the next big thing. No such chance came.
During a scrimmage my junior year, an awkward landing left me clutching my knee screaming in agony. I felt something in my knee tear and it swelled immediately. I was devastated because I knew it would keep me out the entire season; I didn’t want to believe it, but my playing days were done.
Watching Texans games with friends and throwing the ball around became routine, the closest I would get to the game. But I didn’t mind. Talking player stats and scores would be our topic of conversations. But something happened, something disturbing. NFL hall of famer Junior Seau killed himself at age 43. Stepping outside the sphere of football, the secret horrors of the game I loved had become public to the world. The revelation of concussions and the long term impacts, which lead to chronic brain damage, was enough be critical. In reality, football is a collision sport. It’s a brutal game, but one that is glamorized. The big hit plays that once made my eyes light up made me cringe. The enjoyment I got from watching started to dip and I stopped pursuing my dream of playing.
I felt like I had been lied to. Why hadn’t anyone told me the severity of the game? After a year away from football completely I found a new sport to watch; it was also called football. Yes you read correctly, football. How can another sport with the same name exist? Don’t the fans know they aren’t watching the real thing? Where were the collisions and the high scores? But somehow, despite these shortcomings, it worked. This football made so much more sense, the players actually played with their feet for starters. I grew up calling it soccer and, until recently, didn’t consider it as a serious sport.
It was a beautiful game, captivating non-stop play with a free-flowing style. Within months I was hooked on European football, immersing myself in the culture. I started waking up as early as six in the morning to watch my favorite team Arsenal play. Before I knew it I had fallen in love all over again. This time it felt right, like it had been what I was missing my entire life. Much like with football, I became involved with every aspect of soccer, even buying cleats and a ball to play. I found myself, for the first time in a long while, enjoying games again; it was a feeling that I thought I lost forever. The truth became clear to me: soccer was the best sport in the world.
Soccer was a completely different experience than football. But why is the world’s most popular sport so unpopular in the United States? Football enjoys a loyal fanbase that is use to the culture of sport. Football fans are at times rabid and game highlights include big hits. The style of play is start-stop, with anticipation of something big happening each time. The players are big as well, and they rely more on strength and speed than technique. None of these are qualities of soccer. In fact they’re completely opposite, which makes the game look boring and the players seem weak to football fans.
It has now been three years since I stopped following football. Popular players Calvin Johnson and Marshawn Lynch have retired from football; I applaud them for it. I watch games a little more nowadays, but never all the way through. I’m genuinely happy as a fan of soccer; it has impacted my life more than just replacing football. It has allowed me to step outside of the American bubble, finding other interests and making new connections. With the start of another football season approaching, I’m happy to say that I could care less.