Someone once said to me that football is a language which the whole world can communicate through. It makes sense on a lot of levels. However, that needs clarification as its considerably more nuanced than the original quote would imply.
Simply as there are so many variations of football around the world. From Gaelic, to soccer, rugby, Australian Rules and American. For now, let’s focus on the latter.
My relationship with same and its rapidly rising popularity on these shores. For a whlle, it occupied the off-limits category which now only houses baseball. Mostly because it seemed like nothing more than, eh, rotund gentlemen crashing into each other and if the ball appeared it was a bonus!
Of course there was much more to it than that and, as with most things for me, all it required was something to make it more relatable. Thank you rugby. The League incarnation thereof. Similarities between the two oval ball codes are striking. Ironically in that kicking of the ball is perfunctory. Also, however, teams may only hold the ball for a set number of phases of play – four in the gridiron fare, known as downs, five in Rugby League, before the ball must be kicked back to the opposition.
Besides that, the other way something can be made more appealing is having a face recognisable that is relatable to the topic in question. Such as Ronnie O’Sullivan in Snooker or Novak Djokovic in Tennis. In this case, one is guilty as charged with coming up with the most boring, unoriginal example ever – Tom Brady. Reason being that outside of him, OJ Simpson was the only American Footballer I’d heard of, and, even if he was the sports answer to Pele, you wouldn’t exactly be allowed to say that, now would you?
However, over time, better founded personal opinions were able to be formed by oneself. With the result that the Dallas Cowboys are now the favourite team here and CeeDee Lamb the player whom the one seeing eye gets most enjoyment from seeing doing his thing. Isn’t it a cruel irony, then, that for the first season I was absolutely, properly attuned to the finer points of the hard hitting action.
That said, as is often the case in these situations, one avenue being closed can lead directly to the opening of another. Thus, though the Cowboys were ambushed, their expulsion by the Green Bay Packers re-ignited an admittedly loose interest in the latter.
Why? Due to the Irish connection of course. That being the burgeoning career and status of our own Daniel Whelan. His emergence as a key part of the Packers side which have surprised many by not only surviving life without Aaron Rodgers but confounding the expectations of most – including this observer – by not only making but advancing in the Play Offs.
With the Cowboys unfortunately out to pasture until next season, naturally Whelan and the Packers will get most of my attention for as long as they remain in, but, any chance to see Christian McCaffrey strut his stuff wouldn’t be passed up either.
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