Home > American Football at Wembley ... a nation mourns
by Mark Rivlin on 30 October 2007
Email this Article (14) Comments
Free £10 bet when you register at
The historic first regular season NFL game to be played outside North America went to form, with the New York Giants beating the Miami Dolphins 13-10 at Wembley Stadium. I only know this because I have cut and pasted the score from t’internet.
As if we aren’t bombarded enough in this country with American ‘culture’ as seen through the way our children speak, the remains of dead mice from your friendly local fast-food outlet and television garbage like ‘Prison Break’. Now our simpleton cousins from trailer-park land are gorging their already fat frames on our national sport.
In the old days (here we go), a football team was owned by a pork butcher (even if he was Jewish), with the occasional scrap-metal dealer also having access to the drinks cupboard of the boardroom. Now clubs are either owned by dodgy east Europeans or, God help us, blokes who have cigars as a fashion icon and talk about DEfense and OFFense (at least the east Europeans have the good grace to come from countries where real football is played). I take great OFFence – yes, you Yankee muppets, it's spelled with a 'c' – at this Americanisation of our sporting heritage.
The soul of our national sport is not for sale just because some bloke in garish checked trousers has as big a wallet as his stomach. Hicks and Kronke? They sound like a 1950s detective agency – you can see the name now over a glazed door in semi-circular layout with one of them sitting with his feet on the desk saying: “What's up Mac?”
As if buying our football clubs is not enough, our holiest of holy shrines, the new Wembley. has now been occupied by a bunch of neanderthals playing armour-plated rugby for cissies. Now, as you have clearly gathered, I’m as liberal as the next guy and I say, if you fat gits want to dress up as bouncy castles and jump on top of each other, it’s fine by me. But do it in your own backyard, and not at Wembley.
And what kind of message does it give keen young fans when you have to jet across the Atlantic to see your local team play?
I’ve got a message for you guys – you may well be delighted that you have succeeded in killing off West Indian cricket with your carpet bombing of Caribbean TV screens with incessant coverage of another of your stoopid pastimes, basketball (talk about political incorrectness, unless you are in the Guinness Book of Records for being born at two metres and steadily rising, you can’t play). ]
But you had better keep your grubby mits – the gloves you wear at baseball because you are too frightened of getting hurt – off our football and cricket or we’ll get our own back, and some. Do us all a favour and NFL off.
You can keep your razzmatazz, your cheerleaders (our Rugby League versions from Wigan and Halifax are far more endearing – and enduring). You can keep your time-outs, your seventh-inning stretches, your helmets, your referees in their replica Newcastle United shirts, your huddles, your wheelie bins of popcorn, your black sugar slime called Coca-something and your B-list celebrities trying to remember the words of the Star Spangled Banner.
And I thought Alan Green and Motty were intellectually challenged until I heard the drivel that comes from the mouths of your sports commentators. It might be good for the ratings, but do we really need to know how many times a piece of gum is chewed during a game?
Wembley is our manor, it’s for proper football, not your pathetic game which you call football but which resembles a Mods and Rockers convention on Margate Beach in 1964. And if you don’t listen up, pals, I’ll tell you what, we’re coming your way to take over one of your poxy popcorn grounds with some real football.
Because you know what, we gave real football to the entire world and the whole of the real world play and watch it. World Series? You gotta be joking.
Anyone for a bin-full of popcorn and more of the NFL at Wembley? Tell us your view or send us an article.
Comments (14)
by GerryH on October 30, 2007
Great read - even if it is the most irreverent piece I've ever read on Sportingo.I can't stop laughing at the thought of those ''fat gits dressed up as bouncy castles''! An d those helmets are just ridiculous. If they are so important, why don't rugby players wear them? It also has to be the slowest game on earth...as are all those other American sports that disrupt the action with perpetual 'time outs'.
by Leticia Credidio on October 30, 2007
Dear Mr Rivlin I am afraid this is the californication of Britain. I am totally against brainless bull fighting.
by Craig H on October 30, 2007
Surely there's room in England for the Michelin men to run into each other and pretend to play sport. It's not like anyone takes it seriously outside of the USA. Let 'em go, they can't do any harm other than denting the turf. Nice one mate. Cheers.
by Joel Cairo on October 30, 2007
If youre right, theres nothing to fear, is there? Or are you worried that it might drive that supremely (virtuous and high-minded) English contribution to football -- the hooligan -- away from soccer?
by Adrian C on October 30, 2007
.. chuddering on in New Labour demotic. Whinging is a British speciality, of course, but seldom so rhapsodic as when directed at those bumpkinish American cousins - all that injured amour-propre spilling out. As for the matter at hand, rugby/football or American football: Marmite or peanut butter, pick your poison.
by minus 15 (from Leeds) on October 30, 2007
I know they've been playing it a long time, but how dare they call it football. We know the real meaning of football - firstly you use your feet not your hands and secondly it is played with a ball and not an egg!! Anyway - I agree with everything you say Mark, great reading, keep it up.
by Nick Latus on October 30, 2007
When we fat Americans build our "Holy Sporting Shrines" we typically stay on budget and get it done on deadline. And if you want to play the stereotype game, maybe American culture will eventually infiltrate British society to the point where you actually take care of your teeth.
by David Cohen on October 30, 2007
... you cannot be serious... and don't call be surely! Actually, quite a good read, Mark, but I have to agree with other pundits that you are getting a bit grumpy old mate. Actually, hats off to 'em in the sense that they are at least trying new ways to get the game out to a wider audience. Something "soccer" (arrgghhh) might want to take note off. PS: My favourite sport is not in the list so I can't display it :-)
by Charlie Wilson on October 31, 2007
You comment so aggressively about a sport you haven't taken the time to try to understand. There were over 1 million ticket requests for this game and the entire British American Football community were overjoyed to have the biggest sport in the world come to the UK and Wembley. For more information on the sport in the UK, check http://www.bafl.org.uk and broaden your horizons a little.
by Craig H on October 31, 2007
By what measure is it the biggest sport in the World??? Girth size? Ego size? Exaggerated hype? I quite like the sport, but I think that's a bit of a wild claim.
by Tommy on October 31, 2007
Touche on the teeth Nick Latus, touche. Mark Rivlin does not represent the view of the majority of British people. I think it fair to say that we reacted with a certain curiosity to the event, were not overly impressed with a weather-affected game and will turn our attention back to our favourite sport next week. However, it is a window into the British sense of awareness that we embraced it with such grace (in general) - would a Premier League match between Tottenham and Chelsea held in New York or Washington generate the same level of interst in the USA; and that speaks volumes for American society. Mark - I think you need counselling!
by Akshay on November 18, 2007
Wonder why American come up with their own sissy versions of global sports 1. Cricket : An unimaginative verion - baseball with , would you believe, mittens to catch? the ball is thrown full toss ? 2. Football: Gawd dont even get me started on American Football. 3. Formula 1: Would you believe Nascar or champ cars go around in 'bloody circles? no turns, no braking points, no chicanes...mindless monotony!
by Fedoroy on December 15, 2007
How quintessentially British! If bi***ing and whining were an Olympic sport the British would almost certainly sweep the field, assuring Her Majesty’s best of at least three medals, ahead of such powerhouses as Luxembourg and Curacao. Hey, if you sour Brits would spent more time developing your own athletic talent--and lets face it, it's in short supply--in the Brazilian, Italian and Everybody-but-English Premiere League, there wouldn't be a market for Pax-Americana & Games to come sullen your little holy ground.
by Nat Sinclair on December 17, 2007
I am British..... and I am ASHAMED that this man is from the same country as me. He is a disgrace to all 'normal' british citizens. I've just finished watching Skysport's all night coverage of the NFL which they've been doing for the last few YEARS.... this man clearly has no idea what he is talking about and is what most internet forum users would call a troll..... please give an informed opinion... not mindless hooliganistic drivel which my 1 year old brother could better in his sleep.
Add your comment here
PERSONAL ABUSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
First Name
Last Name
Email
Heading
Display your favourite sport or football team badge with your comment.
Sport
League
Team
Comment *
Please enter the text you see in the picture into the textbox below. *
Has Walter Smith finally lost the plot at Rangers?
Portsmouth cash in as Spurs strike £16m Defoe switch
Wigan add the Colombian blend as they plan for life without Aston Villa target Heskey