PL!!

That's lends new meaning to spread offense!

Flanner is absolutely correct. American football appeared to die here very quickly because it is not enough to call a team the "London Monarchs" and wait for the crowds to come flocking out of Patriotism only to find out that the only Englishman on the pitch is the one with the bag full of steroids (Half time oranges surely ?)

I know Premiership football is played predominantly by non English players, but the roots of the support are at local level.

Looking out over my local playing fields, there will always be kids and teenagers kicking a ball about, and the large numbers will be wearing the red and white stripey rags of the local team (Currently doing very badly) - despite the fact that it is oh so much easier to support Chelsea of ManU.

Apart from my dislike of the "scummers", I would still far rather see local kids support local sides than the franchise culture taking over.

"Fat tranvestites"? It appears you're running low on insults.

As regards the failure of top-down attempts to popularize a sport, you'd have to ask: "OK, then, exactly how do you introduce a new sport?" Or: "Can you only introduce a new sport if you see bottom-up enthusiasm?"

I think top-down can work (which is not to say it will work for American football -- since FlopBall is too entrenched). And I think basketball sets the example. Its popularity began not in the streets of European cities but when US teams started touring and playing exhibitions.

The crowd noise at the captains v bin dippers match last night was measured at 132Db. I find it hard to believe that any US sport atttracts that level of passion.

Patrick yes that was a chuckle

So, passion for a sport is now measured by noise? Get the crowd drunk enough and they'll imitate a 747's engine at takeoff.

Today's Daily Mail has a huge banner headline about the NFL Wembley match!

Get the crowd drunk enough and they'll imitate a 747's engine at takeoff.>>>>>

Turks are muslims old chap.

Keith Obermann a famous sports broadcaster who is on Monday Night NFL Football said last night that:

"English soccer began when two cricketeers got bored with cricket and somehow invented soccer"

any truth to that?

sounds plausible except soccer is perhaps more boring than cricket

>>Turks are muslims old chap.<<

First of all, not all Turks are Muslims. old chap. Second, WTF?

Most Turks are muslims. Therefore they are unlikely to be drunk. Therefore the cause for the noise is unlikely to be intoxication. it's easy when you put your mind to it isn't it?

Now can you name a single septic sporting event that generates that level of fanaticism?

yes - dog fighting

"English soccer began when two cricketeers got bored with cricket and somehow invented soccer"

any truth to that>>>>

A fair bit.

There were all sorts of proto-football games played around the country with different local rules. Also some public schools had their own versions (google Winchester Football or the Eton Wall Game for examples).

However the first commonly accepted codified set of rules were indeed set up by cricketers looking for something to do in the winter.

They founded Sheffield FC which celebrated it's 150th anniversary last night - attended by the great and the good. This is how it was reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency*:

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/lin...4659134349.htm

The next set of rules - which bear closer resemblence to the current ones were written by Uppingham School (a public school).

*this is what it means to be a global game.

Warner: I'm spending more time on this than I should, but I was referring to crowds in general, not the one you cited. You're not half as bright as you think.

"Septic" event? Really, give it a rest. You're trying way too hard. And you never answered my question: Noise is the way to measure passion for a sport?

CW I forgot to add that Keith did say Sheffield was the first soccer club and he noted the 150th anniversay and the fact that their last championship was around 1935

Noise is the way to measure passion for a sport?>>>>


It's a pretty good measure in my opinion.

Pro Golf packs in many fans at tournies yet the noise level is about that of a church mouse

so much for that theory

Yes, but for most golf fans it's excitement enough to wake up in the morning and find they're still breathing.

And don't forget they wear very loud clothes.

here's my theory re: noise levels

the lower class the fan base the drunker and thus louder fans will become

the higher class, like golf, the more proper they behave

thus Formula One may have the loudest crowds yet the action is so spread out and the crowds too that it does not register.

If anyone goes to a top high school basketball game in the U.S. in a small gym with fans packed around the court you will hear the loudest possible crowd - mainly teenagers yelling their butts off.

So i would not shout too loudly about the noise level being a harbinger of anything to do with the actual sporting event, but mainly with the environs and type of crowd attracted.

And if the level of cheering at The Lane is also an harbinger then soccer is dull as a door nail