It’s been a season of discovery, well for us anyway.
We here at JOE began covering the NFL this season and it’s been an interesting introduction for us. We came into this campaign naive and young, like Bambi struggling to maintain her composure on the ice.
Months later, we are like a slightly more composed Bambi; still a little wet behind the ears but more confident and – crucially – yet to see our mother get brutally shot by a hunter.
In a bid to show just how far us newbies have come since the start of the season, here are all the things we’ve learned.
The league is ridiculously technical
When you say it it seems extremely obvious, but before we began covering the NFL none of us were truly aware of just how technical a sport it was. You see so much about the physicality of the game that you often don’t consider the sheer skill on show. It doesn’t take a long time watching however to realise just how skilled and nimble these fellas are.
The above catch is perhaps our favourite example of the skill the league displays week-in, week-out. For similar highlights, we recommend you Google “Odell Beckham Junior”. You’re welcome.
Tailgating is a religion
The tailgate parties in @NFL are one of the best kept secrets about football. 🥩 🍗 🍺#ToNFLandBack w/ @NFLUK pic.twitter.com/HwYFdgf9TJ
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) January 27, 2018
Most of us with a passing knowledge of NFL will have heard of tailgating in some form or another. But it wasn’t until our man Rocket went over to watch the New York Jets that we truly appreciated just what a beloved tradition this is.
Fans gathered around enormously elaborate grills in a scene that looks less like pre-match enjoyment and more like a well-planned culinary festival. There’s beer, every single meat you could possibly imagine and, presumably, vegetables of some kind. It looks like the perfect way to get hyped for a game and we would certainly welcome a similar effort in English football.
The fans are extremely hyped
Speaking of getting hyped for games, NFL fans have – by the looks of things – absolutely no problem with getting into the match day mood. While Premier League stadiums often face accusations of a lack of atmosphere, but that’s rarely the case in American football.
Costumes are particularly popular, with supporters of all teams regularly donning ridiculous garb to get themselves in the mood. Our favourite however remains the Green Bay Packers’ Cheese Heads.
The celebrations are insane
Football celebrations are not wanting when it comes to passion, as evidenced by the number of yellow cards handed out to players in the aftermath of scoring a goal.
One thing that many of these celebrations are lacking however is rhythm. The NFL doesn’t have that problem though. A ban on over-the-top celebrations was lifted at the start of this season, and the players have certainly taken advantage of this new freedom.
The wild variation of celebrations has been particularly impressive, with dancing, games of hide-and-seek and imaginary slam dunks all featuring at different points throughout the campaign.
The game is a lot more than just people getting hit
Until we began covering NFL on a weekly basis we didn’t fully appreciate just how intricate a game it is. To put it lightly, it is definitely not simply a battle between a bunch of very strong men.
Watching it for a prolonged period of time gave us an appreciation of just how many different rules there are in the sport, as well as an appreciation for those who know it inside out.
From the enormous range of attacking and defensive plays that players are required to memorise, to the myriad infringements that can prevent a touchdown from counting, the NFL is a sport which gets significantly more rewarding the more you scratch the surface.
Catch all the action from Super Bowl 52 including the NBC pre-game show on NFL Game Pass, available for just £14.99. You can also tune in live on BBC One and Sky Sports Main Event from 11.30pm Sunday 4th February.
