Comparing Football to War John McMurtry, in his essay Kill Em! Crush Em! Eat Em Raw! states that body shattering is the very point of football, as killing and maiming are of war. The main points the author makes are based on words such as for the kill and casualties. There cannot be an equal comparison between war and football because football is entertainment, but by definition, war, in its purest form, is survival. The three differences in football and war are the draft, the attack, and the defense. War and football cannot be compared equally. In war, anyone can be drafted. It does not matter whether the person chosen is smart, brave, or uneducated. For a war, the army goes around and picks anyone they want. Then when the draft is through, those men who are chosen are trained to shoot a gun or taught how to hide themselves with camouflage. In football, for a man to be chosen by the draft, they need to show a certain amount of strength and knowledge of the game. A football player is chosen primarily based on his previous play experience or his outstanding skills in throwing a football farther than the last man. Football drafts consist of the "best of the best" while war drafts consist of anyone who can be trained to carry and shoot a gun. Attacking the enemy in war is much different than in football. In war, rushing the enemy is easier said than done than in a game of football. In a game of football, a man cannot die while rushing the enemy, however while a man is facing the enemy attack in war, he can be killed in one shot or taken captive by the opposing force. Football is a game that always gives a team another chance to score a goal. If the quarterback fumbles the ball in play, he gets a chance to redeem himself in the next play. A second chance is denied to a soldier of war. The soldier has only one chance to drop the bomb or throw the grenade before either the other force is demolished or until the soldier is killed. In football, the team that looses a play will go on because there is always another game next week. In war, it is either do or die, because the game ends when there is a fumble.
In the New Yorker article “Offensive Play,” by Malcolm Gladwell, he makes a comparison between dogfighting and football, claiming that they tend to be more similar than people may conclude. Gladwell argues this because they both develop a negative effect on one’s body and brain causing several physical and mental changes that could possibly lead to death. However, some of these events that cause injury go without notice until later on in life when they have retired from their “glory days.”
Football is not a game but a religion, a metaphysical island of fundamental truth in a highly verbalized, disguised society, a throwback of 30,000 generations of anthropological time. (“Football Quotes, Great”, par. 12)
must work hard and do everything they need to do in order to get drafted. So yes being
In the article titled, “Dear Americans: Whatever You Do, Don’t Ban College Football,” published May 26, 2012 on pjmedia.com, Michael Van Der Galien endeavors his audience the influence of football, and how banning the sport within schools will take away the uniqueness of the sport. Van Der Galien compares football players as “gladiators”; how gladiators are known to entertain the crowd while hurting one another. No matter how dangerous the sport may be, Van Der Galien is confused on how analyst are shocked about the man injuries in football. Coming from England, Van Der Galien believes that football is freedom for America, and how “the freedom to pursue your happiness, regardless of what know-it-alls thinks.” (Van Der Galien, 2012, para. 6). Mr. Gladwell, interviewer from Slate, argues about how college football needs to be banned because of its health issues, and how it does not benefit the academics whatsoever.
...tch football. Humans have had a natural interest, and fascination with violence and brutality, all throughout time. Modern censorship, has limited this somewhat morbid fascination, but many new movies, videogames, or television shows, supply the population with this desired entertainment. Scott’s film, Gladiator, reveals that human nature has changed very little, by recreating the bloody and violent Gladiator games, and the Roman Colloseum.
In the book entitled Out of Their League, David Meggyesy describes his life as a football player from high school through his days with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Born in 1941, Meggyesy was raised in a low-income household in Solon, Ohio. Like many athletes from impoverished backgrounds, he was able to use the game of football to better himself though both a full scholarship to Syracuse University and financial stability with the Cardinals. During his career, however, Meggyesy became increasingly disillusioned with the game of football and how its athletes were subject to tremendous physical and psychological turmoil from those in power—namely the coaches and the NFL team owners. He began to see the game of football from a conflict theorist point of view. This is the belief that sport is an opiate used to benefit those in power through the exploitation of athletes which enables those such as coaches and team owners to maintain their power and privilege in society. (Coakley, 1998) Meggyesy's growing disenchantment with football and adoption of a conflict theorist point of view led him to retire from the Cardinals in 1969.
Football is a game of adversity and emotion. People who have not played a sport or follow one closely don’t understand the emotion behind game. They think that football is just a game, but for those who are involved with the team don’t think so. All those horrendous hours of countless preparation are for something players and coaches love. About a few years ago, a football player at the collegiate level was told that he wouldn’t be able to play another down of football again due to his banged up h...
It’s time for kickoff. The kicker tee’s up the ball and is waiting for the call from the referee so he can kick the ball. The tension is building up with the opposing team as they await the kick. The whistle blows and the referee gives him the clear to kick the ball. He kicks it and the ball sails to the opposite end zone. The returner grabs ahold of the ball and takes off as fast as he can only hoping a hole opens up for him. He run and meets the first defender, the returner thinks on his feet and jukes him out climbing to the next level he keeps going forward. The returner takes a big hit and is knocked unconscious for a few minutes. The trainers come and check him and then he is carried off the field and back to the locker room to see what was wrong with him. The training staff comes back with the report to the head coach and tells him that the returner suffered a concussion. In Malcolm Gladwell’s article “Offensive Play” he writes about the effects of football, boxing, and dogfighting can have. The effects of these gathering events for the amusement of others can have a lasting toll for those that are going through it.
The marines released a recruitment video that displayed an obstacle course with a marine in a gauntlet. The marine was wearing a football helmet and they were doing an activity similar to a football drill. When I saw this is appealed to me that the marines participated in football like drills. If a former football or a current football player seen that commercial they would probably gain interest in the marines. World War 2 General and U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower said “the true mission of American sports is to prepare young people for war,” (Martin, Steuter 132). Sports gives easy access for young people to compete against one another. Being on a team you get close with your team mates. In the military your soldiers are the only ones who are there for you in battle, just like a team when competing against another team. Every time a game is played in America, the Star Spangle Bannered is sung. This gives us a sense that pride in our country is mandatory. Football is the sport that is most similar to the military. Spring and summer work outs boot camp, ...
Football has been a very important part of American culture especially in the last 50 years. Football is now the most followed by sport in America. There are many different levels that football is played. For example, there is professional, semi-pro, college, high school and pop warner. Fans from all over are passionate at each level of football. Professional and college football are by far the most popular and contains the biggest fan base. It can easily be argued that high school football has some of the most passionate fans.
In the modern day United States the sport American football has become not only entertainment but also a tradition whether it’s watching the BCS college championship or watching the super bowl with the family. The sport of American football is unique to the United States and has grown and became iconic over the years and has become a part of many Americans lives. American Football was made in 1869 and was modeled after the sport of rugby. They took the basics of rugby and changed it to make it fit better for them. The game has changed over the years but it also affected many Americans as the tradition of Monday Night football has begun. The game has had problems with the United States government as it was said to be too dangerous to play, this lead to an upgrade in the equipment and they tried very hard to make the equipment well ensuring player safety throughout the sport.
Also it is comparing the war to a game, which is a euphemism as well as a metaphor. It is a euphemism because war is a very serious, dangerous matter; whereas a game is something that people enjoy and never get seriously injured in. By using this euphemism, Jessie Pope - the poet – lessens the severity of war, and makes her readers’ think of it as enjoyable, and something that they want to do.
In conclusion, football and soccer have their similarities, but these similarities are superficial. There are many fundamental differences, such as the use of one’s hands being illegal in soccer, except for the goalie when he/she is inside his/her respective eighteen-yard boundary. Another example is the alternation of a team’s offense and defense in football as opposed to the simultaneous effort of the offense and defense in soccer. These differences in rules, rituals, and concepts distinguish these two sports from each other. However, there are similarities, such as the fact that both sports allow eleven players on each team to play on the field at a time. Also, the area where one scores is in the same locations in both sports, the end zones of football and the goals of soccer are on opposite sides of the field.
The rules of these similar yet vastly different games are extremely complex, so only the basics are necessary to distinguish the better sport. In football, the primary rule is that you must advance the ball forward by throwing it or running with it. Once a player with the ball is downed, the entire team lines up again, and the ball is snapped to the quarterback. The short pause in-between each down may not seem significant, but it definitely takes its toll on the excitement.
NFL players need an education in case of injuries or if they can’t play for any reason. Players can have a degree in any type of subject. If a player wants to play in the NFL, he has to attend a college or a university that has a good football program. Some players come from high school but most players come from a four year college (Field 11). If you have a son that is going to be in the NFL who wants to play linemen, he has to be about 6’8” tall and weigh around 350 lbs. Players have to know the game. They can’t hope to be a NFL player if they don’t understand how to play the game (Green 174).