It's really good and there will be men running about doing clever things with a ball and stuff
I've only rediscovered my interest in American football this season - it's been dormant since Gary Imlach's 'Blitz' disappeared from Channel 4 in the early 90s. Like most rugby union and association football fans, an assumption that it was a stop-start game of padded mercenaries running into each other had lodged itself in my mind. One early-season game on Sky was all it took to get me hooked again.
People say the players are overpaid. That's true, but (unlike the Premier League) it doesn't skew the championship in favour of big spenders - for two reasons. First, there's a salary cap. Second, the top college players are picked by the teams in an annual draft in a sequence which depends on their performance in previous seasons. The worse you did last year, the sooner you get to pick this time. Every team has star players. Every team starts the year with a realistic chance of winning the championship.
People say American football teams move thousands of miles to follow money, making the MK Dons story look like a fairytale. That's true (take a bow, St Louis Rams), but it happens very rarely. Most teams are long-established and have stayed put - this year's finalists were both founded between the wars.
People say the players are cosseted and wrapped in cotton wool. It's true that they wear a lot of padding, but a quick glance at the injury lists will confirm that games are still intensely competitive - perhaps the padding gives the players more scope to commit to tackles and runs. You won't find much diving here.
People say there's too much time where nothing is happening. It's true, each match lasts about three hours for only 60 minutes of play. But that doesn't make it boring. Unlike other sports, every possession means something, even if no points are immediately scored. Will the team with the ball be able to advance 10 yards up the field for a first down? Will the defence be able to plot an interception or force a fumble to recover possession? Each play is a fast-moving quick-thinking game of chess - one team's defensive coordinator pitched against the opposing team's offensive coordinator, deciding whether to run or throw, blitz or cover every receiver, drop back for extra passing time or stand and deliver. The additional time outs teams can take just provide more scope for tactical manoeuvring. Even if you disagree, the gaps in play provide more time to discuss the game and have a pint with your friends.
Tonight's season-ending showpiece pits the Green Bay Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers - two of the most successful teams in the history of the sport. Green Bay (a tiny town in Wisconsin) makes the cheese; Pittsburgh makes the implements to cut it with. Yes, it's the rather appetising Cheese Knife Derby. Well, it would be if I had my way. Both teams have great quarterbacks and aggressive defences - they'll be playing very hard and leaving everything on the field. It's being played in the most advanced stadium in the world in front of 100,000 noisy fans, many of whom will be wearing wedges of cheese on their heads. Billions will be watching around the world.
Get some beers, pick a team to support, switch to BBC or Sky Sports 1 and enjoy the fun. I'm predicting a 31-20 win for the Packers. Bring it on!
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