With Hayne mania in full swing, it’s brought many new Aussie fans flocking to America’s game.
For NFL newbies the game can be a little tricky to pick up at first, but once the basics are understood it’s great entertainment.
Once you get past the fact they wear helmets and pads – trust me it’s a tough game, have you seen the size of those dudes? – and immerse yourself into this unique game of football, you’ll be hooked!
Here’s a quick guide for NFL rookies, which will hopefully make your journey into the new sport a little easier.
Rule 1 – Pick and stick
Just like any sporting code, you pick a team and you stick with them through thick and thin. For example I’ve been a Dolphins ever since I watched Dan Marino play himself in Ace Ventura Pet Detective.
Not sure which part of that sentence I should be more embarrassed about – being a Dolphin fan or watching Ace Ventura – the point is I’ve stuck with my team, even though they’ve only reached the playoffs once in the past 13 seasons.
Rule 2 – It’s okay to follow other teams
Rule 1 must be obeyed, if I have to continue to put my heart and soul into the pathetic Dolphins, you have to do the same with whichever team you decide to follow.
Chances are your team will suck at some point, unless of course you choose the New England Patriots as your team – they’ll always be good, even if they have to resort to cheating.
Rooting for a bad team won’t ruin your NFL experience though. There are 31 other teams in the league you can vest some sort of interest in.
Usually you’ll pick a quarterback you like from an opposing team and follow their progress. It’s a quarterback-driven league after all and if your team doesn’t have a great quarterback, they probably can’t win the Super Bowl. Joe Flacco and Eli Manning the exceptions.
I love watching Aaron Rodgers play. When the Green Bay Packers aren’t playing my Dolphins, I’ll cheer for them as loud as I would for the men from Miami. However, when Rodgers retires or leaves the Packers, I’ll probably go back to hating the cheese heads like I did when Brett Favre was their starting quarterback.
Rule 3 – Learn the nuances of the game
If you want to be taken seriously as an NFL fan you need to step up your game.
Learn the difference between 4-3 and 3-4 defence. How does a spread offense differ from a pro-style offense? Or why doesn’t someone give Tim Tebow a serious chance, the man’s a winner for crying out loud.
Find the answers to these questions and your NFL experience will be all the more enjoyable.
Rule 4. Consume it: Read the articles, watch the shows
Bill Barnwell and Robert Mays from Grantland are a must to read each and every week. It’s impossible to watch every game, these guys will keep you informed of what’s happening around the league. The writers at Deadspin are pretty cool too, but of course the best coverage can be found right here at The Roar.
If you have Foxtel make sure you tune into at least one of the many NFL-related shows ESPN provide. Watch Sportcenter on a Monday, after you get home from work, for a full recap on all the games.
Rule 5 – Don’t compare it to the AFL or NRL
As Australians we view ourselves as one of the best, if not the best, pound-for-pound sporting nation in the world. For a country of our size we do alright. But let’s not get cocky. To think our boys in the AFL and NRL are much tougher than the ones in the NFL because they don’t wear helmets and pads is just ridiculous.
It’s a sentiment I’ve heard countless times, generally from people who don’t actually watch the sport.
One look at a retired NFL players brain scan will show you just how dangerous, or you might call it stupid, it really is. The concussion rates in the NFL are outrageously high compared to other codes.
The helmets they wear are a false security, I’d argue they’d be safer if they didn’t wear them. Too often you’ll see a player lead with his head, instead of using a proper tackling technique we are taught in the NRL and AFL.
And let’s not forget the sheer size of these guys. The biggest players in the NRL are around 120kg – that’s the average weight of an NFL defensive end – and they’re not even the biggest dudes on the field.
In a nutshell all three sports are just as tough as each other, so get over you pre-conceived ideas and just watch the damn game.
Rule 6 – Watch and enjoy
At the very least, as an Australian sports fan you should be following Jarryd Hayne’s journey. It’s not everyday you see a player switch from one professional code to the other and actually make a good fist of it.
While he still has a long way to go, it couldn’t have started any better for the former Parramatta man. Let’s all get on board the Hayne Plane and see where it takes us.
Follow these simple rules and you’ll be an NFL expert in no time.
Enjoy!
Veronika Byrne
Roar Rookie
Very inspiring article Tony, I loved it.
dropkick
Guest
eat hot dogs
49ers Fan (from the Bay!)
Guest
NFL game pass may have a single team feature this year. NFL's official site does have an international link for Game Pass. The buzz is that Hayne will be on offense mainly as a RB. I would still like to see him get some return duties, but its possible the coaches will pass on that this game for a few reasons. One is he's too valuable as an RB for this game. He'll essentially have Reggie Bush's slot in the game plan, but probably with fewer pass routes (the deeper ones). Mike Davis will also get a good look as he comes off the inactive list to take Bush's roster spot. They're deeper at WR than RB this game, so Ellington will start off with return duties. That and being Hayne's first game on the road are the two main reasons he may not see special teams action. For this game anyway, that's a partial promotion.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
7 mate, show a few games a week NFL Gamepass is excellent if you want to fork out for it
Adam Smith
Guest
So how do you actually watch the NFL if you don't have Foxtel? Or can't get Foxtel in your unit? And don't tell me Foxtel Play because I tried this already and it's garbage. Low quality, buffering, just bad.
Hoges5
Roar Rookie
Not a bad article here - but really could be said for any sport.... Having actually donned the helmet and ridiculous padding in the US, I can tell you the first thing you have to get used to is: It is actually two coaches playing chess. No independent thought is encouraged or necessary by the players, just be very good at one particular skill. Once you have that down, you realise it has virtually nothing in common with any other "field" team sport and can enjoy it for what it is. Go GIANTS #BigBlue ps. Eli is just fine thanks.....
AZ_RBB
Guest
Atmosphere is better as well. Some of the stadiums in the FBS are just ridiculous.
blueeyecodger
Guest
The nfl is way cool but its pretty commercialized these days & can be a chore to watch at times especially if its a blow out, but given the money involved you'll need to accept that! Skol Vikes indeed!!!
Ned Balme
Roar Guru
College Football is a lot more accessible I think to the general fan. Higher scoring, more turnovers = more highlights to keep us entertained.
Ned Balme
Roar Guru
I mean, if you'd like to pick up and read an actual football playbook be my guest. I've done it and its a overwhelming experience to take in so Madden helps slowly acclimatize people to formations, plays, assignments and play calls. And you're thinking of RockSmith, which yes can also teach people how to play guitar. If that answers the second part of your question.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
why doesn’t someone give Tim Tebow a serious chance? Because he cannot throw the ball and cannot see 2 feet downfield. Exhibit A - https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CNDxti3WgAAwPkd.mp4
Super-Human
Guest
I don't think you should be random about what team you pick. You should pick a team that you feel suits you. If you pick a team and you are not into the way the play, don't like what they represent. No point hanging on to them. I picked my team off aesthetics, mascot and underdog status (not won a damn thing). And I really took a liking to Shaun Alexander. Obviously I am talking about the Seahawks - which at the moment is everyone's favourite team to rip on. And yeah, bandwagon has built up which is always the unfortunate thing bout a team that starts winning.
Super-Human
Guest
This is true, Madden will teach you a bit. Mostly players names though.
pete bloor
Guest
He didn't say learnt to actually play in the NFL but instead learn the necessary context in order to enjoy the consumption of it as entertainment. There are also obvious benefits to being able to pace the level of sophistication, dramatically increase the number of interactions viewed and for the league wide info it is a readily accessible tool with factual information around rosters, teams and salaries combined with third party evaluations on players and coaches that are going to at least be the equal of most sports mags. Your analogy is incredibly off the mark.
blender man
Guest
I like madden and i dont understand this article - #winning
Albi Mangler
Guest
I am going to go out on a massive limb here and say that Rule 1 is optional, especially for those of us with no links or history following the comp. I have followed NBA closely for over 20 years and really don't have a single team i prefer. Rather there are a few teams I like and follow, mostly due to liking particular players. Similar in EPL, liked Liverpool due to Kewell, now I couldn't really care and prefer to follow QPR with Luongo. This is my first year following NFL after watching the playoffs last couple of years and think I will follow a similar strategy so obviously the Hayne link means I will follow 9ers to start but am liking the Bills too.
AZ_RBB
Guest
I think watching a bit of College Football helps as well. That's how I got into it.
Jason Pollock
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree more. Playing Madden is what got me interested in the NFL!
ProfVonSchrodinger
Guest
Absolutely, I for one can't wait for the Nick Foles vs Kirk Cousins matchup.
ProfVonSchrodinger
Guest
Madden, really? Did you also learn how to play guitar playing guitar hero?