Football v. Football: Introduction

Over break, as I sat on my couch, my Ravens jersey on and the NFL Sunday Ticket playing on the television, a silly State Farm commercial played. Patrick Mahomes and Jake from State Farm watched as Dani from Ted Lasso “bundled” the soccer ball and football into the most atrocious looking ball. He proceeds to kick the ball down the field, then through the field goalposts, to win the game. The advert is no work of art, but it made me contemplate how interesting it is that Americans are widely indifferent to the sport of soccer.

The sport of soccer is one of the most watched sports in the world, and it has brought rise to some of the most famous people in the world. The United States, in its characteristically self-centered way, does not think about soccer nearly as much as everyone else in the world. For many, the most they’ve ever thought about it is when watching the hit show Ted Lasso or the movie Bend it Like Beckham. Now, that population may not include the large percentage of Americans who wander the streets of St Andrews, but it does include me. I know nothing about football, and this time I am referring to the black and white ball with hexagons.

Recently, however, the sport has slowly spiked in popularity in America. I want to be ahead of the future hordes of sports fans jumping on the very old football bandwagon. Thus, within this column we will attempt to invade the cult of football fans, watching games, researching rivalries, learning why the hell Americans call it soccer, and maybe trying to play. By the end of this semester, perhaps my ESPN profile will have a new team added to its favorites. So, whether you’re learning with me, or laughing while watching, I hope you read about my journey this semester.

Illustration by Calum Mayor