How to make footy the most popular sport in the USA

[USAEagle]

Allow me as a "Yank" to put in my two cents worth.
Americans like fast paced, high scoring games, first of all. That is why the NBA adopted the
24 second clock and the three point shot. (the three pointer was in use in international rules
long before it was adopted in the NBA)

IF Aussie rules was given good media exposure in the USA, within 5 years it would become
the most popular sport there.

IMO, the NFL has a vested interest in keeping Footy off the airwaves, because if people saw
Footy next to Gridiron, which takes 45 minutes to play a 15 minute quarter, due to ad breaks
and so on, they would abandon it in droves.

In fact there are around 200 Footy Clubs in the US the last time I looked at their website.
Teams include the Orange County Bombers, Cincinatti Dockers and the Inland Empire Eagles,
who where a long sleeved version of the Eagles 1992 Jumper and were coached for a while
by Paul Roos, back in 1999.

Soccer is enormously popular in the US as a kids and adolescent sport, but, Gridiron
dominates the Autumn sport calendar. High school games can draw 10,000 spectators, and
more in southern states like Florida, Louisiana and Georgia. That is when Footy would be
played and since sport in the US is school based rather than club based, there is literally no
room on the calendar for any more Sport to be programmed.

Nobody I know gets any Aussie Rules on any cable channel. Fox Footy can be obtained IF
you have a satellite dish, but that is unlikely as Cable is available everywhere, (unlike here),
and the FC is not available on basic cable networks, even as a premium channel.

Aussie Rules will only become hugely popular in the US when and if the AFL starts paying for
Advertisement and airtime in the US, on one of the Four major networks, in Prime Time, a
very expensive, but I believe, ultimately profitable exercise. It needs, to start, a one hour
spot on Sunday nights for a show, hosted by a well known American sports star - say Michael
Jordan (Mel Gibson would also lend it credibility) - (come to think of it if the Crocodile Hunter
hosted it it would become the most popular show in the US, because Americans love him )
which would explain aspects of the game step by step for half an hour, then spend a half
hour showing highlights of what was just explained. For example spend one epsiode
explaining marks, then show highlights of all different kinds of Marks, finishing with the top
five screamers of all time.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

As The Gur says...Rant Over


The Website of the USAFL

 

[M29]

Give the players guns?

 

[Hurricane75]

I think Aussie Rules might be too confusing for Americans to get into. Its hard enough converting Rugby followers.

I think if the game made it big in the States it would largely be a novelty thing and would wear off pretty quickly.

For americans to watch we need to put some crocodiles on the fields and maybe have Steve Irwin umpiring.

But with all said and done, if the AFL could pull it off the financiall benefits would be huge.

 

[Stocka]

Originally posted by M29
Give the players guns?

I was thinking Budweisers o) and cheerleaders.

 

[BTige]

Seppo's can't even pronounce Aussie correctly, so what chance does Ossy Rules hayve?

Let's attack eyerack!

 

[M29]

Originally posted by Stocka
I was thinking Budweisers o) and cheerleaders.

It wouldn't pick up over there as the word 'deeee fense' isn't used alot and shouldn't be in our game.

Cheerleaders and so on would be great for girdiron as it's more a tv game. (I've heard most yanks watch the superbowl because of the ads that are produced for it.) There are to many 'stoppages' during the game, where as AFL only puases breifly between goals and for the minor blood rules.

 

[fabulousphil]

Originally posted by BTige
Seppo's can't even pronounce Aussie correctly, so what chance does Ossy Rules hayve?

Let's attack eyerack! [/QUOTE

When are you poms ever going to stop whinging and whining

 

[Docker_Brat]

Americans wouldn't be interested because they can't wear padding.

 

[chev1977]

I agree with your point in more advertising...!

With this 500 million dollar 5 year television deal involving channels 9,10 & Foxtel surely the A.F.L can afford to invest in either: advertising a special hour long show once a week, live games or highlights pakage and probably afford all of the above anyway.

Until that happen's A.F.L will not prosper, however it is not all as easy as that... even if A.F.L had an overnight success over there you have to think there are litterally hundreds of major cities and I'd bet none of them have (Oval Space) big enough to play our game on. Yeah sure they have big crowds over there but the arena itself would be way to small.

eg: baseball, soccer, grid-iron fields are all far to small and I dont think there is any other major sport over in the USA that has use's a large ground like we do?

Dont write off the idea though because I am on your side.. I would love to see our sport spead over the globe it is certainly worthy of it. All you would have to do is remove seating near the field to accomodate room simple.

But there are huge finacial cost's in setting up a national, state level and collage competitions.

Only thing I as a supporter would hope is that it would :

A. Bring the world together in a sport that does not have a history of riots etc....

B. If it took hold abroad allow at least 50% of merchendising/manufacturing etc.. to be given to Australians etc... in the form of employment.

C. that the A.F.L in Australia has the sole right to have the rules, gurnsey's etc... not be changed we would not like to pardon the pun (Americanise our game) ie: shoulder pads etc... like grid-iron etc....

D. If a world cup situation ever eventuated that the inegrial Cup be played in Australia it would probably be every 4 years? and let other nations after that 'bid' like the olympics & soccer world cup for the right to host a world cup.


anyway I hope it would happen one day but prob wont happen for a long time sadly : (

 

[Slax]

Still how do you overcome one problem, the name Australian Rules?

I can not see a large percentage of the population supporting a sport which has another countries name in it.

 

[PrincessPark]

You're right there, Slax - we've stamped our ownership on our great game with the name which would pretty much put off any red-blooded American.

Maybe . . . Ovalball???

Or maybe someone can work on that *l*

 

[Stealth bomber]

Well, it didn't stop me from becoming interested

AFL has, and will always have a cult following in the States. It will continue to grow slowly and gain a word-of-mouth type expansion. More people will play it than ever before, more new clubs will form and the USAFL will continue to thrive.

But it will never gain equal footing with the major professional sports. Most Americans are too conservative and narrow-minded when it comes to things other countries invent.

I would like it to become big enough where the AFL gets more than just 2 hours a week on a cable channel few people get that shows about 16 hours of soccer a day. But at the same time I like the iconoclastic nature the sport has in the States. It is a secret circle that few people know about but everyone that does really enjoys it.

 

[Denverdog]

Too confusing?
Can't wear pads?
Let's attack eyerack?

Boy it sure is good to know that open minded people of Australia are posting here on the boards.

 

[Lionel Lyon]

Originally posted by Denverdog
Boy it sure is good to know that open minded people of Australia are posting here on the boards.

Forgive them for they know not what they do Little do these posters know just how much Americans ABSOLUTELY LOVE Footy once they've been exposed to it. It's just so HARD to get games of it regulalry. Perhaps 5 years is a bit optimistic, but the idea of more systematic publicity is a very good one and would work miracles.

 

[Still Crowing]

I hear the Rugby Union is played at some colleges (eg Cal Golden Bears?) Perhaps this is the way through. If we could get some colleges to play the sport, and market it as a sport you dont have to get a scholarship to play (ie all positions are filled by walk ons) maybe we could build it that way. Im sure there are Seppo's out there that would love to represent their school at intervarsity level, but cant because the lifespan of the avereage walkon freshman in a preseason scrimmage is measured in seconds.

 

[Rooboy 96]

This thread should really be titled... how to fu(k up aussie rules even more...

 

[Lionel Lyon]

Originally posted by Still Crowing
I hear the Rugby Union is played at some colleges (eg Cal Golden Bears?) Perhaps this is the way through. If we could get some colleges to play the sport, and market it as a sport you dont have to get a scholarship to play (ie all positions are filled by walk ons) maybe we could build it that way. Im sure there are Seppo's out there that would love to represent their school at intervarsity level, but cant because the lifespan of the avereage walkon freshman in a preseason scrimmage is measured in seconds.

This exact idea's already been adopted at two universities in Tenn and there are others too.

http://www.nashvillekangaroos.org/vandy.htm
http://www.nashvillekangaroos.org/mtsu.htm

 

[amortiser]

If there is a problem about the name of the game incorporating a nationality, why not rebadge it "FLYING FOOTBALL". That name incorporates the spectacular nature of the game in a very simple sense. Any highlights package would reinforce the connotations in the name.

amortiser

 

[Mr Q]

Originally posted by USAEagle
Allow me as a "Yank" to put in my two cents worth.

At least you've put a bit of thought into this. I can't see it happening (at least not over 5 years), but you can always hope.

One question though, is there any real need for the season to be played in autumn other than the useful tie in to the AFL finals series?. Could it be played at some other time of year when the calendar isn't so full (and is there such a time anyway)?

 

[you_idiot]

USA Eagle,

As a transplanted American myself, I thought FOX Sports World aired a fair amount of AFL-based programming already.

http://www.foxsportsworld.com/world/

You can find programming schedules at that link as well...

I know they did last year, with a full game aired on tape-delay and a highlights package, but even with the change in the domestic TV package here, they're still doing it.

I have it on good authority from several friends of mine back home in California that it's still on-- including one who's a Hawthorn fan.

Cheers,
William

 

[derns_hawk]

It's going to take a huge committment from the AFL to set that up, but it would be so worth it. They are fantastic ideas you have posted to get things started. They don't change the game at ll, just increase the exposure.

The million dollar question seems to be whether the AFL are truly interested in getting things going overseas. My mum and Dad bumped into a guy in London who was trying to get things going there and in Canada and the AFL just would not help. I don't know his name but he has been mentioned around BigFooty before. I think it will be difficult for the League to step outside of the comfort zone it's in (not to mention the old boys club mentality) and will probably take a really long time. After all there are enough domestic problems for the League on a day to day basis as it is.

Thank you and good night.

 

[Jabso]

Channel 7 (I think), showed a highlights package put together by some american news reporter, all it showed were the melee's and hip and shoulders and vicous tackling. Stereotypicalysing it as a barbarians game.
Oh and it also showed the goal umpires, and the American reporter pretty much laughing at the goal signal.

 

[Stucey]

Newcomers are welcome to all training sessions.
Whether you've played or not or seen it or not,
we can teach you how to play the greatest team sport in the world.

For more information contact the Nashville Kangaroos at (615) 460 1401


True dat brother, true dat!!!

 

[Stucey]

Originally posted by jabso
Channel 7 (I think), showed a highlights package put together by some american news reporter, all it showed were the melee's and hip and shoulders and vicous tackling. Stereotypicalysing it as a barbarians game.
Oh and it also showed the goal umpires, and the American reporter pretty much laughing at the goal signal.

What did they say about that again...'Look like Icecream salesmen directing traffic??"

 

[fabulousphil]

What the AFL should be doing is apportioning part of their bugdet to providing established overseas leagues(USA, IRE, NZ, DEN, PNG etc) with qualified coaches who can organise Auskick and youth footy, but also help senior leagues with marketing, admin etc.

At the moment volunteers do all this and eventually because of work and family restraints they stop.

This would not cost a fortune for the AFL and im sure lots of people would like a job like this------------- students with a interest in footy who want to travel, ex footballers and footballers who have missed out on being drafted etc etc etc