Why are American sports so boring?

[JumpersforGoalposts]

I know that our baseball is a better game. There have been nine innings in US baseball when no one actually makes a hit. Basketball is where giants run up one end and then up the other end to the strains of terrible organ music. American football has to be the daftest game ever where hordes of men carrying helmets walk around on the sidelines doing nothing for 95% of the game waiting for their moment of glory.

I can see something of an error in your behaviour here, you should be watching the players on the pitch not the alternates/subs/reserves/special teams on the sidelines. After all I'm sure you don't spend your time at the CCS with your eyes fixed on the subs bench even if (for the most part) it is as exciting as the on-field performances.

[pomeroy]

I can see something of an error in your behaviour here, you should be watching the players on the pitch not the alternates/subs/reserves/special teams on the sidelines. After all I'm sure you don't spend your time at the CCS with your eyes fixed on the subs bench even if (for the most part) it is as exciting as the on-field performances.

The problem is, in the NFL, the players are not on the pitch that long to warrant much interest. A survey of 2023 in the Wall Street Journal concluded that in the average US football match the offence has the ball for 11 minutes, not in play for that time but available to attack for 11 minutes. Given that the screened matches last 3 hours that is a lot of down time. Pity the poor bloody kicker who has to spend hours watching recordings of Love Island in his sideline tent!

[JumpersforGoalposts]

The problem is, in the NFL, the players are not on the pitch that long to warrant much interest. A survey of 2023 in the Wall Street Journal concluded that in the average US football match the offence has the ball for 11 minutes, not in play for that time but available to attack for 11 minutes. Given that the screened matches last 3 hours that is a lot of down time. Pity the poor bloody kicker who has to spend hours watching recordings of Love Island in his sideline tent!

I would agree that one of the problems with NFL is that the clock is running and the ball technically "in play" for a ridiculously long period of time as they prepare for the "snap". It seems all parties are happy with it though.