The difference between American football and German soccer in case of fans, events and solidarity

IMG_3618
Foto: Eric Wunsch

Soccer versus American Football :

In Germany, soccer is the most popular sport, but in the United States soccer is not that popular than American football, baseball or tennis etc. In the United States has sport a totally difference importance for everybody, it begins with the fans, in the USA fans are proud to be an American, when they are watching their favorite sport team. In contrast to Germany, where the fans are only proud of their supported team. But there is another huge difference in being a fan, because in the US, everybody who is in the stadium has at least shirt of his preferred team, but the most fans have more than that. In Germany less people wear fan gear than in the United States, although they have the same chances to get fan gear.

 Game day :

IMG_3582
Foto: Eric Wunsch

Here in the USA the game day runs        completely different, many fans are        already arriving a day earlier, because either they have a RV (Recreational vehicle) or they have their own   apartment, when they live for the weekend of the game. In contrast to Germany, there are many motor homes around the stadium for the RVs. On the game day itself the fans are celebrating even before the match begins, because if it is college match many people are living near to the stadium and there are also shuttle services around there who drive them to the stadium.

In Germany the fans arrive mostly 2-3 hours before a match start. After they arrived , they eat a bratwurst and drink a beer from one of the shops in front of the stadium. But there are also some people called “Ultras”, who are really big fans of their club, they often have “problems” with the Ultras of the other team even before the match starts. Because of those scenarios that can happen at anytime, the police is a big factor in the German soccer scene. After the game it depends how the fans celebrate, when their team won the game , they go out and celebrate with other fans from their team, but when their favorite team lost, they are getting aggressive; going home or even attack the fans from the winning team.

Super Bowl versus soccer World Cup :

superbowl
Foto: http://www.google.com/search?q=superbowl&safe=active&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=x&ei=e0hkvnp_jotfsassv4godq&ved=0cagq_auoaq&biw=1440&bih=839&surl=1#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=z9XYJ1UvbB0vwM%253A%3Bx1UP_rra_p2N7M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.stadiumsofprofootball.com%252Fsuperbowl%252Fupstad11950.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.stadiumsofprofootball.com%252Fsuperbowls.htm%3B611%3B404

The biggest sport event in America is not the worldwide event the soccer World Cup, but rather  the Super Bowl, it is the final of  the American football league NFL                   (National Football League). We can see           this difference in the number of                       spectators of the Super Bowl and the soccer World Cup final. While the Super Bowl has 140 million spectators in the USA (the highest spectator numbers through the whole year), the soccer World Cup final has not that much spectators in the US. That the Super Bowl has that much spectators could be an effect of that the Super Bowl is national event and not an international event like the soccer World Cup final. If the national team of the US would be in the world cup final, it could be that the final has that much spectators as the final of the Super Bowl.

A big difference is also between the stadiums. In America are the stadiums much bigger, although they have only seats. In a normal football stadium are around 100 thousand seats  , while in Germany are only around 50 thousand. The amateur teams in Germany do not even have a stadium , they have just a little field where they play on. In America even the college teams have bigger stadiums than the most popular football teams in Germany.

 Questions :

Q= question

A= answer

0.  Q: Have you been to a live game of your favorite team?                                                                           A: Yes of course!

1. Q: Does it make you proud to be an American, when you watch an American football game?        A: Yes , American football is what America is known for , so it makes me proud!

2. Q: What is the difference in how you feel, when you watch soccer or American football?                A: I am not really interested in soccer, but i love watching American football!

3. Q: Which event is bigger in America, the Super Bowl or the soccer World Cup?                                  A: It depends on how far America get in the soccer World Cup , but in generally the Super                Bowl is the bigger event!

4. Q: Do you have a favorite team in soccer or football?                                                                              A: I have a favorite team in football , the Gators!

5. Q: What does it mean to you to be a fan?                                                                                                   A:To be a fan means for me, having fan gear, try to watch every game and if I would have a              season ticket try to go to every game

6. Q:Do you prefer local teams or teams that are better in quality?
A: I prefer local teams, because you are connected to them since you are born

7. Q: Do you own any sports apparel of your favorite team? If so, how many?
     A: Yes, I do, I have 5 t-shirts, 2 hats and much more.

8. Q: If you meet someone who roots for same soccer/football team, do you feel closer to                      them?
     A: Sure, that’s normal.

9. Q: How would your life change, if American football did not exist?
A: I can’t answer this question, because I never thought about it before.

10. Q: After a game, even if you lose, do you still celebrate with the other team’s fans?
A: Yes, I would, because after the game is before the game.