Football And Its Fan Research Paper

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Cheyenne Schoenfelder
Mr. Derek Yung
English 50­28673
Word Count: 1000
November 18, 2014
Football and Its Fans
A personal interest that I have, is football. I have grown up watching my dad coach football, playing football with my cousins, and watching it on TV. American football, is sport originating from the Greeks. The BBC states, “The purpose of the game is to move the ball towards, and ultimately into, the opposition 's end zone.This is achieved by either running with the ball until tackled, or throwing the ball downfield to a team­mate” (BBC). Football is considered a spectator’s sport, in which many people watch and play. Along with the many rules and regulations of the sport, there are a few different divisions of football. One concept to
initially focus on, is the differences of teams and fans in each division of football.
Divisions can be defined as the different levels of a player’s ability or pay. NFL and college football are the two types of divisions. Although they are similar, they have some aspects that make them different. The NFL is the level for professional players. It is made up of 32 teams. The 32 teams are separated into two conferences: the American Football League (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The team that wins the AFC championship faces the winner of the NFC championship in the Super Bowl, at the end of the season. The college division, “is equalized in preparation opportunity, while the NFL is generally more equalized in physical ability” (Riddle). College level is for players who are rookies. College football has most

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of the same rules, despite their athletic ability. One rule in particular is the game ending in a tie.
In NFL, the two teams can have the same number of points earned. In college, the two teams cannot end up with the same number of points. The players have to play until one team scores.
Based on the different divisions, the intensity and excitement of the fans can be different.
At the college level, fans are outrageous. You can walk into any stadium on gameday and get the feeling of excitement and hope. Of course everyone wants their team to win; the fans will do anything to support their team. For example, at a University of Miami home game, the fans will paint themselves green and orange and bring blow horns to make as much noise as possible.
As a student essay from Langan states, “True football fans not only put on their team jackets and grab their pennants, but also paint their heads to look like helmets or wear glow­in­the­dark cheeseheads.” (Langan) The fans are extremely loyal to their team through the wins and losses.
They feel as though they have a personal relationship with the players. At an NFL game, the fans paint themselves and still get excited, but the fans simply do not get as excited as college fans. The fans do not feel as close to the players as you would with a college team.
Fans are definitely loyal to their teams. As a student essay from Langan states, “...football fans decorate their houses with football­related items of every kind. To them, team bumper stickers belong not only on car bumpers, but also on fireplace mantels and front doors.” (Langan)
Fans will go above and beyond to support the team. They want to show off for other people, of course, but the team is such a major part of their life that they will do anything. Some fans have bought season tickets so that they can see every game. No matter what division, there will always be fans for the players and
teams.

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Fans can make or break the support of the team. The biggest fans, can get other people going in the stands. Also, the stadium pumps up the players and the fans at the games. As a student essay from Langan states, “If the team offers a giveaway item, the fans rush to the stadium to claim the hat or sports bag or water bottle that is being handed out that day” (Langan).
According to Langan, the definition of a true fan, is “obsessively watching each game and spending the entire day afterward reading and listening to the post­game commentary in newspapers, on TV sports segments, and on sports radio” (Langan). All of these details, show the differences between NFL and college divisions. The college fans are the ones who are more likely to act wild and “obsessively watch the games”. Overall, the NFL and college divisions are different. Growing up around a football­centered home, you learn to know the differences between the two divisions. Also, you learn more about the sport at each game. In order to really understand the concept of football, you must first know the two divisions and how they compare.
It is not just about the fans, but it is also about the athletic ability of the players. When observing a football game, the difference between professionals and rookies is quite evident. While surveying NFL games, you can sense that the game is not very intense. However if you go to a college football game, you can feel the upheaving emotions from the fans, coaches, and
players.
In other words, watching rookies kick and pass around a football is considered more interesting than watching professionals delicately throw the ball to their teammate. Initially, the concept to focus on is the difference between teams and fans in each division of football. Without knowing these differences, you will not feel “in­touch” with the players and the game.

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Works Cited Page BBC Sport. “NFL in a nutshell”. American Football. BBC. 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2014
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/american_football/3192002.stm>

Riddle, Ryan. “The Difference Between College and Pros in the NFL”. Bleacher Report, Inc.
2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.
<http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1324537­the­difference­between­college­and­the­pros­in­the­
nfl> Langan, John. College Writing Skills with Readings. New York: The McGraw­Hill Companies,
Inc., 2014. Print.