My Favorite Sports

Throughout this vast country we as Americans are entertained by many different things, including movies, music, and sports. Although, there are many ways for me to be entertained, I prefer the enjoyment of sports. As a youngster I enjoyed playing backyard games. We rounded up neighborhood kids and played for fun. We played either football or basketball every weekend. These two sports are the favorites of those who play them around the world. While these sports are alike in many ways, they are very different in other aspects. Although sports such as football and basketball are physically demanding, I, as a player of both, have noticed the similarities as well as the differences. For instance, in football, I play fullback, and I carry the ball for short yardage situations and help block for the tailback. A fullback is similar to the center in basketball who sets the picks and makes the short baskets. Another similarity is that players of both these games need to be able to think one the run. Now, there are more obvious similarities, like the amount of time it takes to play each game. In football, each game is an hour long and is broken down into four fifteen-minute quarters. In basketball, each game is forty-eight minutes long, consisting of four twelve-minute quarters. After the first two quarters are over, each team has a halftime. The obvious goal of each sport is to outscore one's opponent by as many points as possible. Football is a sport that has a lot of differences from basketball. Football is played with eleven men on the field at a time. It is played outside on field that is one-hundred yards long. The offense of football is one unit that goes on the field to play against the opponents' defense. When the offensive unit scores or turns the ball over, it goes to the sideline to await its turn to go back out on to the field, and the same rules apply for the defensive unit. Football scores can be in increments of one, two, three, and six points. They are scored by kicking a field goal after a touchdown, tackling for safety, kicking a field goal in regulation play, running the ball into the end zone. Football is played at a high speed with a lot of intensity. Basketball, on the other hand is played inside on a court. There are only five players per team on the court at a time. Players have to play both offense and defense simultaneously. The scoring in basketball is also different; points can be scored in increments of one, two and three, these are scored by shooting the ball into a hoop. Basketball is a game that is played by skilled people who can jump high, shoot well, and have great ball handling skills. Playing basketball requires you to have to have endurance, because running from offense to defense and back to offense requires you to be in great shape. Basketball is played at a medium pace and can be very exciting and nail biting. To sum it all up, both of these sports are equally exciting. They are both played with a lot enthusiasm and heart. Basketball and football have there differences and similarities, but they are both loved equally around the world. You can watch as a quarterback completes a "Hail Mary" pass, or, as a point guard makes a buzzer-beating shot as the last second ticks off the clock.