I don't think there's any question that the wild contact and even the possibility of injury makes it a very interesting sport. But I think it's also the unpredictability of it too. Just the very shape of the ball and the way it bounces, plus the excitement of the give and take. You don't have any other sport that has absolute turnovers, for example (well... maybe socker and hockey and basketball, to some extent, when the possession shifts), but not in baseball or tennis or other popular sports. So it's the wild swings in football that keep you glued to your seat. But I think it's the risk and danger that attracts people too, morbid as it may be... look at how many people show up at the Indy 500. It's the most attended single sporting event on the planet. Are they all there just to see cars monotonously circling the track lap after lap, or are some of them there for the thrill of seeing drivers push themselves to the point of collision and even possibly death? I think the rush of seeing people face dangerous situations is always an attraction, unfortunate but true.
For 13 years of playing, I got told to play hard to the whistle for 60 mins. As a fan, thats how I want the players in my team playing. I couldn't care less about how many we are up or down, play hard for 60 minutes. Whilst there is another team on the field and they are ready to play, thats what its about, 2 teams going at it 100%. Thats what I saw last sunday. Now some want to tag Smithy as a dirty player. No commited, I like that and want him to play like that every game please. ...And lets be clear that hard doesn't mean dirty.
Very well put. I took some shots to the head and gave some all from Pop warner to college. Hell they would make us do a drill in Pop warner that was all head to head. Its football not ballet
