橄欖球賽初體驗

賓夕法尼亞大學 李勁松

I have always heard that American football/rugby culture is very famous,so I went to watch a football game with my friends,and the two teams were UPenn and Dartmouth.

It is worth mentioning that,watching football games in the United States is popular among middle-class people,and the culture between football and soccer is very different.For example,football won't distinguish between rival fans,which means that fans from different sides are sitting together.Besides,the stadium of football is much bigger than that of soccer，with different lighting design styles.

Additionally,the football/rugby rules are also very interesting.One of the core rules is that the ball can only be passed backwards,but if you kick the ball using your legs,then you can pass the ball forward.On each side of the court,there will be a big H-shaped frame,and when the ball hits the middle of that H-shaped frame,then that is a score.

Many people would like to compare rugby with soccer,but the two sports actually have the same root.In the 19th century,there were many different schools in Englandbritish commonwealth of nations,each with different rules in playing football.Some people insist that football should not be played with hands,while others think football is supposed to be played with hands and feet.Therefore in later days,people formalized the rules into what is now called rugby football and association football.For a variety of reasons,football has become the most popular sport in the world,while rugby,unfortunately,is generally only popular in the British Commonwealth of nations.

I hadn't watched a football game in China before,but today I got the opportunity to watch a live game in America.I was very excited before I watched it,but after the game,if you ask me how I would think about the game,I would probably say:It's just OK.I mean,if the players run the ball and bump around like rhinos all the time,of course,the game would be great.However,most of the time,the game was a state of anxiety,with a lot of suspensions.

But in terms of the overall experience,it was pretty good.There are a lot of food trucks and places selling alcohol in front of the gate.What's more,there are also band shows,video games to play during the half-game break.Besides,when we came into the stadium,it's like a club,with amazing lights,fireworks,and DJ...The whole atmosphere is like a carnival.

Personally speaking,the game culture can be divided into two sides,the European side and the American side.Europeans are generally opposed to commercialization and entertainment,and advocate keeping the original appearance of the game,such as European soccer and basketball.Their passion is rooted in tradition and opposition.But as for the people of North America,it is just the opposite.The NFL and NBA,for example,will be more commercial.In addition to the nature of sports and athletics contest on the game,people there will pay more attention to the experience of the whole package of entertainment,similar to an intergenerational carnival experience.Thus,their passion is more based on party culture.

I've always been obsessed with the traditionalstyle,butthisrugbyexperiencehas changed my opinion a little bit.Now I would think that appropriate entertainment may not be a bad thing for the audience.What do you think about it?