Category: Football

As one of the most popular sports on a global scale, football, commonly referred to as soccer in the United States, is a game that arouses passion and invokes emotion from billions of people worldwide. The evolution of football from its humble roots to its contemporary status as a global sport is a captivating journey. This essay will delve into the history of football, the rules governing the game, its significance, and various football tournaments worldwide.

History of Football

Football is a sport steeped in history, tracing its roots over two millennia. Ancient cultures like the Chinese, Greeks, and Romans played early forms of ball games that could be considered precursors to modern football. In China, it was called “Cuju,” literally meaning “kickball,” while the Greeks had “Episkyros,” and the Romans played “Harpastum.” Each of these games shared essential elements with football, like teams, a ball, and a defined playing area, but none were the exact replica of what we now know as football.

The modern football game began in England in the mid-19th century. Before this time, various forms of football were played in schools and universities, but there was no standardized set of rules. This lack of uniformity led to often chaotic and sometimes violent matches.

In 1863, the Football Association (FA) was formed in England, marking a significant turning point in the sport’s history. The FA established a standardized set of rules, bringing order and organization to the game. The basic rules outlined by the FA, such as the dimensions of the field, the number of players on a team, and prohibiting the use of hands, remain in place today.

The sport began to spread beyond England’s borders in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Football clubs were established in other European countries and South America. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was formed in 1904 to govern the sport internationally and hosted the first World Cup in 1930, elevating football to a global platform.

From these modest beginnings, football has evolved into a global phenomenon, captivating audiences worldwide. It’s a testament to the sport’s enduring appeal and universal resonance. Despite its evolution and the changes it has undergone, the heart of football remains the same – a simple game of skill, strategy, and athleticism that brings people together.

Rules of Playing Football

The rules of football, often referred to as the “Laws of the Game,” are maintained and published by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). These rules aim to provide a structured and fair environment in which the game can be played.

Football is a team sport, with each team composed of 11 players, including a goalkeeper. It is played on a rectangular field, a pitch, with a goal at each end. The main objective is to score more goals than the opposition within the given time frame, typically 90 minutes, divided into two halves of 45 minutes, separated by a 15-minute halftime break.

The game is initiated with a kick-off from the center of the pitch. Players must move the ball across the field primarily by kicking it or by striking it with any part of the body except the arms and hands. The notable exception to this rule is the goalkeeper, who can use their hands and arms within the penalty area.

One of the critical aspects of the game is the offside rule. A player is deemed offside if they are nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent when the ball is played to them, with some exceptions.

Violations of these rules, including fouls such as tripping, pushing, striking an opponent, or handling the ball, can result in free kicks or penalty kicks. More severe infringements can lead to disciplinary actions like a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).

Understanding these rules provides the framework within which football is played. They establish a balance between maintaining a structured environment and allowing freedom for individual skill and team strategy to shine, preserving the spirit of the beautiful game.

Importance of Football

Football is more than just a game; it is a global cultural phenomenon influencing many aspects of society. It provides a means for people to identify with their community, city, or country, promoting unity and camaraderie. It is a sport that transcends language, religion, and nationality barriers, uniting people from diverse backgrounds under a common passion.

Football has also been instrumental in tackling social issues. From fighting racism to promoting gender equality and helping underprivileged children through numerous foundations and non-profit organizations, football has proven a powerful tool for social change.

Moreover, football plays a significant role in the global economy. From ticket sales, broadcasting rights, merchandise to player transfers, football has become a multi-billion dollar industry, providing employment opportunities to millions worldwide.

Football Tournaments

Football tournaments come in many forms, from local amateur leagues to international professional competitions. These tournaments span the globe and showcase a myriad of talent levels, playing styles, and unique cultural expressions of the sport.

FIFA World Cup

Arguably the most prestigious football tournament is the FIFA World Cup. Held every four years, the World Cup brings together the best national teams from around the world to compete for the ultimate glory in football. The tournament lasts a month, with 32 teams (set to increase to 48 in 2026) vying for the coveted trophy. The World Cup is not just a football tournament; it’s a global event that brings nations together to celebrate sport and camaraderie.

UEFA Champions League

On the club level, the UEFA Champions League stands as the pinnacle of achievement. It brings together the top football clubs from Europe’s leagues in a year-long tournament. The tournament’s knockout stages, particularly the final match, are among the most-watched sporting events globally.

Copa America & AFC Asian Cup

On the continental level, tournaments like the Copa America and AFC Asian Cup offer a platform for national teams in South America and Asia. These tournaments provide an opportunity for countries to showcase their talent and vie for regional supremacy. They are steeped in history and rivalry, often as stepping stones for teams and players toward the global stage.

Domestic Leagues

On a national level, domestic leagues form the bedrock of football competition. Tournaments like the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A, amongst others, are hotbeds of competition and talent development. Each league has its unique style and atmosphere, adding to the diversity of the global football landscape.

Major League Soccer (MLS)

In the United States, Major League Soccer (MLS) has been steadily growing in popularity since its inception in 1996. The MLS Cup is the ultimate prize in American club football, and the competition has been instrumental in increasing the sport’s popularity and participation rates in the country.

FIFA Women’s World Cup

In the realm of women’s football, the FIFA Women’s World Cup is the top tournament. Held every four years, like its male counterpart, the Women’s World Cup has seen increased interest and participation. The U.S. Women’s National Team has been particularly successful, winning the tournament multiple times and acting as a catalyst for the growth of women’s football worldwide.

Conclusion

From its ancient roots to its present status as a global phenomenon, football holds an irreplaceable position in the tapestry of world culture. It’s a game that thrives on simplicity, but beneath this lies a depth of strategy, skill, and camaraderie that continually captivates audiences worldwide.

Its rules provide the framework for fair competition while allowing room for the flourishing of individual brilliance and team synergy. Its significance is far-reaching, extending beyond the pitch to influence societal unity, economic prosperity, and social change.

Football tournaments, from regional contests to global spectacles, are a testament to the sport’s global appeal and its unifying power. They showcase the best of human athleticism, resilience, and sportsmanship.

As we look forward to the future of football, the beautiful game’s universal charm and influence are likely to grow even stronger, enthralling and uniting people from all walks of life.

1. Increasing socialization

Football sport progresses our relationship with other people in many ways. First, “football sport can build young people’s confidence and prepare them for later live” (Inetwork, 2017). Second, young people have a good relationship with football sport. All over the world, young people play football because they enjoy the game especially when they have free time. Football sports make young people more united and friends in the community. “Football sport is an ideal activity for learning about communication and it is excellent for young people’s physical development and improving communication skill” (Inetwork,2007). Third, “Football sport is promoting teamwork, being social and boosting our confidence” (Fletcher, 2018). Last, young people easily become sociable when they meet each other on the ground and become a good relationship. When young people play football on time and team by team, they share understanding and knowledge with each other. “The football sport for the development sector consists of a wide of social issues” (Steve & Veronica, 2014).

2. The advantages of football

Football is a kind of sport that is more popular in the world as well as it has many advantages for the players. First, young people want to play football when they see footballers with good health and skill. “Playing football is good for health because it improved academic achievement, decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes, improved weight control, less psychologic dysfunction” (Market, 2013). The footballer has healthier than the person who does not play sport. “Playing football is also improving heart health and blood and increasing body fat” (Ben Fletcher,2018). And then, footballers are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables because it also has a lot of nutrition for health. “Football is less likely to engage and smoking illicit drug taking, suicide” (Donna L Markel 2013). But they are less engaging in smoking because they know that the smoke can affect their physical health like lungs, brain, and tire very fast so football sport can stress. In addition, when a person has stress and if a person plays football, they’ll forget stress (Markel, 2013). “Football sport builds strength stamina and speed, trains a person who plays football brain, improving concentration and coordination” (Ben Fletcher 2018). Furthermore, playing football prevents HIV disease and Cancer protects our cells’ disease and voluntary testing. “Football can repair and build more muscle strength, but diet must contain enough protein” (Ben Fletcher 2018). “Football sport provides basic for physical fitness and healthy living, but it captures the interest of people all over the world” (Steve Fleming and Veronica Escobar 2014). Finally, playing football sport can make a person have a good memory skills and a person cannot forget easily.

3. Football sport change young people’s life

Football sport is a sport that good for young people. “The football sport refers to physical activity and it’s used as a tool for peace and development is individual, healthy, social and economic benefit football can influence young people’s behavior, especially confidence and avoid fighting to each other” (Homes, 2007). First, the young people, learn football sport together in a team. Furthermore, the football coach teaches them how to control their member to develop management and share knowledge with each other. “Football sport really can play a fundamental lasting role in changing the lives of young people across the world” (Kelly Homes, 2007). “It is also playing football sport the young people’s they know about their responsibility and change young lives and make the young people’s management and commitment in their community” (Ben Fletcher 2018). “They can keep football as the core element in training and technical skill development in the community” (Donna L Markel,2013). Playing a football sport can change everything, for example, a person who use drugs in the past, if a person who played football every day, they would forget everything in the past. It’s because football can change so we can say football sport changes young people’s life. “I firmly believe that football sport does have the power to change lives. The famous players focus, on how football sport can contribute to humanity and in particular empower and educate young people to tackle the problems they face and build social skills” (Kelly Home, 2007). Playing football provides numerous types of advantages, such as increased aerobic and anaerobic fitness, improved fitness skills, and even psychosocial benefits. Football can benefit all ages, provided the participant’s doctor approves, and his developmental stage, maturity, and physical size suit a contact sport (Griffis, 2018).

4. The Disadvantages of football

Football is a dangerous sport. The sport of football has had a love-and-hate relationship with the public (Bobby R, 2018). Football sport can damage bones. The players are at risk for injuries during and after their careers. Because playing football makes youth injuries and broken bones and feel pain after playing football (Kenneth D, 2011). The important disadvantage of playing football is the high risk of injury. Playing football often violent nature of the game makes it difficult to remove entirely. Just like injuries can be painful and may require significant time for rehabilitation (Bobby R, 2018). Football is a sport that just might have the most body-to-body contact in the world. Some say this contact can cause negative health effects, and some do not mention the contact and say football is not just a sport but something that prepares the players for life. Football has been labeled a dangerous sport in the past years with injuries happening frequently to the head (Teens, 2017).

Football in the UK was affected substantially by World War 2 and British soldiers as a result were positively impacted by the Football War League Cup.

Introduction

Between the years 1939 and 1945, britain had been under attack and exhausted during World War Two. Cities had been destroyed and burnt to the ground, millions of lives were lost and many horrific events had occurred along the way. The nation wondered and struggled to find a solution to keep the morale and spirits high.

How could the government get its people to support a war effort that had already cost millions of lives and valuable resources? In many countries across Europe, the answer was football and it had been working effectively. It was believed by many of the european countries such as Italy, Germany and France that the beautiful game of football would provide a certain comfort to the people and something to look forward to and escape the harsh reality of war.

What followed would change English football forever and the culture which surrounds the game till today.

Transition from the FA cup to Wartime football:

At the time of WW2, football in the UK had been impacted heavily due to the large numbers of players leaving their clubs to serve in the military. The government had made changes to the Football association which affected attendance and competitiveness across the country.

On September 14th, the british government had announced that football in the UK would continue during the war but only if significant changes would be undertaken. Certain rules such as the 50 mile travelling limit and the 8,000 attendance cap would affect the football leagues in britain greatly, but the support for the game had not changed as a result.

One of the most influential factors to the drop in quality and performance from team was the fact that many of the men had gone to war and left their clubs. Between 1939 and 1945, there are over 700 players all over the country that had joined the british war effort, 91 of them came from Wolverhampton Wanderers and 76 from Liverpool, these were two huge clubs at the time. Due to the large numbers of players being drafted into the war effort for britain, The quality of football obviously decreased tremendously because of it, even some fans had the chance to play for their dream clubs at that point.

Football League War Cup Final 1941

The “cup final that wasn’t” as it was named took place in Wembley Stadium, London during a time when the Germans had devastated the city of London with hundreds of air raids and bombings. Tens of thousands of innocent Civilians had been killed in the destruction and up to 100,000 injured from the attacks. The german air force had previously targeted industrial towns, largely populated cities and attractions such as football grounds and arenas.

The game called for soldiers serving in the war to take a break from the war and stay off duty for the day whilst the game is played so they could enjoy the match between Preston North End and Arsenal. this match was a highly controversial call since it would allow the german air force to attack and bombard the defenseless city of London and deal a large amount of damage and casualties with no resistance from the british. The fact that 60,000 fans and supporters had turned out to the blitz-threatened Wembley Stadium on the 10th of May 1941 truly shows the passion and love that England had for the beautiful game.

“A good lead has been set against this cup final in wartime, but at least it gave the opportunity for the services and other war workers to refresh their minds with complete change. It has called for police and others to be on duty, but perhaps they found this duty not unpleasant. it is hard to decide whether we can afford this kind of festival today, but we probably work better after it”

Conclusion

Football in World War Two was a defining moment in British history. The moment showed the country how important the game was for them and how much the British people were positively impacted by football. The insane numbers of people who turned out to football grounds and stadiums on matchday whilst threatened by the heavy bombardment from the German Luftwaffe bombings is a powerful and unbelievably strong thing. The football culture In britain gave the chance for everyone to take a break from the warfare and fighting for 90 minutes and enjoy The Beautiful Game.

Every human being perceives everything differently. Some people may agree on the same thing when viewing an abstract, but overall everyone views things differently. Everyone’s senses work differently from others. People use their five senses daily: touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing. Everything that we sense automatically sends information to our brain, and that is how we perceive things around us. As a sport, football involved sensation and perception in a variety of ways.

Sensation pertains to the sensory activation and foundational experience of environmental stimuli, including noises, visuals, and scents. For example, you use your nose to sense the smell of a cotton candy-scented candle. Also, the soft feeling you feel when you are touching a super soft blanket. Perception, in turn, is the process of sorting out and deciphering tactile data, empowering us to perceive significant articles and occasions. We even have sensory systems that offer data concerning balance (proprioception), body position and movement (proprioception and kinesthesia), pain (nociception), and temperature (thermoreception).

When playing a sport like football, teammates use sensation and perception a million times. Football players are always set into two teams going against each other. They have different color uniforms, which allow the teams to know whom they are going against and what color they are on. They use the opponent-process theory. They focus on the active color that they are going against. Any other color is automatically shut off. They know whom to tackle by the color of the opposing team. Teams distinguish the figure-ground relationship between the figures that are the opponent team and the ground that is the surrounding of the game. When a player is running after the ball to catch it, they have a deep concentration and vision of the ball. The whole point of the game is to catch the ball and get a point closer to winning. Kinesthesis manages body development, and it is the human’s capacity to recognize body changes in development and position without utilizing the entirety of the faculties. Selective attention is the procedure of just choosing and tuning in to a select gathering of words/messages or explicit activities. This is imperative to football players in light of the fact that every part has an alternate work; they can’t all accomplish something very similar. The protective players need to just respond to upgrades and activities that would make hurt their quarterback. The players focus on a specific thing which is to win the game and they block everything out that can possibly distract them. They put their whole focus on the game.

In summary, sensation and perception are basic mental processes that accompany us through life constantly, including during various types of activity, as in the given example with football.

Football is the world’s game. It is played by over 250 million players in over 200 countries. From the Turks and Caicos Islands to the Russian Federation. It has risen to become the best sport in the world because anyone can play all you need is a ball. The game has come a long way since 1869 but during the 1990’s the game changed dramatically. Suddenly TV deals brought the game to a new level, record transfer fees and wages. The new Champions League and of course the Premier League. But at what cost. Many believe the money has made football less competitive and has created an unfair playing field only suited to the top clubs.

Many argue that money has grown football to become the undisputed best sport in the world. The money has certainly brought in more millionaires and billionaires into the game. These rich owners have invested money into transfers, stadiums and training grounds but at the same time they are taking football away from its roots and turning it into a business. Each new owner, who takes over, changes the club and ruins it. When Pete Winkleman bought Wimbledon FC, he completely destroyed the club by moving the club to Milton Keynes, then he changed the club’s name to Milton Keynes Dons FC, badge and colors. The fans of the old Wimbledon refused to support MK Dons and set up a new club called AFC Wimbledon.

The more money invested into the sport by this surge of new owners creates an environment of unhealthy spending. Take, for example, Qatari-owned FC Paris Saint-Germain, which has spent more than €1 billion since its acquisition by Qatar (excluding the 16/17 season), making PSG almost unbeatable, wiping out competitiveness in France’s top league, the League one. This happening more and more in Europe, the team with the most money wins, take Austria as an example, there league is almost every year is won by the Red Bull funded Red Bull Salzburg and even in the big leagues like La Liga and Premier League there is a massive gap between teams with less money.

The big clubs of European football pay millions of pounds for even backup players. Clubs of youth players find it harder and harder to break into the first. Time and time again youth players, who shine at their level, are hardly ever given a chance. In 2018 English players starting in the Premier League dropped to an all-time low. Less than a quarter of starters in the Premier League were English. Instead of developing young groups of players clubs would rather buy already made stars. This harms international teams due to lack of experienced quality players. UEFA tried to fix this problem by putting in a home-grown rule that squads need to have a certain amount of players from its country, but it’s not enough.

The Champions League has arguably become stall due to the big clubs winning it every year due to their financial power. Gone are the days when the Lisbon Lions all from Glasgow, when the European Cup or Brian Clough Nottingham Forest won it. Now only the teams from the top 4 leagues seem to have a chance, teams like Rosenburg or Celtic are lucky to even get to the group stage of the competition. Most Champions League winners are not even the champion of their own league. Because of the way UEFA have changed the qualification methods the 4th best team in the Bundesliga gets put straight into the group stage while most league winners have to go through qualifier rounds to reach the group stage.

The UEFA have almost been forced to do this due to the threat of a breakaway European super league by clubs like Real Madrid, Man City, Juventus and rest of Europe’s elite. The European Super League would destroy domestic leagues. The lesser nation clubs wouldn’t be allowed in. The poor would get poorer while the rich got richer. If this league was to go ahead it would be for the money it would bring in not to play the best every week but for the profit it would make the owners.

The greed of money has also led to clubs exploiting their own fanbases. No longer are fans the lifeline and identity of the club there now just another source of income. Clubs are trying to squeeze every last penny out of fans. Increasing ticket prices are one way for a club to earn more money. Season tickets and matchday tickets are becoming more and more expensive causing fans to be priced out of the game. Arsenal is infamous for their high season ticket and regular ticket prices. Their lowest season ticket is around £900 and their matchday tickets can go up to £97. Inside the ground once you have paid (premier league tickets range from £9 to £97). The club sells food, matchday programs. And also, most clubs have club store, where they sell football tops, mugs, footballs, scarves and even towels. To watch football at home fans must pay a monthly fee to Sky Sports, BT Sport or Amazon Prime. Clubs also charge season ticket holders for Europa League, Champions League and domestic cups.

Unless fans stand up to clubs and football organizations the greed for money will only get worse. Fans do have a voice many clubs are now becoming fan owned and now fans unhappy with the direction the clubs board are going are now boycotting games. Fans can now use social media to get their message across. Teams like AFC Wimbledon and FC United are standing up against their old clubs’ owners and are returning to the clubs place in the local community. Because that’s what a good football club not money rich titan paying a hundred million pounds for a player, a good club is a club which is the pride and identity of its community and is for everyone young and old.

The sophomore walks timidly to the varsity football locker room for the first time. As he steps in, the pungent smell of the room bombards his nose, accompanied by boisterous upperclassmen blaring music. The music is followed by the distant chattering of players in the background, but the room silences as their attention diverts to the new sophomore as he saunters to his locker. The novice feels the adrenaline rush through his blood and his cheeks grow hot as all the eyes in the room lay upon him, but he plays it cool. He’s startled by the unknown giants he encounters but looks forward to making connections with them and beginning a new chapter in his life.

A true high school football story is never welcoming. It does not appreciate you, accept you for being different, suggest models of genuine camaraderie, and does not give you the freedom of doing whatever you want without being judged or criticized. If a football story seems accepting, do not believe it. If at the end of a football story, you feel appreciated for being different, or if you feel that you fit in your environment, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude for the new kid whatsoever. There is no hope for the new kid. As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true football story if you’re being ignored and unwanted.

It’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. It was the first day of pre-season football and the new sophomore was ready to make a statement at his school. He didn’t want to be just another player on the team; he wants respect. As he confidently walks into the locker room for the first time, he receives looks of confusion and somewhat disapproval from his new teammates. It was as if he could telepathically read their baffled thoughts, ‘Who is this guy?’, ‘Why is he here? Does he even go to this school?’. He shrugs the looks of uncertainty off and heads towards the vacant lockers that are remotely distant from the other players’ lockers. That’s when the intrigued senior captain notices the alien face sitting all by himself. They both make piercing eye contact before the senior approaches him, masking a perplexed look. “I’m Bryan Johnson, starting captain”. The intimidated sophomore nods back, unable to produce words in his mouth. “So why are you here, are you trying to take my spot?”, remarks the senior in a mocking manner. The sophomore pauses for a few seconds and eyes him in an uneasy fashion, uncertain of how to respond to the peculiar question. “I never said I was, I’m just here to play football”, mutters the sophomore. “So why did you transfer here? You could’ve gone to some other school like Episcopal or St. John’s”. The sophomore’s mind went blank. He’s bewildered by the fact that it’s only his first day at Kinkaid and people seem to repulse his presence. As practice goes on, he’s unable to focus and continuously messes up during the drills. Missed tackles, dropped catches, and poor decisions are the products of his unfocused mind. The sophomore tries initiating conversations with his new teammates and making connections but receives bored faces and bland one-word responses instead. He hates the people. He hates Kinkaid. He hates football.

It’s hard to tell what happened next. I had transferred to Kinkaid from my old school to profit from the school’s thriving athletics and rigorous academics. I was now the new kid at a high school that had already established their friend groups from an early age, but I was unaware of that. I came from a public school that serves four thousand students in which everyone was socially included to a small private high school with just around five hundred students who formed small and exclusive cliques. My expectations were set high because I envied the star players on the team. As my first few days at Kinkaid passed, I noticed that their high value on the field was mirrored in their social lives, as they were always flooded with attention from the girls, got invited to all the parties and hangouts, and always seemed to fit in. As a sophomore, my goal was to be a star on the team, making big plays and lighting the field up every Friday, but it was just a misconception of who I was. The only reason I wanted to be the star was that I craved the acceptance and popularity of others. I didn’t hate the people, I didn’t hate Kinkaid, nor did I hate football. I hated the fact that I wasn’t accepted by anyone.

You can tell a true football story by the way it makes you constantly desperate for others’ approval. Every little thing you do is affected so others can like you, and you are willing to do anything to be friends with the popular kids. In a true football story, you’re ‘too busy’ caring what others think and constantly want to fit in. You’re too distracted and don’t realize that not much is gained from others’ approval. It doesn’t deliver actual value. Despite your strong feelings, it’s a false motive and an empty pursuit. You can tell a true football story by the way it strips you from yourself. You try so hard to be something that you aren’t.

A true high school football story never generalizes. Football is pressuring, but that’s not the half of it, because football is also escaping your comfort zone struggling and making new friends and being passionate about a sport and feeling like an immortal gladiator with your helmet on and facing reality and not being welcomed and being ignored daily and discovering yourself. Football is self-loathing and dreading your existence. Football is appreciating who you are and what you’ve accomplished as an individual. Football is finding yourself; football makes you lose your own identity. The truths are contradictory.

I’ll tell you an untrue football story. The new kid walks into the football locker room for the first time. He is greeted by all the players as they gather near him, welcoming him to Kinkaid and forming bonds with him. He is genuinely liked by the team and eventually invited to the team hangouts at the mall, daily lunches at the Buffalo Grill after practice, and the wild parties at John Michael’s house every Friday night. A thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth. It is only unfortunate to discover the reality that in a true football story, your presence is completely disregarded and similar to a ghost, invisible.

All you can do is tell a true football story one more time, patiently adding and subtracting, making up a few things to get at the real truth. Bryan Johnson doesn’t exist as he is just an imaginary, stereotypical, impudent jock on the football team. He never asked why I came to Kinkaid, nor did my new teammates mean to mug me as I sauntered through the locker room for the first time. And even if it did happen, it happened in the student center while playing ping pong after a long day of school. Twisting the story and adding false details exemplify how ignored and unaccepted I felt in the school environment. The little details in this story are made up, but it doesn’t imply that my strong feelings of dread and hate for not fitting in are false.

In the end, a true high school football story is never about football. It’s about acceptance.

Football has been around for many years. It has become the most popular sport in America. Statics show that four in ten people prefer to watch football over any sport. Many kids grow up idolizing famous football athletes and dream to become the next big star when they grow up. Young people grow up playing recreational football, and for many it becomes a hobby. Others may just find it enjoyable to watch as they are rooting for their favorite team playing against their rivals. Schools and even recreational centers spend huge amounts of money on this sport while trying to have the best gear, equipment, and even the best field. Since this sport is the most popular in America, people don’t mind dishing out money to watch it, therefore there will always be profit to be made off any game. In the article ‘Get Football Out of Our Universities’, Steven Salzberg, professor of computer science, explains his point of view on football. Steven Salzberg gave very detailed and convincing points while effectively using pathos, logos, and ethos to provide proof as to why football should be banned from universities.

The purpose of the article is to stress how many universities are spending too much time and money on sports, in this case, football. Salzberg also makes it known that science is a vital and necessary part of a student’s studies, for example: “But if we stop producing scientists, other countries will make the discoveries that solve the technological, medical, and other engineering problems of the future, and that form the basis for great civilizations”. He explained: “The core mission of our universities is to educate our students, not to entertain them with big-time sports events”. Steven Salzberg wrote this article expressing his negative opinions toward football in universities. He is out to convince his audience that schools are taking away the focus of academics and replacing it with a concentration on football.

One of the most common rhetorical appeals used in this article would be logos. Steven used logical points to support his claim with real-world examples. Salzberg states: “I’ve watched over the years as football has taken an ever-more prominent role in our high schools and colleges, as football coaches have been paid ever-higher salaries, and as football staffs and stadiums have been super-sized”. He is explaining to the audience about the economic choices the schools are making when it comes to football. He also says that schools aren’t benefiting from their football teams, but schools are still spending money on the necessities needed. Salzberg also used a situation that happen at the college he attended where the school had to fire a coach and had to pay him out two million dollars, but also hired a new coach. He used personal life experiences to give the audience something they may be able to relate to.

Salzberg uses strong words and points that strengthen his appeal to pathos, for example: “It is undermining our education system and hurting our competitiveness in technology, science, and engineering. If we keep it up, the U.S. will eventually be little more than the big, dumb jock on the world stage – good for entertainment on the weekend, but not taken seriously otherwise”. His use of pathos could cause the audience to question certain things that go on at these schools involving the financial situations with football. He tries to get the audience to see how much money is spent on this sport, but how little money is being spent on students’ education. That’s why he mentions that academic departments are cutting faculty and staff. Steven uses a quote from Obama and then states, “Obama is right: Students do come from all over the world to study in our universities. But they don’t come because of the football teams”. He’s implying that the students come to get an education, not for the football team. Steven employs the rhetorical appeal of pathos effectively.

Along with strong logos and pathos appeals, Salzberg also uses ethos throughout his article. He uses Barack Obama to build his credibility. In the article, Salzberg states a quote by Barack Obama: “We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair”. Steven gave examples and cited his sources which show that there’s evidence to support his claim.

In conclusion, Steven Salzberg did a superior job giving rhetorical appeals, sources, style, and examples to support his claim on why football should be banned. Although I don’t completely agree with doing away with football, he gave persuasive points and personal life experiences to back up everything he stated. Throughout the article, Steven used pathos, logos, and ethos to persuade the audience, as well as use quotes to give himself credibility. Salzberg successfully expressed his argument as to why football should be banned from universities.

Football is the world’s game. It is played by over 250 million players in over 200 countries. From the Turks and Caicos Islands to the Russian Federation. It has risen to become the best sport in the world because anyone can play all you need is a ball. The game has come a long way since 1869 but during the 1990’s the game changed dramatically. Suddenly TV deals brought the game to a new level, record transfer fees and wages. The new Champions League and of course the Premier League. But at what cost. Many believe the money has made football less competitive and has created an unfair playing field only suited to the top clubs.

Many argue that money has grown football to become the undisputed best sport in the world. The money has certainly brought in more millionaires and billionaires into the game. These rich owners have invested money into transfers, stadiums and training grounds but at the same time they are taking football away from its roots and turning it into a business. Each new owner, who takes over, changes the club and ruins it. When Pete Winkleman bought Wimbledon FC, he completely destroyed the club by moving the club to Milton Keynes, then he changed the club’s name to Milton Keynes Dons FC, badge and colors. The fans of the old Wimbledon refused to support MK Dons and set up a new club called AFC Wimbledon.

The more money invested into the sport by this surge of new owners creates an environment of unhealthy spending. Take, for example, Qatari-owned FC Paris Saint-Germain, which has spent more than €1 billion since its acquisition by Qatar (excluding the 16/17 season), making PSG almost unbeatable, wiping out competitiveness in France’s top league, the League one. This happening more and more in Europe, the team with the most money wins, take Austria as an example, there league is almost every year is won by the Red Bull funded Red Bull Salzburg and even in the big leagues like La Liga and Premier League there is a massive gap between teams with less money.

The big clubs of European football pay millions of pounds for even backup players. Clubs of youth players find it harder and harder to break into the first. Time and time again youth players, who shine at their level, are hardly ever given a chance. In 2018 English players starting in the Premier League dropped to an all-time low. Less than a quarter of starters in the Premier League were English. Instead of developing young groups of players clubs would rather buy already made stars. This harms international teams due to lack of experienced quality players. UEFA tried to fix this problem by putting in a home-grown rule that squads need to have a certain amount of players from its country, but it’s not enough.

The Champions League has arguably become stall due to the big clubs winning it every year due to their financial power. Gone are the days when the Lisbon Lions all from Glasgow, when the European Cup or Brian Clough Nottingham Forest won it. Now only the teams from the top 4 leagues seem to have a chance, teams like Rosenburg or Celtic are lucky to even get to the group stage of the competition. Most Champions League winners are not even the champion of their own league. Because of the way UEFA have changed the qualification methods the 4th best team in the Bundesliga gets put straight into the group stage while most league winners have to go through qualifier rounds to reach the group stage.

The UEFA have almost been forced to do this due to the threat of a breakaway European super league by clubs like Real Madrid, Man City, Juventus and rest of Europe’s elite. The European Super League would destroy domestic leagues. The lesser nation clubs wouldn’t be allowed in. The poor would get poorer while the rich got richer. If this league was to go ahead it would be for the money it would bring in not to play the best every week but for the profit it would make the owners.

The greed of money has also led to clubs exploiting their own fanbases. No longer are fans the lifeline and identity of the club there now just another source of income. Clubs are trying to squeeze every last penny out of fans. Increasing ticket prices are one way for a club to earn more money. Season tickets and matchday tickets are becoming more and more expensive causing fans to be priced out of the game. Arsenal is infamous for their high season ticket and regular ticket prices. Their lowest season ticket is around £900 and their matchday tickets can go up to £97. Inside the ground once you have paid (premier league tickets range from £9 to £97). The club sells food, matchday programs. And also, most clubs have club store, where they sell football tops, mugs, footballs, scarves and even towels. To watch football at home fans must pay a monthly fee to Sky Sports, BT Sport or Amazon Prime. Clubs also charge season ticket holders for Europa League, Champions League and domestic cups.

Unless fans stand up to clubs and football organizations the greed for money will only get worse. Fans do have a voice many clubs are now becoming fan owned and now fans unhappy with the direction the clubs board are going are now boycotting games. Fans can now use social media to get their message across. Teams like AFC Wimbledon and FC United are standing up against their old clubs’ owners and are returning to the clubs place in the local community. Because that’s what a good football club not money rich titan paying a hundred million pounds for a player, a good club is a club which is the pride and identity of its community and is for everyone young and old.

The sophomore walks timidly to the varsity football locker room for the first time. As he steps in, the pungent smell of the room bombards his nose, accompanied by boisterous upperclassmen blaring music. The music is followed by the distant chattering of players in the background, but the room silences as their attention diverts to the new sophomore as he saunters to his locker. The novice feels the adrenaline rush through his blood and his cheeks grow hot as all the eyes in the room lay upon him, but he plays it cool. He’s startled by the unknown giants he encounters but looks forward to making connections with them and beginning a new chapter in his life.

A true high school football story is never welcoming. It does not appreciate you, accept you for being different, suggest models of genuine camaraderie, and does not give you the freedom of doing whatever you want without being judged or criticized. If a football story seems accepting, do not believe it. If at the end of a football story, you feel appreciated for being different, or if you feel that you fit in your environment, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie. There is no rectitude for the new kid whatsoever. There is no hope for the new kid. As a first rule of thumb, therefore, you can tell a true football story if you’re being ignored and unwanted.

It’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. It was the first day of pre-season football and the new sophomore was ready to make a statement at his school. He didn’t want to be just another player on the team; he wants respect. As he confidently walks into the locker room for the first time, he receives looks of confusion and somewhat disapproval from his new teammates. It was as if he could telepathically read their baffled thoughts, ‘Who is this guy?’, ‘Why is he here? Does he even go to this school?’. He shrugs the looks of uncertainty off and heads towards the vacant lockers that are remotely distant from the other players’ lockers. That’s when the intrigued senior captain notices the alien face sitting all by himself. They both make piercing eye contact before the senior approaches him, masking a perplexed look. “I’m Bryan Johnson, starting captain”. The intimidated sophomore nods back, unable to produce words in his mouth. “So why are you here, are you trying to take my spot?”, remarks the senior in a mocking manner. The sophomore pauses for a few seconds and eyes him in an uneasy fashion, uncertain of how to respond to the peculiar question. “I never said I was, I’m just here to play football”, mutters the sophomore. “So why did you transfer here? You could’ve gone to some other school like Episcopal or St. John’s”. The sophomore’s mind went blank. He’s bewildered by the fact that it’s only his first day at Kinkaid and people seem to repulse his presence. As practice goes on, he’s unable to focus and continuously messes up during the drills. Missed tackles, dropped catches, and poor decisions are the products of his unfocused mind. The sophomore tries initiating conversations with his new teammates and making connections but receives bored faces and bland one-word responses instead. He hates the people. He hates Kinkaid. He hates football.

It’s hard to tell what happened next. I had transferred to Kinkaid from my old school to profit from the school’s thriving athletics and rigorous academics. I was now the new kid at a high school that had already established their friend groups from an early age, but I was unaware of that. I came from a public school that serves four thousand students in which everyone was socially included to a small private high school with just around five hundred students who formed small and exclusive cliques. My expectations were set high because I envied the star players on the team. As my first few days at Kinkaid passed, I noticed that their high value on the field was mirrored in their social lives, as they were always flooded with attention from the girls, got invited to all the parties and hangouts, and always seemed to fit in. As a sophomore, my goal was to be a star on the team, making big plays and lighting the field up every Friday, but it was just a misconception of who I was. The only reason I wanted to be the star was that I craved the acceptance and popularity of others. I didn’t hate the people, I didn’t hate Kinkaid, nor did I hate football. I hated the fact that I wasn’t accepted by anyone.

You can tell a true football story by the way it makes you constantly desperate for others’ approval. Every little thing you do is affected so others can like you, and you are willing to do anything to be friends with the popular kids. In a true football story, you’re ‘too busy’ caring what others think and constantly want to fit in. You’re too distracted and don’t realize that not much is gained from others’ approval. It doesn’t deliver actual value. Despite your strong feelings, it’s a false motive and an empty pursuit. You can tell a true football story by the way it strips you from yourself. You try so hard to be something that you aren’t.

A true high school football story never generalizes. Football is pressuring, but that’s not the half of it, because football is also escaping your comfort zone struggling and making new friends and being passionate about a sport and feeling like an immortal gladiator with your helmet on and facing reality and not being welcomed and being ignored daily and discovering yourself. Football is self-loathing and dreading your existence. Football is appreciating who you are and what you’ve accomplished as an individual. Football is finding yourself; football makes you lose your own identity. The truths are contradictory.

I’ll tell you an untrue football story. The new kid walks into the football locker room for the first time. He is greeted by all the players as they gather near him, welcoming him to Kinkaid and forming bonds with him. He is genuinely liked by the team and eventually invited to the team hangouts at the mall, daily lunches at the Buffalo Grill after practice, and the wild parties at John Michael’s house every Friday night. A thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth. It is only unfortunate to discover the reality that in a true football story, your presence is completely disregarded and similar to a ghost, invisible.

All you can do is tell a true football story one more time, patiently adding and subtracting, making up a few things to get at the real truth. Bryan Johnson doesn’t exist as he is just an imaginary, stereotypical, impudent jock on the football team. He never asked why I came to Kinkaid, nor did my new teammates mean to mug me as I sauntered through the locker room for the first time. And even if it did happen, it happened in the student center while playing ping pong after a long day of school. Twisting the story and adding false details exemplify how ignored and unaccepted I felt in the school environment. The little details in this story are made up, but it doesn’t imply that my strong feelings of dread and hate for not fitting in are false.

In the end, a true high school football story is never about football. It’s about acceptance.

Football has been around for many years. It has become the most popular sport in America. Statics show that four in ten people prefer to watch football over any sport. Many kids grow up idolizing famous football athletes and dream to become the next big star when they grow up. Young people grow up playing recreational football, and for many it becomes a hobby. Others may just find it enjoyable to watch as they are rooting for their favorite team playing against their rivals. Schools and even recreational centers spend huge amounts of money on this sport while trying to have the best gear, equipment, and even the best field. Since this sport is the most popular in America, people don’t mind dishing out money to watch it, therefore there will always be profit to be made off any game. In the article ‘Get Football Out of Our Universities’, Steven Salzberg, professor of computer science, explains his point of view on football. Steven Salzberg gave very detailed and convincing points while effectively using pathos, logos, and ethos to provide proof as to why football should be banned from universities.

The purpose of the article is to stress how many universities are spending too much time and money on sports, in this case, football. Salzberg also makes it known that science is a vital and necessary part of a student’s studies, for example: “But if we stop producing scientists, other countries will make the discoveries that solve the technological, medical, and other engineering problems of the future, and that form the basis for great civilizations”. He explained: “The core mission of our universities is to educate our students, not to entertain them with big-time sports events”. Steven Salzberg wrote this article expressing his negative opinions toward football in universities. He is out to convince his audience that schools are taking away the focus of academics and replacing it with a concentration on football.

One of the most common rhetorical appeals used in this article would be logos. Steven used logical points to support his claim with real-world examples. Salzberg states: “I’ve watched over the years as football has taken an ever-more prominent role in our high schools and colleges, as football coaches have been paid ever-higher salaries, and as football staffs and stadiums have been super-sized”. He is explaining to the audience about the economic choices the schools are making when it comes to football. He also says that schools aren’t benefiting from their football teams, but schools are still spending money on the necessities needed. Salzberg also used a situation that happen at the college he attended where the school had to fire a coach and had to pay him out two million dollars, but also hired a new coach. He used personal life experiences to give the audience something they may be able to relate to.

Salzberg uses strong words and points that strengthen his appeal to pathos, for example: “It is undermining our education system and hurting our competitiveness in technology, science, and engineering. If we keep it up, the U.S. will eventually be little more than the big, dumb jock on the world stage – good for entertainment on the weekend, but not taken seriously otherwise”. His use of pathos could cause the audience to question certain things that go on at these schools involving the financial situations with football. He tries to get the audience to see how much money is spent on this sport, but how little money is being spent on students’ education. That’s why he mentions that academic departments are cutting faculty and staff. Steven uses a quote from Obama and then states, “Obama is right: Students do come from all over the world to study in our universities. But they don’t come because of the football teams”. He’s implying that the students come to get an education, not for the football team. Steven employs the rhetorical appeal of pathos effectively.

Along with strong logos and pathos appeals, Salzberg also uses ethos throughout his article. He uses Barack Obama to build his credibility. In the article, Salzberg states a quote by Barack Obama: “We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair”. Steven gave examples and cited his sources which show that there’s evidence to support his claim.

In conclusion, Steven Salzberg did a superior job giving rhetorical appeals, sources, style, and examples to support his claim on why football should be banned. Although I don’t completely agree with doing away with football, he gave persuasive points and personal life experiences to back up everything he stated. Throughout the article, Steven used pathos, logos, and ethos to persuade the audience, as well as use quotes to give himself credibility. Salzberg successfully expressed his argument as to why football should be banned from universities.