The American version of teamwork.

9. NFL is the only league to follow
In Europe, there are several soccer leagues to follow. In fact, most of the larger countries each have their own leagues. But with the NFL, there is only one league to follow. Sure, there’s arena league football as well as the CFL. Heck, there’s even NFL Europe where backups can go and play in the off season. But no one pays attention to any of the leagues other than the NFL, because even when football is in its off season, there will still be news about teams. In fact, most news outlets don’t even cover those other football leagues. But for real proof, just ask yourself when the last time you went out and saw someone wearing a Sherdrick Bonner jersey.

8. Athletic players come in all shapes and sizes
In soccer, most guys have the same body type. It’s a thin but muscular build with the variety generally being differences of height. Sure, there are exceptions, like England’s Peter Crouch, who is built like a thin version of Yao Ming, or the pudgy (by soccer standards) Ronaldo of Brazil, but in general, most guys have similar builds. In football, guys can be thin and lean, but fast, like Randy Moss. They can be muscular but quick off the line, like Dwight Freeney. Or they can be huge, but agile, like Kelley Gregg. You don’t have to be the biggest guy at your position to make a difference either. Ray Lewis was drafted late in the first round by the Ravens because many teams considered him to be undersized. Maurice Jones-Drew is only 5’7”, but he laid out Shawn Merriman this past week with a monstrous block. The fact of the matter is the NFL is a league where guys consistently play outside what is considered the limit for their body types.

7. Football games mean more
With only sixteen games in the schedule, every football game is important. Losing the first four games of the season would be disastrous for most NFL squads. However, that’s exactly what the D.C. United did in the MLS, yet they still managed to make the playoffs. Because there are more soccer games (generally around 30 games, give or take a few depending on the league) each game doesn’t hold as much weight. The drama of a football season can truly be exciting on a weekly basis because every game could decide if a team makes the playoffs. No lead ever feels safe until a team has numerically clenched a playoff berth.

6. The Nazis were afraid of football
Back when Nazi Germany was trying to topple the rest of Europe in World War II, the Nazis sent some operatives to the United States to learn about our culture. Apparently, the Germans decided to check out a football game so they ventured to Chicago and observed the Bears. Afterwards, they wrote back to their commanding officers that the United States was not a country to go to war with. It was said that the reason behind the hesitation was the football game, because if football is what we did for fun, they didn’t want to have to meet us on the battlefield.

5. Football is more strategic
People will look at football and immediately see the strategy. After all, plays are drawn up just to stop other plays or specific players. In fact, coaches are paid a lot of money just to outthink opponents. But the fact of the matter is that there is a lot more strategy involved than just calling the right plays. Football requires careful management of the clock, something that has won or lost games for teams. And there is also odd scoring system. Six points for a touchdown, but one point for an extra point, or two points if a team runs a successful play for the points after the score. Field goals are three points, and on the rare occasion, a safety adds two points to the scoreboard. Coaches much know when to go for points and when to play it safe. They have to measure their special teams versus the other team’s return guy. It all adds up to a game that has a lot more going on that most people realize, making it all the more impressive when teams win a lot of games in a row.

4. Exciting hits are part of the game
There are hits in soccer, but generally speaking, hitting is not part of the game. Officials look for it and punish players who do it unless it is clear that the player was making a play on the ball. In football, hits come on nearly every play. And not just to the guy with the ball. Offensive linemen can pancake pass rushers, and defensive linemen are allowed to crush blockers. As long as the quarterback has possession of the ball, he is fair game, and there have been some vicious hits that are legal within the limits of the game made to players of that position. ESPN even has a segment entitled “Jacked Up” where they celebrate the week’s biggest and most brutal hits. While it’s never fun to see someone get injured, there is a primal thrill to watching a guy lay the wood to another guy in a good, solid hit.

3. Fans are safer
Soccer fans have been known to be so rowdy that they collapse the very stadium they are sitting in. And those are just the excited, regular fans. Soccer fanatics, known as hooligans, are often violent and dangerous. Just this past year, two Brazilian fans brought a hand grenade to a soccer match, planning to toss it under a bus carrying fans from the other team. Thankfully they were caught with the explosive before their plan was allowed to unfold. Football fans are wild as well, but in a different way. They will dress up in their team colors, wear outlandish outfits, and often time bring signs or posters in support of their team. Fans of the NFL do have energy, but they release it in a different way than soccer fans. They use their energy to drink beer, eat hotdogs, and enjoy Sundays afternoons by tailgating.

2. Salary cap helps parity
Most leagues in soccer do not have a salary cap, similar to the MLB in the states. For every Red Sox and Yankees team in baseball, there is a Chelsea and Manchester United in soccer – teams that can afford to buy the best talent available and have a team that is in contention every single season. However, in the NFL, teams have a salary cap. Generally speaking, most teams cannot hoard talent and it is difficult to keep lots of great players on the same team with contracts that expire and players who want more money. This has created an era where it is possible for most teams to contend, and it becomes difficult to pick the winner at the opening of each season. For fans of the game, it translates to the real possibility that their team is a contender every single year.

1. Commercials
Commercials that run during football have become a thing of legend. From some truly creative commercials that air during the Super Bowl, to the press conference commercials that come on today, the commercials shown during football games are sometimes better than the games themselves. After all, how many times have you heard someone say “I’m just watching the Super Bowl for the commercials.”? From the incredible commercial that was on earlier this year where Stephen Jackson was running the ball to the theme from Last of the Mohicans, to a funny, catchy commercial that sang “I love football on TV, shots of Geena Lee, hanging with me friends, and twins!” you just can’t go wrong. And while we’re on the subject of twins, football also has cheerleaders, who are great because they practice and perform meticulous routines that require a high degree of skill and concentration. And that’s the only reason guys like and appreciate cheerleaders. Honest.