Baseball and Football in the United States of America - Essay Example

Sport is a highly organized and professionalized endeavor.  Some players in these nations make sizable fortunes because millions of people are willing to pay to watch them play or to wear their team colors.  The wide variety of sports available globally is astounding.  This is true in developing and developed nations alike.  In the wealthiest nation in the world, the United States of America, the two most popular sports are Baseball and Football.  These two sports typify sports globally because they are both wildly popular, yet are incredibly different in their pacing, scoring, and entertainment value.

American football is a very fast game that requires teams to make set plays.  Players on offense try to gain yardage so they can score points in an area called the end zone.  Football is a timed game.  Players must move quickly, run the play and then prepare for the running of the next play.  Other sports from all over the world that have similar pacing are rugby and soccer.  Baseball has a completely different pace.  There is no clock in baseball.  You play a set number of innings.

  An inning could last 10 minutes or 30 minutes.  As a result, baseball games proceed at a more leisurely pace than football games.  Baseball is paced similarly to a cricket match.The scoring in football is more complex than in baseball.  In football, there are several different ways to score points.  Six points are awarded for crossing into the end zone with the ball.  There is then an opportunity to score one extra point by kicking the ball through goalposts.  You may also try to score two extra points after a touchdown by moving the ball into the end zone again.

  Finally, three points can be scored for a field goal. This also involves kicking the ball through some goal posts from anywhere on the field.  Baseball is scored simply by keeping track of the number of runners to cross home plate.  The entertainment value of these two sports is also very different.  People that want fast action and lots of physical contact tend to be football fans.  The day of the game is often an all-day party, where people gather outside of the stadium to picnic in the hours before and after the game.

  Baseball attracts people that like to have a slower sporting experience.  The game may last anywhere between two to four hours, so you can’t schedule one in between important events or you will feel rushed.  Baseball requires an open day that can be enjoyed in the park.