Football, 1 name, two sports.

[Alex]

Well, here it is. American Football vs Football (Soccer).

Biscuit and I will discuss which one should acctually get the name.

Biscuit will post his first debate and I will respond ect.

[Biscuit]

Football, often claimed by the English, was firstly 'invented' by the Chinese. It became quite popular in the early 1900's. The word 'football' is simple in its name foot and ball.
American Football involves mainly handling the ball.
Firstly in it's name American football is not true to its name. American football does involve kicking but scoring from a kick is not as good as scoring a touchdown with your hands. If anything, American football should be called 'American Handball'.

[Alex]

I disagree, you see the game of Soccer, or widly known to the rest of the world Football, does use feet there is no arguing that. However the game of American Football or Gridiron starts with the kicking of the ball.

For example, the New Year is called the new year. Even though for the rest of the year it isn't new.

American Football is called football because it starts with the kicking of the ball, even if for the rest of the game it doesn't use much feet.

[Biscuit]

You are correct, but basketball is started with a ball being thrown in the air, do you think calling that ' American Throw Ball in the Air' would sound correct?

American football can be related to Rugby in essence of the game mainly the ball shape, kicking for trys and scoring 'touchdowns'. Do you not think American Rugby would be a better suited name instead of football as American football is more like rugby than 'soccer'.

On a wider scale anyone can see how America takes words and/or ideas of these words and changes them. For example, a word used to insult homosexuals there is the word for a cigarette here. Misuse of words by Americans is widely known but due to the access of entertainment most of the western hemisphere understands what Americans mean by these 'misunderstandings' of words but most Americans don't know this (not directing this at you Alex but on a the wider scale of the country).

[Alex]

I understand your point, however the point of basketball is to put the ball in the basket. On that case, wouldn't Football / Soccer be called Goalball?

Also, American Football is based on rugby, however is not just practiced in America, i'm sure that many are aware of the recently cancled Europian Football Leuage, however there is also an international football leauge (american football) that has teams from all over the world. They play one another just as any other sport would and in the end have a championship game. This year American won, before that Japan won the 3 previous championship games in a row.

[Biscuit]

Yes but you said the game of American football starts with the kicking of the ball, basketball starts with the ball being thrown in the air. That was where I was coming from.

I know American Football is a worldwide sport. 2 teams played in Wembly Stadium a while back. It brought more attention to the sport but it also gained more 'haters'. England were put out of Euro 2008 and many blame the American football players 'tearing up' the pitch, my point here is that people will blame anything they can on failure.

Anyway,
My main point is football was created long before American football or rugby, the name football was given to 'soccer' and simply enough I think the use of it for American football rises a little confusion that could be avoided by renaming American Football to something more original. I know the name is well established now in America but I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult for officials of the sport to be original.

[Alex]

I understand your point, however one of Football / Soccer's older and probibly less widly known names was Kickball. Why didn't soccer or football stay with that.

You see the name hardly defines the sport, Hocky uses a puck and ice.
Ping Pong is pretty much mini tennis
Base Ball uses bases, however the main of the game is the ball and the bat

You see, many games only partially use things from the game in their name. There is no reason why "American Football" can't just be football.

[Biscuit]

Yes, the name doesn't define the sport but baseball makes a lot more sense than American Football. Apart from it being in America, what makes it American?
To me, American Rugby makes a lot more sense. Albeit I don't like rugby therefore I would not care about the confusion there.
Football is the most widely followed sport in the world, therefore it should claim the name 'football'. Every nation in the world has a national football team, most have local leagues, divisions (Smaller leagues), numerous championships.
The World Cup is the highest rating sport for viewers in the world. The majority isn't always right but the majority always gets what they want.

[Alex]

True, however as stated before one of Football or Soccers more less comonly known and older names is / was Kickball, in Football / Soccer you kick the ball, if we were to name the these sports after what is primerily used in them Kickball would be just as valid a name for Football as Football is. My point is that if American Football shouldn't be called football for the reasons that many believe then Soccer/Football has just as many reasons not to be.

I have no doubt that Football is more popular then American football around most parts of the world but again, there is the International Football Leuage (American football), not only that but many places have their own leuges.

For example, Germany, Ireland, Great Britan and several Asian nations all have their own football leuages (american football) while it may be less impressive to some parts of the world there can be no denying that it exists and is somewhat popular to the countries it represents.

[Biscuit]

Kickball is a good name for football but if you ask once person from every country in the world you'll have to agree that most would refer it to 'soccer', therefore it being best used for 'soccer'.

"The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of association football, often credited to former England captain, Charles Wreford-Brown."

You see, the name for football is much older than that of American Football. Plagiarism of the word is enough reason for it to be changed.

[Stubert]

No.

**EDITED**
~Semper

[Alex]

Im gonna skip stubs post cause i don't understand what he is trying to say

@ Bix,

Your saying that American Football has copied the name of Football / Soccer, however as previously said Football / Soccer was also named Kickball. They changed their name to football and I believe that ultimitly puts them out of the running for the name.

Football / Soccer is older, and had the name first.

However for example those that know of the Iphone might know that before Apple made the Iphone there was a different Iphone made by a different company. Now you may also see that the Apple Iphone has remained the Iphone and has thrived.

This can be put onto American Football aswell. It may have come after but that makes it no less worthy. Also, if many places as I've said before have made their own smaller Football leuges (american football) Perhaps given adiquite funding these could become as big as American Football is in america, then it may even outshine the "world cup".

[Biscuit]

I'm going to keep this short as I'm tired - With what you posted I can put an example forward, naming the sport of swimming 'football' would be the same? Call anything what you want but for it to be an original sport, firstly it needs an original name and putting the name of the country in front another name doesn't make it unique..
If you will - People who call themselves Italian Americans, African Americans etc.. are still Americans and most of which have been born in America. Put what you will before it.. you're American. End of. I could call myself Scottish Irish.. but I don't.. I was born in Ireland therefore I'm Irish..

[Alex]

If you knew about football (american) you would know that it wasnt being called "American Football" untill people started complaining that Soccer was football. However if you've noticed people that play or follow "American Football" only call it football.

Just the same, people that watch soccer call it football you see.

[Biscuit]

If you read one of my previous posts it states that soccer is a slang word for football. It's not the original name.
If you liked cricket and it was called 'football' in the West Indies and you lived in the West Indies this would be the same argument. Rugby isn't the most popular sport there ever was but I'm sure when people needed a new sport in America they didn't want it associated with 'England' but enjoyed the sport and they decided to call it rugby for the easiness of it! You think that when America gained Independence they could have thought of something original, yet the still haven't thought of it or become their own unique nation. America is just a mix of everything else.