5 Reasons Why American Football Hasn't Caught On Abroad

The big American four—football, baseball, basketball and hockey—don't have the international appeal that they have in the states (hockey in Canada being the exception), but there's something about American football that has the world scratching its collective head.

It's ironic, since football is, by leaps and bounds, the most popular sport in this country. Heck, it's one of the most popular television programs in this country, period. Even with epic shows like "Game of Thrones" and "The Walking Dead" on Sunday night, their ratings don't even touch Sunday Night Football, which is one of the most watched shows of the week.

So why is the world so resistant to football? What are these international stereotypes of this great game and are they even true?

"Nothing Happens Between Plays"

Soccer is the ultimate ongoing sport. The clock only stops for the half and even runs through injuries (which does get tacked on at the end of the game). So it's easy for someone outside of the United States to see American football as a stop-and-go sport with nothing happening between plays.

But anyone who understands the game knows otherwise. Football is a game of chess, not checkers, and the games are really won and lost between plays as coaches and coordinators devise the next move that could make or break the entire season. This is also why good commentary is so crucial to the game. The guys up in the booth help us understand the strategy.