Through the Eyes of an American

By Taylor Fisher | 22nd October 2008

Through the Eyes of an American | read this item

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Ronaldo Growing up, it never really occurred to me that a Portuguese footballer scoring a goal 3,000 miles away had the ability to make my heart skip a beat. But, as of October 2007, that is exactly what a certain Manchester United winger does to me. For the past year, I have been immersed in the football world with the help of Manchester United and their influence outside of English borders. I have always loved and played soccer, but I never really followed any teams, not even the MLS. It always seemed so boring to watch. I would much rather be playing than watching the New England Revolution maybe score a goal. Of course this has all changed over the past year. I have gone from being a “soccer” fan to a semi-legitimate football fan.

It took a little while to really get into it, but eventually I was watching every Manchester United game and any other games that I could watch. I jumped on the “football bandwagon” at a pretty good time too, because I was able to witness a fantastic season by Manchester United. I started off as just a casual fan who just watched the games with everybody else, but that soon changed. I realized that my love for watching Premier League football had really started when my favorite players changed to more “obscure” names that are normally seen at the top of a more “regular” fan’s list. Names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Steven Gerrard soon made way for names such as Owen Hargreaves, Paul Scholes, and Michael Carrick.

Now I’m not saying that I know as much as a die-hard fan, but I learn more and more every day about the beautiful game that is football. Whether I am learning more about role players like Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves or actually learning why players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard are considered world class, I am continuing to expand my knowledge about the most widely played and watched game all over the globe. I continue to religiously follow the Premier League this season just like last season, and I have witnessed several flashes of brilliance already, only a few games into the season. Most notably, teams such as newly-promoted Hull are sitting pretty in 3rd place, ahead of powerhouses Arsenal and Manchester United. Also, teams like Newcastle and Tottenham, who should be sitting around the middle of the table, are cellar dwelling in 19th and 20th place, respectively. Meanwhile, perennial hardworkers Middlesbrough and Wigan have had a decent start to the season, and are on pace to avoid relegation just like last year. I’m wondering, just like everybody else, why Juande Ramos is still the Tottenham manager after proving through the first two months of the season that his team is incapable of beating anybody, home or away. The only thing Tottenham has shown themselves capable of is that they can put up Derby-like numbers, and we all know what happened to Derby.

After my first year full year as a Premier League follower, I cannot wait to see what the rest of this season brings. I cannot wait for more fantastic finishes, exciting story lines, and much more! One thing I do know, is that this season will be just as exciting – if not more exciting – than my first Premier League roller coaster ride.

Discuss this article and much more at the Premiership Talk Forum.

Middlesbrough Fan says:

October 22, 2008 at 6:17 pm

The way we’re playing right now i’ll be happy to be above the bottom 3 come January and hope we strengthen the squad. As much as it pains me to say it I think Newcastle will be ok and we’ll see them picking up wins soon, they seem to have settled down a bit.

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Taylor Fisher says:

October 22, 2008 at 3:59 pm

Since I don’t live in England, I can say it’s probably safer if I like more than one team. Hull has been really exciting so far, and I can’t wait for Man City to pick it up. I don’t think your boys will get relegated seeing they have had a decent start to the season. They are certainly not even close to being in as bad form as Tottenham, Stoke, and Newcastle.

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Brian Lofrumento says:

October 22, 2008 at 3:54 pm

Thanks for your kind words, Middlesbrough Fan. I’m sure Boro will start picking up the pace soon. With that said, would you simply be happy avoiding relegation or are your sights set higher up the table?

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Middlesbrough Fan says:

October 22, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Nice site you’ve got here, always interesting to hear how people from a pre-dominantly non-football country find the sport and grow to love it.

Shame about the team though ;)

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Taylor Fisher says:

October 22, 2008 at 1:29 pm

I started to follow Man Utd for a couple of reasons. First, my friend is a die-hard fan of them, so he watches the games religiously as well. I also felt comfortable starting out supporting them because I knew more of their players. My fanhood may have changed after watching all the games, but it didn’t. I am so glad too because when i watch Man Utd, I see an explosive offensive attack coupled with a stingy defense. With a lineup that includes: Berbatov, Ronaldo, Rooney, Rio, Vidic, and Evra, you really can’t go wrong. As far as how the EPL compares to the MLS, I just find the Premier League so much more exciting. The level of play in the EPL is far superior compared to the MLS. Also, if I am going to be watching American sports, i’m going to be watching the Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox because i love the history that comes with these two teams. That is probably why i chose Man Utd as well because they have such a rich and glorious history. I’m not a die-hard fan, but i love the Premier League as a whole because any team can win any given week as we have seen through the first 8 games of the season. Hope that nice long description answers your questions.

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Josh says:

October 22, 2008 at 12:51 pm

Good read. Enjoyed this article a lot.

What made you follow Man Utd though? And how would you compare the English Premier League to the MLS?

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