NFL is a work in progress in China

NFL is a work in progress in China

To the editor:
    The NFL came to Guangzhou this week. A trip into downtown on a Sunday afternoon revealed a large blow up linebacker at the sports center in the heart of downtown. For most Chinese the idea of American sports is bizarre. There is not a tradition of interscholastic sports as there is in the U.S. Very few schools will compete with each other for a title or rank in sports. Students who are good in sports will often be diverted into special sports programs and schools if there is the hint of Olympic potential.

    Calisthenics are the standard for students. In the morning there are typical groups of students exercising in a regimented form. Groups of seniors will be doing their Tai Chi exercises in the parks and you might see one or two people in their own space doing various exercises.. Since the majority of travel and activity is still based on bicycling and walking to a place the Chinese can get by. You will not see the little electric carts. My students are stunned that people need the carts and use them.
    American football is a big person’s sport. With most players now topping 250 pounds, the players are about three times the size of most Chinese. Watching the public relations staff try to explain the various aspects of football to the Chinese was humorous. Most of these assistants are about 100 pounds dripping wet and very slender. They make up for the slightness of size with a huge amount of passion.
    NFL’s Barry Sanders made an appearance and he towered over the majority of fans. Still it was nice to see the good humor everyone had in trying to understand two very foreign concepts, football and size. The NFL is trying to enter the largest market in the world. It is a work in progress. If they keep at it then maybe in a few years there will be a Chinese fullback. Time will tell. Still it is a nice sign of the Christmas holiday season starting since so many of the stores around the sports center had some sort of Christmas decorations, usually decorated trees. The holidays have begun.