Americans go crazy for AFL with no other major league live sport being played around the world
After watching Aussie rules for the first time last weekend, American sporting fans are also feeling the loss of AFL and they can’t wait to see “Cox-zilla” back in action.
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The AFL’s newest fan Pat McAfee is “bummed” the season has been put on hold.
The former NFL punter turned broadcaster described Aussie rules as “my favourite sport I’ve ever seen” after tuning into the Essendon-Fremantle clash last Saturday.
However, McAfee will have to wait until at least May 31, the AFL’s proposed restart date, to watch his next game.
“The thing that I’m very bummed about getting postponed, was my new-found love — the AFL,” McAfee said on The Pat McAfee Show.
The thing that I'm very bummed about getting postponed was my new found love the @AFL #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/FGQNbsJTWr
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 23, 2020
McAfee said he was famililar with rugby but Aussie rules was a more entertaining sport to watch.
And he had read up on American import Mason Cox, who he referred to as “Cox-zilla”.
“Rugby, very tough sport, I respect it but it’s a little too slow for me,” he said.
“For me the mosh pits and the whole thing, it’s not what I would enjoy watching. But then when I watched an Aussie rules football game the other night for the first time in my life I was like, ‘Wait a minute, this sport is awesome’. A lot of wide, open running, a lot of juking, there’s like six or seven punts a minute.
“The punting is the only way you score. There’s these (Randy) Moss-like catches from people, there’s an American in the league called Mason Cox – they call him Coxzilla – he’s six foot 10.
“The sport is potentially the best sport I’ve ever seen and I had never in a million years taken the time to watch it, ever.”
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American sporting fans instantly fell in love with Australian rules football after major cable channel Fox Sports 1 televised Essendon’s match against Fremantle.
With every major sport in the US suspended or cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak – including the NBA, NHL, MLS and NCAA – the AFL competition found itself front and centre on US television because there was nothing else to broadcast.
The game was an immediate hit with McAfee.
“I’ve watched one quarter of Aussie Rules Football and I already know that this sport was supposed to be my calling back in the day,” he said.
“This was supposed to be my sport.
“When my child arrives in the next couple (years), his a** is gonna be punting & punching balls all around the house.”
Among his seven tweets about the game, McAfee was also mesmerised by the boundary line throw-ins.
“WHOA.. what the f*** was the backwards overhead throw in thing? DIDN’T THINK THIS GAME COULD GET MORE ELECTRIC then the ball went out of bounds.”
And he liked the way Jake Stringer performed.
“Stringer’s a playmaker. Can I buy his jersey? And is it a sleeveless as well?”
Other new-found admirers described Aussie Rules as “absolute insanity” and “a better version than soccer”.
I’ve watched one quarter of Aussie Rules Football and I already know that this sport was supposed to be my calling back in the day.
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 21, 2020
This was supposed to be my sport.
When my child arrives in the next couple yrs, his ass is gonna be punting & punching balls all around the house.
So the whistle after a kick completion... is that like a “yup, you caught that mate and if you take any steps forward the other team can slaughter you BUT, you can go backwards in a straight line FREE OF CHARGE†whistle from the ref?
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 21, 2020
Aussie Rules football is on FS1 and, not going to lie, I’m a fan.
— Chris Collins âš”ï¸ 2017 National Champs (@CCollins0917) March 21, 2020
Have no idea what’s happening but it’s absolute insanity.
I have now resorted to watching Australian football on FS1. I have no idea what is going on but it’s quite possibly the most entertained that I’ve been in days.
— Trenton Cody (@TrentonJCody) March 21, 2020
Aussie football is like a better version of soccer
— LukeWalkItOut (@LukeWalkitout) March 21, 2020
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