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Time to change America’s game? Your Say

USA TODAY

Letter to the editor:

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady huddles with teammates in a game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Nov. 29, 2015.

Obviously, editorial writer Dan Carney doesn’t understand either football or soccer (“Football is foreign to American values: Column”).

Football (American style) is truly an American sport. There’s offense. There’s defense. But that’s also true in soccer. The difference? Control. In American football, teams take turns. The offense tries to score, and the defense tries to stop scoring. In soccer, you’re handicapped. You can’t use your arms, and therefore you can’t fully control the ball. The ball quickly changes sides. It's chaos.

American football is much more like war. Each side puts its resources together in gathering intel, scouting, planning and execution. It’s how wars are won. It’s American all the way.

Larry Taylor; Olympia, Wash.

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media

Football is foreign to American values: Column

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

The U.S. was founded on the idea the individual takes priority over the collective. A truly American sport would be an individual sport.

— Ed Phillips

Football and other pro sports are just the modern version of the gladiator games. As long as people keep themselves busy yelling at the TV and chugging beer, they don't have any energy left to think about anything important.

— Jae Pea

Although soccer will never become America’s game, its long-range prospects are better than the NFL’s. As time passes, head injuries will really begin to take their toll on football.

— Carl Danese

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