The X League Life- Playing for Beer, Part 1

 

 

The Rising Sun of Football in Japan

An American teacher (to his own surprise) brought the honorable T formation to some collegians in Tokyo ~ By Arthur Myers

"The Japanese have a way with American games that is all too scrutable: they are very good at them. They took over baseball as though it were a colony and they go at American-style football with a zeal that might be considered excessive at Notre Dame. Football is played at 19 Japanese colleges. The players may lack the beef of U.S. collegians but they make up for it in style and—it is the only word—ceremony...."

(Continued on page 99 of this classic SI issue published on November 30, 1964)

"So, You Want To Play Football in Japan?"

Living in Japan as an expatriate is a goal for many who have come here to visit and then fell in love with all Japan is. For some, like the many men who have come here to play professional football in Japan, they have made this land their home. Without being given the opportunity to play the gridiron game here, they may not have achieved their dreams.  

However, with that said, playing and living in Japan is unlike any other country in the Western Hemisphere or English speaking world, to which out co-host, Aaron Ellis can attest. Therefore, if you desire to play here, please give this podcast episode a listen. As it is one devoted to giving guidance to those wishing to play not just in Japan, but really anywhere abroad. Its a must listen!

The Intercontinental Gridiron Cup

"Gridiron Cup" is available
exclusively on Amazon

In another alternate universe, there is a version of Earth where "gridiron" is the true world sport controlled by that world's version of the International Federation of American Football, and "fútbol" is the number two sport that doesn't hold the same worldwide interest or passion as that of the oblong ball variety.  In this world, the gridiron game means as much to the rest of the world, as it does to the American South, and the Soviets have made it their mission to dominate not only the world, but also America's favorite sport.  

Fortunately, there is a way to travel to such a world, and that is through author Keegan Dresow's underground sports classic, in which it is a combination of the Cold War and the accidental genius of NFL Commissioner Bert Bell that push the all-American sport to the forefront of the frozen conflict and uneasy peace between the USSR and USA.  For anyone who loves sports fiction, his book is a must read, and caught in between the Superpowers in this 60 minute sports conflict, is the rest of the world in a competition for the world's biggest prize in sport, the "Gridiron Cup."  

The Gridiron Game in Japan, a Football Odyssey

"American Football in Japan may sound like a novelty, but in reality, the gridiron game has been played in the Land of the Rising Sun since the 1930s. Against the backdrop of World War II, and through many international games against American opponents, the sport developed and created a niche following for itself, entering another chapter in The Football Odyssey." `~ Aron Harris of The Football Odyssey podcast