Twenty-two men battle for control of a 531/3-yard-wide by 100-yard-long patch of earth for 16 weeks every year as millions of ravenous fans scream them on.
Professional football has captured the imagination of Americans for the past 84 years, and many of those viewers are children inspired by their gridiron heroes, who perform miraculous moves every week as part of the National Football League.
In response to its legions of younger fans, the NFL has set up a Web site just for them filled with football-related games, facts and basic trivia about the teams and the sport they love.
Playfootball.com
Site address: www.playfootball.com
Creator: The National Football League, headquartered in New York, developed Playfootball.com in 1999 as part of its NFL Internet Network, which also includes NFL.com and individual sites for each of its 32 member clubs.
Creator quotable: “The NFL created Playfootball.com to provide a fun online environment where children can learn about the game of football and have fun at the same time. Kids can read about their favorite NFL players and also play interactive games on the site, but more importantly, they can learn how to play football and find out where they can go to play football in their own communities,” says Chris Russo, senior vice president of the NFL’s new media and publishing division.
Word from the Webwise: Looking more crowded than the Washington Redskins offensive line trying to fit into a Volkswagen, the site’s front page beckons children to join in some football fun through an overload of flashing icons, spinning illustrations and rotating photos. The page has plenty of colorful text and a background highlighting all of the league’s team logos.
Main sections reside near the 50-yard line of an on-screen field, with the most content-loaded being Football Facts, Be a Player and Games.
For the young statistician in the family, or anyone new to the game, Football Facts provides a great starting point by offering lessons on the players’ positions and equipment and the field they play on. All involve colorful illustrations, animated diagrams, sound effects and pop-up text boxes to explain such terms as hash marks and neck rolls and the important job of the tackle.
The section also contains interviews with behind-the-scenes folks such as broadcasters and referees, up-to-date team standings, and league statistics.
Those dreaming of a career in the game will want to check out Be A Player, which highlights each football position by using an information-filled page containing each player’s responsibilities, interviews with past and present stars, trivia, equipment required, and key tips to succeeding at the positions.
The linebacker area was especially interesting, as it discussed the importance of focus and strength and staying hydrated during games. It also offered tips on tackling and had interviews with the Chicago Bears’ Brian Urlacher, the Miami Dolphins’ Zach Thomas and a spotlight on the Houston Texans’ Jamie Sharper.
Fans looking to test their football knowledge and reflexes can dive into the Games area to participate in eight challenges. The most interesting include guessing the meaning of a referee’s body gesture (You Make the Call), a Pac-Man-like game using a helmet and tackle dummies titled Tackleman and the extraterrestrial football blasting adventure NFL 3096.
Ease of use: The site is compatible with all computers and operating systems that have the latest Macromedia Flash and Shockwave plug-ins installed (along with the Real Media Player to enjoy a weekly almost-two-minute video highlight of a real football game).
Don’t miss: The most eclectic link, Team Sites for Kids, takes visitors to specific sites created by 20 members of the NFL. The mixed bag offers online fare ranging from a Concentration-type, player’s-mug-matching game from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers site to creating a player’s face using various Green Bay Packers.
Clearly, the worst site comes from the San Francisco 49ers. It allows children to become part of the 49ers Miners Kids Club by filling out a page and mailing in $20 — with no mention of what they receive for the cash.
Family activity: The section Get Involved provides a link to the NFL Youth Football Network, where parents and children can find programs in their communities to sign up for and start playing football.
Cybersitter synopsis: Considering that this is a purely a promotional device to hook a new generation to watch professional sports teams, I was amazed by the restraint shown by the developers as far as offering no store to buy licensed NFL products and no annoying banner ads promoting food or beverages.
Children looking to have fun with the game will have definitely come to the right place and will stop back often to enjoy the multiple multimedia experiences.
Overall grade: A
Remember: The information on the Internet is constantly changing. Please verify the advice on the sites before you act to be sure it’s accurate and updated. Health sites, for example, should be discussed with your own physician.
Have a cool site for the family? Write to Joseph Szadkowski at Webwise, The Washington Times, 3600 New York Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002; call 202/636-3016; or send an e-mail message (jszadkowski@ washingtontimes.com).
Please read our comment policy before commenting.