Qualification for 2015 gridiron world cup a realistic goal for national side

As the National Football League readies itself for Super Bowl XLVI this Sunday between the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers – the de facto American sporting holiday of nachos, pizza, and beer – an ever-growing number of Danes will join the party.  Although still a fringe sport in this country, its countrymen and other Scandinavians have had a historically significant impact on the sport, and the future of gridiron in Denmark is bright.

The current upswing in popularity of the sport in Denmark is largely attributed to the ‘Zulu effect’, named after the TV station that started airing NFL games more than a decade ago. However, even before the sport took hold, it enjoyed a small yet loyal following in Denmark.       

The Danish American Football Federation (DAFF) traces its origins to the late 1980s and has grown exponentially since the first Mermaid Bowl (the Danish equivalent of the Super Bowl). The DAFF now counts over 3,500 members and approximately 60 clubs, exhibiting growth that suggests that an even bigger explosion in popularity might be forthcoming. The Mermaid Bowl is now televised, which can only add to the popularity of the sport in Denmark.   

Denmark is already ranked in the top 15 in the world, and with the 2015 International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship taking place in Stockholm, Denmark has an opportunity to show its prowess close to home, providing it qualifies for the 12-team tournament. Only four will come from Europe, and with Sweden guaranteed a spot as hosts, Denmark faces an uphill battle to crash the continent’s top tier of Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland and Great Britain.

While it is often remarked that the tall, strong, and athletic Danes have the perfect attributes to play sports more physically demanding than handball, their mental capabilities are often overlooked. As a nation, they are more likely to fight with tenacity and less likely to feign injury than many of their European counterparts. While not determinative, this suggests a national identity of toughness that is an essential element of gridiron. Perhaps these traits are, in fact, more suited to American than European football.    

If you are interested in watching a game, go and check one out in Denmark, where you can see the speed and physicality of the game the way it is supposed to be played – without the commercial breaks of the NFL. Those commercial breaks can slow the game to a grinding halt, and it isn’t hard to see why the NFL has had trouble expanding to a European market that isn’t accustomed to watching sporting events with such interruptions.  

If you want to try playing the game, check out your local DAFF club on Super Bowl Sunday.  Many of them are planning ‘rookie’ days, which will provide you with equipment, coaching, and a chance to play. You might never look back.  

Enjoy the Super Bowl for all of its glitz and glamour and million dollar commercials, but also know that the international landscape is there for the picking. If Denmark embraces the sport, there is no reason to believe that they cannot excel. In a sport requiring strength, toughness and efficiency, Denmark might just be a perfect match.

Factfile | Norse influences in American football

• One of the most historically significant coaches in the history of the sport was Knute Rockne, a native Norwegian. Rockne’s exploits are well documented.  Born in Voss in 1888, he moved to Chicago at a young age, and eventually turned Notre Dame University football into one of most iconic sporting symbols in America.  He revolutionised several aspects of the sport - from the pre-snap shift to the forward pass – and still has the highest winning percentage of any major college or professional American football coach, winning 102 games, losing only 12, and drawing five.  When he died in a plane crash at the age of 43, President Herbert Hoover called his passing “a national loss”, and King Haakon VII of Norway attended his funeral.
• The Minnesota Vikings were named to reflect Minnesota’s status as a centre of Scandinavian culture in America.  Certainly, the image of the historical Viking – powerful and dominant – translates perfectly to American football.
• The most well known native Dane in American football remains Morten Andersen.  Born in Copenhagen and raised in Jutland, Andersen was a star youth athlete in Denmark before using his powerful left leg to embark on a 25-year NFL career.  No-one in NFL history has scored more points or played in more games.  
• Many Americans with Danish roots have made their mark as players.  This ranges from Merlin Olsen, the Hall of Fame defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams, to Greg Olsen, the ultra-athletic tight end currently playing for the Carolina Panthers.  
• It doesn’t take long to find a Danish surname when watching American football, whether it be in the NFL, or in the traditionally Danish-rich major college teams in Utah, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.