With the Super Bowl just around the corner, Paul McCartney, who headlined the halftime show in 2005, has shared his thoughts on what he calls American football, and it turns out he’s a fan.
In a new Q&A on his website, the rocker was asked how he first got into watching the sport, and it seems his wife Linda is responsible.
“Well, being married to Linda meant I was in America quite a bit. We spent a lot of time there with her family and American Football was always on the television,” he explains. “I would watch it with everyone but not really know what was going on!”
McCartney says he didn’t understand the game until Linda clued him in to keep his eye on the quarterback, telling him, “All the action comes from him.”
“So, once I had that clue, I found it much easier to follow,” he says.
“I watched a lot of it and grew to really like it, because it’s quite a complicated and strategic game – and obviously very athletic,” Sir Paul says, joking, “In Britain we used to laugh at it, saying, ‘They wear all those pads and protective gear. We don’t, we’ve got rugby, a proper sport!'”
“But I got over all that, and found I really liked it,” he adds. “So yeah, I’m a big fan of football, American-style.”
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