So awesome. He's the Alexis de Tocqueville of the SEC.

I once produced a feature explaining the NFL phenomenon to a British audience. It was narrated by Adam West.

the most insane spectacle ive ever witnessed in my life was opening day at a philadelphia eagles game. the nfl has a bigger budget to work with, so r. kelly sang the national anthem while a flag large enough to cover the entire field was unfurled, and then 4 fighter jets buzzed the stadium (still to this day the loudest goddamn thing i've ever heard in my life) causing me to throw worth of awful stadium beer to the ground in shock. and then 4-5 different helicopters and the goodyear blimp perched over the stadium for most of the game.

also, you are being shagged by a rare parrot!

Before the sound out of sync message popped up, I thought he was swearing and they were muting that part.

I like that his view of America is "This is fucked but awesome".

"LIVING ON A PRAAAAAYER!"

The soundtrack at the beginning is from Alien.

Stephen's languid pause by the shirtless boys was adorable.

Ridiculous, overpopulated, expensive, American.

*sniff* God bless us everyone.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT that opening montage music (after the ominous chords) is the overture to Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, which was a major flop. I think I listened to it on the bus today. God, knowing stupid stuff makes me feel irrationally smart.

No, Stephen, they just see an excuse to drink a lot and make fun of a rival college with their frat buddies. Also, pep bands are involved. If anything is impressive, it's how little violence goes on off the field, and how civil everyone stays with rivals in the house.

Coming from Britain, where Man U in the 80s used to PREVENT fans from having access to tickets for games abroad because they knew unruly hooligan ones would show up drunk and destroy Turin or Milan with or without consent anyways and didn't want the blood to be on their hands, he should know better than to christen this as special.

I wonder if Fry would have the same reaction if he knew that 95% of the people in the state of Alabama care more about this college football rivalry than anything else in the world. A great many of them are religious and/or political extremists, yet they care more about this than God, country, state infrastructure, or culture of any other variety. The vast majority of Alabamians do not care to receive intellectual or spiritual fulfillment by any other means. Sport fanaticism is not unique to Alabama, but I doubt it is anywhere more pervasive or inexcusable.

5 for wretchedness.

American football fanaticism has nothing on soccer. Since I assume Stephen Fry must know this I believe what he is shocked by is by the fan fare to go along with the football. Does Soccer have all of the pre-game, mid-game, post-game, in-game shows? The constant streaming of bands, cheerleaders, flag guard, dance squad, and streakers?

No you stole that from Rugby....which we also invented, wanker.