While NFL is growing in popularity in Ireland, most people's familiarity with it would probably still be from an annual Super Bowl viewing or fictional depictions in movies and TV.
It's back on the agenda again after Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers confirmed that they will face off at the 50th Super Bowl in California tonight.
So just to get you in the mood for the real-life action, there are a few fictional portrayals worth watching.
Friday Night Lights
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!" After watching two seasons of the hit NBC show, I can say hands-down it is brilliant in its depiction of a small Texas town which completely revolves around the fortunes of its high school football team, the Dillon Panthers - and you don't even have to be hugely familiar with the sport to get a kick out of it.
That's because the characters have plenty of depth from the head coach Eric Taylor (played by Kyle Chandler who appears in Wolf of Wall Street as the investigator who brings down Leonardo Di Caprio's character) to the layered jock Tim Riggins and quarter-back Matt Saracen.
Through them, plenty of issues related to football and beyond are played out. Plus, the theme song is top class.
If you're on the hunt for it, you'll find all five seasons on Netflix. There is also a Friday Night Lights movie in existence, based on a book telling the true story of a high school football team.
The Waterboy
Chances are you have seen the Adam Sandler comedy before, but even if you have, it's one of those films worth a repeat watch.
For this quote alone from Sandler's character, it's worth a watch: "My Mama says that alligators are ornery because they got all them teeth and no toothbrush."
It's also the only film with repeat mentions of the biological term "medulla oblongata":
Jerry Maguire
A movie which earned five Oscar nominations and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Cuba Gooding Jr, it stars Tom Cruise as a sports agent who loses it all on the back of change of heart.
And it left us with this unforgettable line: "Show me the money. Oh-ho-ho! SHOW! ME! THE! MONEY!"
Remember The Titans
At the height of desegregation in the US, African-American coach Herman Boone (portrayed by Denzel Washington) takes charge of the T. C. Williams High School.
The movie has a moral compass in the sense that it's all about breaking down barriers - hence why it was shown to us in religion class back in my secondary school days.
That is but a mere taster of the movies and TV shows available, so if you have any suggestions of your own to add, tweet them into @newstalksport.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
