I’m A (Alison formally if I am in trouble).
I built this site to learn American football, and being an NFL fan, and then explain it clearly to people who were never taught it. Like myself.
That’s the whole idea. No prior knowledge is assumed, and nothing is gatekept.
I’m a marketer by day, but a sports fan for life.
I have spent years doing SEO and content in sports betting, which is exactly how I noticed what was missing. For all the noise around the NFL, almost nothing explained the game clearly to someone starting from zero.
You could find endless analysis written for people who already knew the sport inside out, and next to nothing for the person just trying to work out why everyone suddenly stops and boots the ball away on purpose. And yes, football here means the NFL, the American game, not the sport we’d call football over here (soccer in the US).
How I ended up with an NFL blog
I am a huge sports fan, and being from England, I love soccer (kills me to write it this way lol).
I have always been aware of the NFL, but like most non-US fans I always viewed it as something of a novelty and just rugby with padding. Things changed for me in 2020, when I was shown a documentary called Last Chance U.
The stories of the young men, boys really, with dreams but from some really troubling backgrounds were what drew me in.
Watching them try to break the cycle of poverty and trauma through their love of American football was what got me hooked on the game.
Watching their raw talent, the hard work they put into their training and then watching them play was what sold me.
This underdog, outsider mentality really resonated with me and that is why my NFL team of choice is the Raiders…
As both a sports fan and a sports betting marketer, what really drives my fascination is the sheer depth of it. The way fans read their teams, their players and the game itself is staggering from the outside.That depth is the best part of being a fan. It’s also exactly what makes the whole thing feel daunting if you didn’t grow up with it.
What Gridiron Decoded is
Be Brief, Be Gone.
One of my favourite phrases. I won’t be offended if you get what you want and disappear! Why?
Wherever I can, I give you the plain answer first, then one more layer for the reader who’s ready for it. You take what you need and leave the rest.
What the stats really measure, how the rules play out, how a team is built, how the season and the playoffs fit together. All of it should be easy to understand. Every term gets explained the first time it comes up, because the explaining is the point, not padding.
I write for people. I write for the curious outsider who wants a way in, and the fan who already watches and wants the deeper layer underneath.
If we are honest, we are all both the outsider and individuals always wanting to know and understand more.
How Gridiron Decoded stays free
Honesty is the whole point of this place, so here it is plainly. When Gridiron Decoded carries a sponsored placement, it’s clearly labelled and every paid link is marked as sponsored. That’s how I keep the explainers free to read. I don’t do undisclosed advertising, and I don’t take payment to tell you a bet is a good idea. Where betting touches a topic at all, it lives in a small, clearly flagged sub-section, explained neutrally, never the reason a page exists.
One final note
I am under no illusion about how limited my knowledge of the NFL is, or about what it’s really like to be a fan in the US.
US NFL fans are something else, their passion and knowledge are intense and something I have found fascinating.
I am very open to feedback, corrections or anything else you think might be useful or interesting!
I am on a steep learning curve and what will surely be a massive rollercoaster this season as a Raiders fan.
If you have made it this far, THANK YOU.
A
Still have more questions?
Email me at partners@gridirondecoded.com .
Sponsorship enquiries are welcome, and I’ll consider genuine guest editorials, interviews or insight-driven content if it comes from someone who actually works at the company and has something useful to say to a reader learning the NFL.