American Football Gets a French Accent

PARIS â€”  American football has become most chic.

The first issue of the glossy quarterly Football Americain Magazine hit French newsstands in late October. It contains features on quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde, Dan Marino and John Elway and an A through Z glossary of common terms.

It also has a two-page history of the NFL, a picture of a St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader and stories about the Seattle Seahawks’ Brian Bosworth, American football in London and the NFL strike.

In a note explaining the purpose of the magazine, the editors said NFL games are now televised weekly in France and interest in the sport is skyrocketing.

“Football Americain is above all the United States, hell and heaven, the monumental hits, games steeped in color, the combat of exceptional athletes, a fantastic ambiance in stadiums of 70,000 to 100,000 people and a sport with a wealth of tactics that can’t be equaled,� they wrote.

“We are close to the year 2000 and Football American is the sport of the future.�

The magazine, which has been preceded by American football publications in Britain and Italy, features an interview with Giants linebacker Harry Carson that contains particularly uncontroversial information detailing how he prepares for a game and how much he likes his coach, Bill Parcells.

The 68-page issue also has a feature on the proliferation of professional teams in Europe and the 49 teams in France alone, including the Kangourous of Bordeaux and the Alligators of Tourcoing. It was just six years ago that the first American football game was held between two professional French teams.

And in keeping with American tradition, the magazine has created its own Top 10, headed by Castors of Paris. For those Montpellier fans out there, the good news is that the Wolfmen are ranked sixth.