You know, I've always found it fascinating how two sports with such similar origins can create such different cultures around the world. When people ask me "what is soccer and football?" I usually start by explaining that they're essentially the same sport with different names - except when they're not. Let me walk you through this confusing but utterly captivating world of football codes that has consumed much of my sporting life.

Growing up in England, football meant one thing - the beautiful game played with a round ball where you can't use your hands. But when I first visited the United States as a teenager, I discovered that football meant something entirely different - this brutal, strategic game with helmets and padding that looked more like medieval combat than the sport I knew. It took me years to properly understand American football, and honestly, I'm still learning the nuances. What surprised me most was discovering that both sports actually evolved from the same root - medieval folk football games that were essentially chaotic mobs trying to move a ball toward a goal. The divergence happened in the 19th century when different schools and regions standardized different rules.

Here's what really gets me about soccer - it's this beautifully simple game that somehow becomes incredibly complex in its execution. Twenty-two players, one ball, and the most basic objective imaginable - put the ball in the net more times than the other team. Yet the tactical depth is astonishing. I remember watching my first professional match at Old Trafford when I was eight years old, and being mesmerized by how these athletes could make the ball do exactly what they wanted while moving at full sprint. According to FIFA's latest numbers, there are approximately 265 million soccer players worldwide and about 5 billion fans - that's roughly 65% of the global population following this sport. Those numbers still blow my mind whenever I think about them.

American football, on the other hand, feels like human chess with incredible physical consequences. I'll admit, it took me a while to appreciate it. My first live NFL game was a Seahawks match in 2018, and what struck me was the strategic depth between each play. The way coaches and quarterbacks read defenses, adjust formations, and call audibles - it's this fascinating layer that doesn't exist in soccer to the same degree. There's a reason the NFL generates around $15 billion annually - the spectacle is undeniable, even if I personally prefer the constant flow of soccer.

Which brings me to something a professional athlete recently said that really resonated with me about both sports. After a particularly disappointing performance, he admitted: "I think we need to go back and start looking ourselves in the mirror starting with me, to figure out what we're doing wrong because obviously what we're doing in practice is not enough judging by what were seeing during games." That statement captures something fundamental about competitive sports at the highest level. Whether you're a soccer striker who can't find the net or a football quarterback throwing interceptions, sometimes the gap between practice and actual game performance becomes this mysterious chasm that even professionals struggle to understand.

I've experienced this myself playing Sunday league soccer - there were matches where everything we drilled in training just evaporated once the whistle blew. The pressure, the crowd (even if it was just twenty people), the opposition doing things you didn't anticipate - it all changes the equation. My coach used to say that training prepares you for the expected, but games are always unexpected. That's why the mental aspect of both soccer and football becomes so crucial. The best athletes aren't just physically gifted - they have this ability to translate practice performance into game situations consistently.

What's interesting is how different sports cultures approach this challenge. In soccer, particularly in Europe and South America, there's this emphasis on fluidity and adapting to unpredictable situations. Training often involves small-sided games and scenarios that mimic the chaotic nature of actual matches. American football, by contrast, is all about repetition and precision - running the same plays until they become muscle memory, then adjusting those plays based on defensive reads. Both approaches have merit, but I've always leaned toward soccer's embrace of chaos - it feels more like life itself, where you can't always script what happens next.

The global spread of these sports tells its own story. Soccer truly is the world's game - you can find kids kicking something resembling a ball in virtually every country. American football has been trying to grow internationally for decades, with regular games in London and Mexico City, but it remains overwhelmingly North American in its appeal. I have this theory that soccer's simplicity makes it more accessible - all you need is something round to kick. Football requires more equipment, more organization, more everything. That said, the NFL's international series has been surprisingly successful, with attendance averaging around 85,000 fans per London game last season.

At the end of the day, my heart belongs to soccer - there's nothing quite like the tension of a scoreless match entering stoppage time, or the collective roar when your team scores. But I've grown to appreciate American football's strategic depth and theatrical qualities. Both sports offer this incredible window into human competition at its finest - the dedication, the strategy, the athleticism, and that mysterious gap between practice and performance that every athlete must bridge. Understanding both soccer and football has enriched my appreciation for sports in general, even if I'll always be a soccer guy at heart. The next time someone asks me to explain what soccer and football are, I might just invite them to watch both games with me - because sometimes, experiencing them is the only way to truly understand.

LIGHTING, LIGHTING, AND MORE LIGHTING
People are typically drawn to bars solely based on their atmosphere. The best way to knock your next commercial bar design out of the park is using the perfect amount and type of lighting. Use standout light fixtures as their very own statement piece, track lighting for adjustable ambiance, hanging pendant lights over tables, and ambient backlighting to display the alcohol. Bartenders need to serve and customers need to order, so make sure it’s just functional as it is attractive. 

CHOOSING YOUR BARTOP
What may seem so obvious, is often so overlooked in commercial bar design- the material of your actual bartop itself. While we realize stone and marble are as classy and elegant-looking as can be, the reality is that they just aren’t your best option for a durable and long lasting bartop. They crack, have no grip, and break way too many glasses. Opt for a high-quality wood bar instead. Oaks, maples, mahoganies, and ashes are sturdy and provide your customers with a firm grip for their glasses. 

THEME 
In a sea of millions upon millions of bars, how can you make your commercial bar design stand apart from the rest? The answer is to pick a unique, centralized theme and run with it. Whether it’s your next sit-down restaurant bar design, or remodeling the small, locally-favorite gem, you have to find out what your clientele wants. Survey the neighborhood of your establishment and find out what the demographics are there. Maybe a gritty, western bar would be a hit. Or maybe a more modern, sleek design is what’s missing in the area. Whatever theme you decide upon, hit it out of the park with the perfect lighting, wall art, music, and furniture. It’s all in the details. 

THE GUIDE TO YOUR NEXT RESTOBAR 
You’ve got the food, you’ve got the restaurant, you’ve got the customers, now all you need is a beautifully designed bar to top it all off.  Small bar designs for restaurants have a tendency to be a little thrown together and incohesive with the rest of the establishment. Stay on brand- create consistency with tying in the same color scheme, furniture, art, and overall ambiance of the pre-existing restaurant. Make sure the placement of your bar makes sense as well, have it in a place where it’s visible and easy to navigate but not in the way of servers and other guests. If the bar is going to serve food, be sure to consider the location of the kitchen to not obstruct traffic flow. Consider all of these small tips as you work through your next restaurant bar design. 

SPACE CONSTRAINT 
It’s no secret that bars have the reputation of being a little cramped, and in some cases- way too cramped. Consider all of the space constraints while designing your next commercial bar design and we can change that bad rap that bars have been holding for far too long. First and foremost, be sure to measure your bar, barstool, cabinet, and equipment height. Generally, a bar is 42” in height while a stool is 30” in height. Also be sure to allow at least 3’ of space between the bar and the alcohol for the bartender’s functionality and efficiency. Consider multiple register and drink-making stations for bartenders as well. Allowing 2’ between patrons is going to give them enough space to eat and drink, and most importantly, simply be comfortable. All of these considerations are especially helpful if it is a restaurant bar design, where the space is even more valuable.