American football, people keep talking it up

Is it that it actually isn't contested just by teams from USA?

 

Are you including Canadian teams in that or not?

 

I always love the American Football vs Rugby debate. Two sports with absolutely nothing in common.

Cheese is much better than Badminton, by the way.

 

I disagree

<img src ="http://www.togetheragency.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/cheese.jpg">
<img src ="http://images.randypictures.com/s/sexy_nude_badminton_player-9970.jpg">

 

Try putting rugby players in American Football gear and seeing if they can even walk let alone run. Martin Johnson couldn't run much in it.

Don't see why some people have the constant need to slag it - you don't like it, fine then don't watch. I can't stand F1, don't like cricket or rugby union....so I don't bother watching, but I don't see the need to make constant comments about how crap they are.

 

Really?

Let's see how many nationalities play in the MLB shall we.......1 Asia
1.1 Japan
1.2 South Korea
1.3 Taiwan
1.4 India
2 Europe
2.1 Netherlands
3 North America
3.1 Canada
3.2 Cuba
3.3 Curaçao
3.4 Dominican Republic
3.5 Mexico
3.6 Nicaragua
3.7 Panama
3.8 Puerto Rico
3.9 United States
4 Oceania
4.1 Australia
5 South America
5.1 Colombia
5.2 Venezuela

 

As EastStander says, you can't really compare the two, but it's a myth that the helmets and padding make the game any softer than rugby.

The padding in NFL pretty much stops guys getting killed (literally) but there's still an incredible number of injuries, particularly concussions, even with the latest technology. Compared to rugby, the method of tackling is generally more violent, as there's less caution applied because of the helmets and pads. Rugby tackles tend not to involve direct head to head collisions, which is a normal part of Americal Football. There's been a massive campaign in the last few seasons to protect players more, but even still its a pretty brutal game by any measure.

Johnny Knox's injury earlier this season still brings tears to my eyes to watch it. It looks totally innocuous on first viewing but the final slow mo replay shows just how lucky he is to still be walking.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d82528520/Johnny-Knox-injured-vs-Seattle

Just bought my tickets for NFL Wembley again this afternoon. £80 well spent.

 

In my experience, in Britain the gridiron teams are made up of mostly rugby players

So the jessies would be playing their kind. It's a nonsensical and needless comparison. The only similarities are the shape of the ball and the fact that you walk off black and blue in both games. If you want a sport for soft lads, well we're on a forum for it. Association football. But since when as a sport been judged on how tough you need to be to play it? Golf and tennis would never have got off the ground.

But to humour this post...

If you're talking strength, the gridiron forward doesn't have to be as mobile/versatile as a rugby forward so they can be bigger and stronger. Enormous man mountains but maybe you're ignoring them?

If you're talking of a sporting contest, I can't see how pitting a rugby team against a gridiron team would work. They're sufficiently different as to make a cross over game (like the Aussie/Gaelic football challenge match) almost impossible. The key difference being blocking. It's the essence of gridiron but illegal in rugby.

However, having written all this it occurs that you've probably never played either game and are no doubt in some fantasy land. Never been speared from opposite sides by two charging, armoured, crazy-eyed linebackers (look, I've tried re-writing that so it doesn't sound like a double entendre but it allus does).

Conclusion: To everyone bleating about padded jessies, either give gridiron a go (there are plenty of amateur teams in Britain) or simply admit that you don't know the first thing about what you're talking about.

 

Re: In my experience, in Britain the gridiron teams are made up of mostly rugby playe

Having gone to a game a few years ago in San Diego, Chargers v Oakland Raiders I can tell you that as a sporting event the atmosphere was up there with any sporting game I've been to , the scrapping in the upper stands and in the car park after reminded me of 70's football matches

 

Bloody hell! I really didn't know that mate I'm a bit oblivious when it comes to baseball and the world series ( except trying and failing on the wii ), so does all those teams compete in the world series?

 

No, the World Series is the name given (and nobody quite knows why) to the Championship of Major League BAseball (MLB), tealsma re from US and Canada. However the poster said that it was only American's who played, that is the list of nationalities in the league last season.

There is a World Baseball Classic, which is an international competition, national teams, so far played for twice and won by Japan both times, next one is in 2013.

 

Re: In my experience, in Britain the gridiron teams are made up of mostly rugby playe

Not surprising at a California derby

 

Re: In my experience, in Britain the gridiron teams are made up of mostly rugby playe

Yes, it's only about 500 miles between the 2!

Oakland fans are nutters though - wouldn't want to be at a San Francisco v Oakland game when they are just over the bridge!