Ironically, the reason U.S.-style football is so dangerous is because of all the safety gear.
The defensive safety gear also acts like offensive armor that allows these 300lb monsters (who run the 40 in five seconds flat) to hit people in a way that an unarmored person simply couldn't.
Some of the most epic tackles of NFL history, like this one, might not even make a weekend highlight reel these days.
Rugby, like soccer, is alive and well in the US, just on the amateur, local league level - at least, that's what I've seen in my little corner of the County of Boone.
For Haka displays, I prefer http://youtu.be/Z_WEP9ZkpS4.
An interesting matchup. Two of the world's three highest national levels of MAOA-L allowed on the field while the rest of us watch, though this time without gladius and scutum. I do truely love the game.
When you tossed up the video of tackles, I was expecting this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDramPcGpUs.
Baker gets one good hit and becomes a sheriff somewhere in NC. Singletary had 11 years of GREAT hits. My favorite - playing the then LA Rams, Cunningham gets the ball in a sweep from his right to left, heads for a humongous hole in the Bears line off left tackle.
Only problem is, Singletary is standing in that hole. Standing mind you. Cunningham hits Singletary who promptly drives him back 5 yards.
Back to the OP - reminds me of the Tokyo Team in the original (i.e., good) Rollerball movie.
One of the few groups to fight European invaders to a stalemate. There is a reason the Kiwis respect them.
While other groups were all doing the reservation indian thing, a group of Maoris just made use of all the neat new tools ... including paying a ship captain to transport them to a difficult to get to island ( Chatham Island ) so they could raid them.
The captain pointed out that they had not paid for slave transport, in an attempt to save the folks they had raided. The Maori chief agreed that they had not had the foresight to do so, and that they would not transport slaves on his ship.
So they butchered the slaves on the beach, and elected to stay and conquer, since they couldn't take their slaves with them.
Weekend before the 4th, Bayou Renessaince Man and Miss D are visiting me for a few days. Put aside one night in there for dinner at my place. Food and all the dog hair you can pull off your tactical gear with a lint roller.
Rugby has everything Americans love; speed, strategy, violence of contact, and beer. Why hasn't it caught on...Rugby Union will not change the rules to allow timeouts, so no TV revenue. I played the game for twenty-two years and miss it still. Hunter Alaska
Rugby and American football are alike, and are different, much of this having to do with the rules regarding downs. Play is reset after every down in the American game, so you have sprinting and contact with players at or near peak speed, every down. I believe that this is why pads and helmets came along, there were beginning to be too many deaths on the field, back in the day--for a while, there was talk about banning the American game.
A translation of the final caption for those who are curious: "A great team is not made up of ordinary players."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWa_lHc4grY&feature=youtu.be
ReplyDelete'Nuff said.
What was that about soccer players pretending they're hurt and AFL players pretending they aren't?
ReplyDeleteRugby: US Football without safety gear...I've never figured out why rugby hasn't caught on in the US. Anyone?
ReplyDeleteIronically, the reason U.S.-style football is so dangerous is because of all the safety gear.
ReplyDeleteThe defensive safety gear also acts like offensive armor that allows these 300lb monsters (who run the 40 in five seconds flat) to hit people in a way that an unarmored person simply couldn't.
Some of the most epic tackles of NFL history, like this one, might not even make a weekend highlight reel these days.
Rugby, like soccer, is alive and well in the US, just on the amateur, local league level - at least, that's what I've seen in my little corner of the County of Boone.
ReplyDeleteFor Haka displays, I prefer http://youtu.be/Z_WEP9ZkpS4.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting matchup. Two of the world's three highest national levels of MAOA-L allowed on the field while the rest of us watch, though this time without gladius and scutum. I do truely love the game.
When you tossed up the video of tackles, I was expecting this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDramPcGpUs.
ReplyDeleteBaker gets one good hit and becomes a sheriff somewhere in NC. Singletary had 11 years of GREAT hits. My favorite - playing the then LA Rams, Cunningham gets the ball in a sweep from his right to left, heads for a humongous hole in the Bears line off left tackle.
Only problem is, Singletary is standing in that hole. Standing mind you. Cunningham hits Singletary who promptly drives him back 5 yards.
Back to the OP - reminds me of the Tokyo Team in the original (i.e., good) Rollerball movie.
Maoris.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few groups to fight European invaders to a stalemate. There is a reason the Kiwis respect them.
While other groups were all doing the reservation indian thing, a group of Maoris just made use of all the neat new tools ... including paying a ship captain to transport them to a difficult to get to island ( Chatham Island ) so they could raid them.
The captain pointed out that they had not paid for slave transport, in an attempt to save the folks they had raided. The Maori chief agreed that they had not had the foresight to do so, and that they would not transport slaves on his ship.
So they butchered the slaves on the beach, and elected to stay and conquer, since they couldn't take their slaves with them.
Weekend before the 4th, Bayou Renessaince Man and Miss D are visiting me for a few days. Put aside one night in there for dinner at my place. Food and all the dog hair you can pull off your tactical gear with a lint roller.
ReplyDeleteRugby has everything Americans love; speed, strategy, violence of contact, and beer.
ReplyDeleteWhy hasn't it caught on...Rugby Union will not change the rules to allow timeouts, so no TV revenue.
I played the game for twenty-two years and miss it still.
Hunter
Alaska
Rugby and American football are alike, and are different, much of this having to do with the rules regarding downs. Play is reset after every down in the American game, so you have sprinting and contact with players at or near peak speed, every down. I believe that this is why pads and helmets came along, there were beginning to be too many deaths on the field, back in the day--for a while, there was talk about banning the American game.
ReplyDeleteMike James
So, Tam, which is it ; Rugby or fightin' Maoris? JohnimMd(help)
ReplyDeleteI kind of prefer the 19th Century British version of a Haka.
ReplyDelete"Volley fire by ranks! First rank, FIRE! Second rank, FIRE! Third rank, FIRE!"
Uh...speaking of easy on the eyes:Playmates in Space:
ReplyDeletehttp://news.discovery.com/space/nasa-unintentionally-sent-playmates-to-the-moon-120615.html
hehehe
I played in college and clubs afterward. I still miss it too. I can still feel it in my sprained ankles and dislocated shoulders.
ReplyDeleteTam is correct. When guys who played played High School football sign-up, we had to train them not to tackle head-first and kill themselves.
Oh, and youtube coughed this gem up ...
ReplyDeleteAll Blacks vs. Fijian dueling Hakas
The audience decided to chant along with the Fijian team ...