American Football

[Killian]

Originally Posted by c-dawg777

Yep... and I'll tell you one reason why we dont play rugby or cricket in the US...
We won. Ha! Sorry, couldn't resist.

Won what? A game at an international team sport? I don't remember that!! when did it happen?

[Tye]

Originally Posted by c-dawg777

Yep... and I'll tell you one reason why we dont play rugby or cricket in the US...
We won. Ha! Sorry, couldn't resist.

We may have won whatever it is you are talking about, but I think we lost in terms of the quality our entertainment.

[Killian]

Originally Posted by Killian

Won what? A game at an international team sport? I don't remember that!! when did it happen?

I'll admit a little discrepancy on my part there. America did in fact win a rugby competition. Rugby was an Olympic sport in 1900, 1908, 1912, 1920 and 1924. And well...

1920

A campaign to send an American side to the 1920 games in Antwerp started in California after a rugby union Cal-Berkeley touring party returned from British Columbia undefeated in 1920.[5] The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) granted permission for entry. A pool of players from Stanford, Cal-Berkeley and Santa Clara made up the squad.[5] 1908 champion Danny Carroll, a player-coach at Stanford at the time, was the team's most prominent member. When the U.S. arrived in Antwerp, the Czechoslovakian and Romanian teams had withdrawn, leaving only France and the United States. The British RFU had decided not to enter a team as not to interfere with the start of their domestic season.[7]

The only match was played in rain in front of around 20,000 spectators. The U.S., featuring many players new to the sport of rugby, caused a shock by winning the only match eight points to zero, all points being scored in the second half. One of the U.S. team members, Morris Kirksey, took home two more medals from Antwerp, finishing second to Charles Paddock in the 100 metre dash, and anchoring the winning the 4 × 100 metre relay team.

[edit] 1924

The sport was again included in the subsequent 1924 games in Paris. The USOC decided to send a team in order to defend their gold medal. Along with the U.S. and the host nation, Romania entered.[8] The American team was again made up of mainly Californian players, seven of whom were members of the 1920 team. The U.S. squad departed on a seven-day voyage to England on an ocean liner from New York City.[8]

[9][9]

The U.S. soundly defeated Romania 37 to 0 in front of a crowd of 6,000. France then defeated Romania 61 to 3.[10] France entered the game as favourites to win.[11] The gold medal game was played in front of 21,000 spectators at the Colombes venue which had a large wire fence built around the field for the game on May 18.[12][5] [13] The U.S. defeated France 17 to 3, becoming the only team to win gold twice in the sport

I don't think Piblokto or French Fan will be too happy with that (Ireland didn't enter, but if we did I thiink there may have been a different story )

[Alizee_is_Scottish!]

Sadly in 1920 most of the European nations were rather short of manpower. Many rugby / football / athletic clubs in the UK joined up in 'Pals battalions' for the start of the First World War (1914 for us ), where they could serve (and die) togeather. France lost 1 1/2 million killed, the UK 700,000 (inludes Irish I think), chuck in a few million wounded and there wouldn't have been much competion.

But you are right c-dawg, cricket and rugby tend to be more popular in the old Empire / Commonwealth nations. I can't stand cricket. And I don't understand American football, but can appreciate some of the tackles when they hit, even with the girly armour you wear.

[Tye]

Originally Posted by Alizee_is_Scottish!

Sadly in 1920 most of the European nations were rather short of manpower. Many rugby / football / athletic clubs in the UK joined up in 'Pals battalions' for the start of the First World War (1914 for us ), where they could serve (and die) togeather. France lost 1 1/2 million killed, the UK 700,000 (inludes Irish I think), chuck in a few million wounded and there wouldn't have been much competion.

But you are right c-dawg, cricket and rugby tend to be more popular in the old Empire / Commonwealth nations. I can't stand cricket. And I don't understand American football, but can appreciate some of the tackles when they hit, even with the girly armour you wear.

Scientific study said getting tackeled in the NFL is like getting hit by a car. If it wasn't for the pads in a sport that is based on 200-300 pound men colliding with high impact force all you would have is nothing but a bunch concussed lunatics trying to stumble around the field all the while trying to regain the ability to think after being plowed down by shamu. As much as I hate the pads, the way the sport is played and its objective I think pads are required.

[Killian]

Originally Posted by Tye

Scientific study said getting tackeled in the NFL is like getting hit by a car. If it wasn't for the pads in a sport that is based on 200-300 pound colliding with high impact force all you would have is nothing but a bunch concussed lunatics trying to stumble around the field all the while trying to regain the ability to think after being plowed down by shamu. As much as I hate the pads, the way the sport is played and its objective I think pads are required.

I will say that for American Football you hit hard. That's why there is pads, you would get hurt if there weren't.
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In rugby you have to tackle below the neck, and have to wrap your arms around the other player. Of course you can lift him/her, but you are in charge of putting the down safely (No neck first), or else this happens:
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[Tye]

That football tackel was awsome. It looked like that guy hit a wall.

That rugby tackel was bad. Did the guy who did the tackeling get in trouble, or was it just an accident that he caused the guy to land on his neck?

[Killian]

No bad refereeing allowed him to get off without even a yellow card. He deserved a red though. If McCaw hadn't put down his hands, he'd have snapped his neck it was ridiculous.

[Tye]

That is beyond ridiculous. That guy needed to get some kind of punishment. Guy almost gets his neck snapped and the referee responds with the equivilant of "nothing to see here folks." That referee should turn in his stripes.

[nurvonic]

hey Jess, you can have your 1 point game win last week. we clearly dominated in the stats. you guys did have a nice 74 yard run though..

its just preseason, we just weeding out all the shit players until we really bring on the hurt!

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