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Is American Football a "Real Sport?"
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Is it?
Hell yeah, why are we having this discussion?
76%
 76%  [ 36 ]
Not really but close enough.
6%
 6%  [ 3 ]
Absolutely not. Rugby is a man's man's game.
14%
 14%  [ 7 ]
Absolutely not. Aussie football rules!
2%
 2%  [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 47

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Thunndarr



Joined: 30 Sep 2003

PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote:
Pligganease wrote:
This is truly a crap discussion with crap reasoning for it not being a sport. I particularly like the one about the guys wearing pads...

Let me, for those of you who don't know him, introduce you to Mario Williams of my alma mater, North Carolina State University.

Quote:
While playing in the ACC under coach Chuck Amato, Williams played the defensive end position. He was a "blue chip" recruit coming out of Richlands High School, and he did not disappoint, starting at DE all three seasons. He recorded 175 tackles and 25.5 sacks in his 36 game career.

At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.66 seconds with a 40.5 inch vertical leap, 10-foot broad jump and did 35 repetitions in the 225-pound bench press. During the 2005 season, he started 12 games, recording 62 total tackles with 24 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 15 hurries, a safety and a blocked kick.


Now, at a mere 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), 285 lb (129 kg), he's obviously not the biggest guy in the league. But, he has one job and one job alone, to put whoever might have the football at the time on the ground as quickly and surely as possible.

No, I know that you're going to say, "But Plig! There are guys in League and Union that do that, too! I assure you that I am aware of that. However, how big are those guys? Can they run the 40 in 4.66? Can they jump 10 feet?

Now, imagine putting a guy like Mario, or Julius Peppers, or Ray Lewis playing rugby, and imagine him hitting you at full force. How many guys are going to be seriously injured from that? How many guys are going to be dead from that?

These guys wear pads, and they still get hurt. They wear pads not because they aren't tough. They wear pads because they are the toughest SOB's in sports.


The wearing pads thing is like the most simple-minded stab that people can make at AFL players, kinda like the people who label kiwis sheep-shaggers; it's a cliche, unoriginal and doesn't require much thought, thus making it accessable to the masses.



In addition, it betrays a very telling ignorance about the nature of the two sports. In rugby, players very rarely get blindsided by a (usually much larger) guy going full speed in the opposite direction. This happens in virtually every game of football, especially to receivers and quarterbacks. In rugby, there are very few situations where a guy is completely unaware of the upcoming tackle (and therefore unable to prepare for it and protect himself.)

As well, a very quick google search will turn up the fact that pads became a requirement after too many college players DIED during the season. How many players die playing rugby without pads?
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JMO



Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu

PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also in rugby you have to wrap up in the tackle, as in you cannot tackle solely with your shoulder or the force of your body. Obviously the games are very different and both are fantastic to watch.
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Thunndarr



Joined: 30 Sep 2003

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

JMO wrote:
Also in rugby you have to wrap up in the tackle, as in you cannot tackle solely with your shoulder or the force of your body. Obviously the games are very different and both are fantastic to watch.


I agree. I guess I never got the memo that says if you are a fan of one, you must automatically hate the other.
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MANDRL



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Location: South Korea

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thunndarr wrote:
JMO wrote:
Also in rugby you have to wrap up in the tackle, as in you cannot tackle solely with your shoulder or the force of your body. Obviously the games are very different and both are fantastic to watch.


I agree. I guess I never got the memo that says if you are a fan of one, you must automatically hate the other.


Yeah, I must have misplaced that memo too.
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thepeel



Joined: 08 Aug 2004

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe you guys aren�t on �The committee to mask feelings of national insecurity and inadequacy by projecting meaningless/fake triumphs on every American you meet� email list.

I get it from time to time. Topics cover how inauthentic Hollywood movies are when compared to �x�, how all American food is less healthy/delicious than �x� and how our racism is merely a response to American racism. From time to time we get updates about how baseball is boring, football fake and how all Americans don�t like to travel outside of the USA.

It really keeps a guy informed.
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pkang0202



Joined: 09 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rugby and Football is a lot more fun to watch than Soccer.
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pkang0202 wrote:
Rugby and Football is a lot more fun to watch than Soccer.


They're all fun to watch, but basketball beats them all. (In my opinion.)
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MANDRL



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Location: South Korea

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pligganease wrote:
pkang0202 wrote:
Rugby and Football is a lot more fun to watch than Soccer.


They're all fun to watch, but basketball beats them all. (In my opinion.)


Hence, your avatar.
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MANDRL wrote:
Pligganease wrote:
pkang0202 wrote:
Rugby and Football is a lot more fun to watch than Soccer.


They're all fun to watch, but basketball beats them all. (In my opinion.)


Hence, your avatar.


Indeed.
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