[HoosierDaddy]

I most vehemently disagree with Cougar because he was tactful and well-reasoned. I prefer: RUGBY IS TEH WIN!!!!11!1!!! And, vice versa.

[Sparkimus]

Thanks for the edit Rodeo my good man.

I can see Cougar's point, but to be fair, just because football players are specialized in their positions doesn't mean that they're useless everywhere else. Most if not all of these guys grew up playing the sport and definitely haven't played the same position all their lives. With the exception of the linemen and the kickers, damn near all of them can probably throw the ball fairly well, tackle fairly well, cover players and catch the ball. I can image that it would take far less time to get a football player accustomed to rugby than the other way around.

[Cougar]

@ Hoosier: Oh, right then *clears throat*

You fucking pansy Yankees can stuff your shit game up your language mangling arseholes, what kind of man plays a game that stops every few seconds so that the players can engage in an extended bout of excessively choreographed mutual masturbation. How can any sport have self respect where the highlight of it's season is the advert at halftime during the final? Moreover, what the fuck is the point of playing any contact sport where you wear so much padding, huh, any wet bastard can tackle when they are packing more armour than an M1 Abrahams wearing a cycling helmet and stuffed with duvets? Do it hombre on hombre with wafer thin pads and some god damn technique.

Better?

This post has been edited by Cougar: 13 February 2009 - 09:01 PM

[Macros]

oh definately not sparkimus.

I think going from buggery to handegg would be easier. line up and hit, you get a position, you learn it, just it.
Stepping into rugby you really have to learn the whole game, not just offense or defense.

[HoosierDaddy]

Better. Yes.

By the way, any of you guys ever put on football pads? Do so and you'll find out why the word "armor" is so funny.

[Macros]

indeed, armour would suggest something manly like battle.

Womanly padding

[HoosierDaddy]

Lol. Have any of you put on the pads or not? Simple yes or no. I have. The only thing that is required and helps is the helmet. Otherwise lots of death would ensue and no more american football.

[Cougar]

Sparkimus, on Feb 13 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

Thanks for the edit Rodeo my good man.

I can see Cougar's point, but to be fair, just because football players are specialized in their positions doesn't mean that they're useless everywhere else. Most if not all of these guys grew up playing the sport and definitely haven't played the same position all their lives. With the exception of the linemen and the kickers, damn near all of them can probably throw the ball fairly well, tackle fairly well, cover players and catch the ball. I can image that it would take far less time to get a football player accustomed to rugby than the other way around.

Doubt you'd have much luck adapting either. NFL guys would never get used to strictures of the offside rules amongst other things and Rugby players would just get done for holding, it's difficult to play any sport well unless you've done it form birth. And you are just plain naive if you think that you could just turn up and learn to effectively read a game like rugby, learn to pass accurately off either hand, kick accurately for postion or do a Gary Owen type kick or a torpedo kick and you won't even know what a ruck or maul is and they are incredibly technical to the point where I simply could not explain them to you. I think physically it's no contest, the specialism of NFL players allows some of them to be far larger because they don't have to be able to run for 80 mins, but you can't criticise them for this since it's no their job.

I think the vice versa would be true of the opoosite (Rugby player goin to American Footy) I lived with a guy who play American Football at Colgate and I had this debate with him and he agreed with the above argument, especially when you consider the best US players know hundreds of play patterns, which a rugby guy would nver get used to

This post has been edited by Cougar: 13 February 2009 - 09:16 PM

[Grief]

You say that like its a bad thing.

@Hoosier

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm biased by being a big fan, evidently.

[Macros]

damn ypopu grief, stealing my line!

[Cougar]

Cross post but yes I have put on US Football pads they do provide an enourmous amount of protection, especially compared to my tiny rugby pads which are basically a cut of t shirt with some small pieces of foam in to stop finger bruises. To me the helmet is really the major thing, I play rugby every week and I permanently have scars on either side of my face and around my eyes. the confidence the helmet gives you is a huge advantage especially when combined with the neck brace they now have.

Also Hoosier if they didn't have the helmets they would simply learn to tackle more effiecently which is what we have to do in rugby, you can't throw yourself head first at someone if you are totally unprotected, you have to hit people in exactly the right way otherwise it's a trip to the hospital.

This post has been edited by Cougar: 13 February 2009 - 09:12 PM

[HoosierDaddy]

Head first tackles are illegal - Spearing. The helmets are for the player being tackled and slammed onto the ground.

Edit: Then you know that it isn't bloody armor, Cougar.

This post has been edited by HoosierDaddy: 13 February 2009 - 09:13 PM

[Grief]

No.
Bloody armour has blood on it.
American football is too pansyish for that kind of thing

[HoosierDaddy]

Grief, why do you have to be a mod? What is flowery about football? Well, I guess they play on grass.

[Macros]

we've established it isn't armour, no chain or plate in evidence

god damnit GREIF!!! every time!

This post has been edited by Macros: 13 February 2009 - 09:20 PM

[Grief]

Don't you mean handegg?

Football is entirely different.

[Grief]

*waits for macros to post exact same thing*

[Tiste Simeon]

I was about to breate Cougar for ruining a perfectly good internet argument, but then he rectified it, and made me spray tea across my desk... Thanks!

I actually geniunely enjoyed the Handegg Superbowl this year, but I live in Wales, so I have to like rugby. It's even better supporting England in Wales, purely for the banter. You get none of that with American sports... It's all "DUDE, SHUT UP, YOU SUCK! MY TEAM ROCKS!!!"

[HoosierDaddy]

Didn't the Brits invent soccer?

Edit: I'm sure everyone can see this one coming from a mile away.

This post has been edited by HoosierDaddy: 13 February 2009 - 09:26 PM