Rough Sports (was Invasion of Alaska )

[simonmark6]

I think it's nearly impossible to compare the American Football and Rugby anecdotally because you usually end up comparing apples and oranges.

I coach rugby at my local school and I played at county and university level, I was up for selection at national level in my early twenties but wasn't good enough. Given the modern professional level of the sport, I'd be nowhere near now.

When I was at University, an American College team came touring and we played them. They were fit but lacked the skill our team had and we wiped the floor with them. My point is here that American College Rugby is not top class level and someone playing college football would be operating at a far higher level in a college football team than a college rugby team.

Later, when I went to America on a Brass Band tour, we played rugby using a scratch team against an amateur football team. We won the rugby game, they won the football game.

I have, therefore, to agree with Ronin84 that it's pointless saying one is harder or tougher than the other and enjoy whichever game tickles your fancy.

[boogiedowndonovan]

this thread cracks me up.

text messages on a cell phone? If we learned anything from the Tiger Woods scandal, if you're gonna cheat, get a second phone! Tiger, prepaid cell phone, Target, fiddy dolla!

If anyone besides me and CdnWolf is interested:

Team USA beat Team Canada 6-5 in OT for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

http://sports.yahoo.com/juniorhockey...ress&type=lgns

However, I doubt that the result will be the same for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

As for rugby, I played rugby for a bit in grad school. I never played (american) football, but my undergraduate university has a strong football tradition. I follow football and will be glued to my TV at 5pm Pacific Time tonight.

One thing that I took from rugby is that you must be in excellent cardiovascular shape. You won't see a 300 lb lineman in rugby.

Now, if I were Roger Goddell (NFL commissioner), I would do two things.

First, eliminate all pads and helmets. Players would still need to wear mouthpiece and cup, googles or eye protection optional and at players own risk.

Second, eliminate the unsportsmanlike conduct or delay of game penalties for excessive celebration.

Then lets see how many players do their funky little dances after getting a first down, sack, good hit or touch down.

We do have some rugby tradition in the United States, many colleges have rugby teams dating back to the 1800's. I look at the local University of California which has fielded a rugby team since 1882 and has won 24 national collegiate championships since 1980. Legend has it that before going to the NFL and infamy, OJ Simpson moonlighted for the University of Southern California rugby team.

While we're talking about gayness, has anyone considered Mark Bingham? He was on of the Flight 93 passengers who tried to fight back on September 11, 2001. He was gay and played rugby.


We should talk about something more substantive, like which country has the hottest women!

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Hmm, if you start talking about the hottest women, we'll have to start a new thread - not that I'd mind, especially if pictures were included

As for the ball games mentioned, even in Australia there's a lot of "discussion" over which is the better game, AFL (Australian Football League AKA Australian Rules Football) or rugby. Both have been described in less than polite terms by the other side. AFL is often snubbed by rugby fans as being "aerial ping-pong" while the AFL fans describe rugby as being "thugby".

There is only one area in which I would continue to argue that an Australian football sport is better than any other and that would be in kicking, many AFL players kick goals from quite far out compared to some other football games.
Apparently the longest kick to goal was by Jeff Fehring for a distance of 98 yards, 6 yards further than the longest goal shot in soccer and 18 yards further than the longest goal shot in rugby. To be fair though, it was wind assisted but the point is that AFL players regularly try for goal kicks further out than many other football sports.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123638854895858635.html


As for the hottest women... I like them from any country
I'm not a fan of fat lips so Angelina is not one I'd put on my list so for the US Eliza Dushku would be the one
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3300034816/nm0244630
Lucy Brown, a British actress I recently found http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1071155968/nm1374033
From Germany, Eva Habermann as Zev from the show LEXX http://www.fanpop.com/spots/lexx/ima...8737/title/zev

Time to either stop or start a new thread...

[Legbreaker]

Everyone definately has their own opinion and "scientific" tests (such as the mentioned video clip) to back them up. Personally I tend to think that the lack of armour and padding in full contact sports is what makes them tougher. It can also be dependant on the players mindset - if they're more interested in hurting the opposition than playing the ball.

The potential for injury in unprotected players is therefore higher than protected players in ful ontact sports. This may be why their are rules and penalties dealing with dangerous situations (only certain types of tackles allowed, sent off and/or suspended for fighting, etc).

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

Time to either stop or start a new thread...

Or have a cold shower!

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by General Pain

That's what textmessages are for on a cell phone.

Last time I broke up with anyone, I was actually lucky enough to afford a pager -- cell phones were new, weird technology.

Damn, it's been a long time. Anyone willing to buy me a decent, disease free, high-class call girl? My birthday's coming up in May...

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Last time I broke up with anyone, I was actually lucky enough to afford a pager -- cell phones were new, weird technology.

Damn, it's been a long time. Anyone willing to buy me a decent, disease free, high-class call girl? My birthday's coming up in May...

got a paypal account ?

Come on lads - its the least we can do .

You would have to post an illustrated post - celebration report though ...

[Legbreaker]

Is it just coincidence that we're discussing getting Paul a callgirl in a thread entitled "rough sports"?

I think not....