Field Theory by Hadyn Green

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Field Theory: It's called Super for a reason

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  • Hadyn Green,

    And as always the Onion has the best reporting, including Keys to the Match-Up

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    And don't believe the New Zealand sports reporters, it is not mainly watched for the ads... Then during the sports news the game will be given a once-over occasionally good, but usually bad and smug like "what a silly and complicated game"

    Exactly. Same response I get from co-workers. It's not that hard, you can pick up the basics in a couple of minutes. It took longer for my American flatmate to pick up rugby than it took me to pick up NFL.

    Good article on US Superbowl coverage

    I headed to the TAB across the road from home yesterday to put my bets on:
    Polamalu and Ward MVP, Steelers win by 24 - 30.

    Incidentally, there is a TAB at the Four Kings for those who don't get a bet on in time.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    It's called Super for a reason

    Are they also called Rose, Oranage Sugar, Feista, Bud, Banjo or Heidi for a reason?

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    Are they also called Rose, Oranage Sugar, Feista, Bud, Banjo or Heidi for a reason?

    Yup! That's college football though.
    Rose Bowl = Held during the Festival of Roses.
    Sugar Bowl = Not sure on name origins, but held around New Year's.
    Orange Bowl = Named after Florida's version of the Festival of Roses.
    Etc etc etc

    There's also the affectionately dubbed 'Turkey Bowl'.

    I did come here to post something I left out of my original comment, but now I've forgotten it.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    It's not that hard, you can pick up the basics in a couple of minutes.

    And then you spend four plus hours getting peeved because they could be doing these basic things so very, very much faster.

    (Yet I like cricket. Hrm. 'Very well then I contradict myself'. </Whitman>)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    oh but related, hopefully all those bowls won't matter soon when Superman fixes it all.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    And then you spend four plus hours getting peeved because they could be doing these basic things so very, very much faster.

    Hear hear. I get the basic concepts of the game, I just think the way it's played is designed around the need to insert frequent ad breaks, rather than play a game of sport.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    oh but related, hopefully all those bowls won't matter soon when Superman fixes it all.

    From that story:

    Lawmakers are considering legislation that would say if the NCAA declares any game a "championship" game without a playoff system, that would constitute fraud under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

    I kept looking for the punch line to indicate that the story was a joke.

    Apparently between two overseas wars, a massive financial crisis, and fixing a gazillion things that Bush fucked up, this is what is concerning Federal lawmakers.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    Terry Tate is good stuff - Felchers, nice - but what the hell is he selling?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Hear hear. I get the basic concepts of the game, I just think the way it's played is designed around the need to insert frequent ad breaks, rather than play a game of sport.

    You mean like at the end of each over in cricket?

    There are 40 seconds from the end of a play before the next one has to start. It's only the timeouts and scoring that enable ad breaks. What those 40 sec intervals do is allow for replays. Beautiful technologically-marvelous replays!

    Oh and John Madden and Al Michaels are commentating this year! It'll be a good one.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Are they also called Rose, Oranage Sugar, Feista, Bud, Banjo or Heidi for a reason?

    It's called the Heidi Game (Raiders v Jets if I recall) because NBC cut away from the exciting comeback finale to show the movie Heidi. Thousands of people roared in complaint and it became very important in terms of sports broadcasting in the States.

    Also:
    Once again no Lingerie Bowl this year. Ironically because the nudists wouldn't allow it. Dammit I thought Miami had a shot this year!

    But the Puppy Bowl is back! I think the game-breaker will be 1-2 punch of Isaac and Jacob but Charlie Brown looks mean!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    You mean like at the end of each over in cricket?

    Comparing cricket to american football is like comparing kickboxing to bowls. You don't watch cricket for the constant action, high intensity etc.

    Rugby, rugby league, american football etc, are very physical, high energy games in which players throw themselves into each other with great physical energy.

    Part of rugby and rugby league is the very high level of fitness you require to sustain that for 80 minutes, which only occasional breaks. American football doesn't seem to have that - there's a break after every play. Not a 3 second break, like rugby league, but a big break. It removes a whole element of the game. It also encourages players that are built about the size of a bus to play. The fitness requirements aren't as high due to the breaks.

    Also, a game takes 3 hours or so, and the action is only 60 minutes. You're getting one third value for your time watched.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Gridiron / American Football / Super Bowl is fine.

    But the New Zealand equivalent of the sport, called bullrush, is much better.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    The fitness requirements aren't as high due to the breaks.

    Ooo now hold on there. You're comparing sprints to marathons.

    Put an American footballer intop game of rugby and they'll knacked before halftime. Put a rugby player into American football and they won't be able to keep up with the pace.

    Each play is a sprint pace, so you run as fast as you can, hit someone (or be hit by someone) and then do that again and again. The short breaks between plays are not really enough to recover fully when you been hit by a guy the size of a bus. (note: The Bus isn't playing this year :) )

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    But the New Zealand equivalent of the sport, called bullrush, is much better.

    Apparently in the UK it's called "bulldog", weird

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    Part of rugby and rugby league is the very high level of fitness you require to sustain that for 80 minutes, which only occasional breaks. American football doesn't seem to have that - there's a break after every play.

    Whoa. Gonna disagree with that.
    You've got Wide Receivers who constantly and consistently sprint 10 - 40 [or more] yards on a play, run back to the huddle then line up and do it again. Running Backs who do the same, as well as getting the ball from a handoff and running into a bunch of guys who smash the shit out of him. Safety's who cover the WR's play after play after play. Etc etc etc

    Rugby and league you're not going full-tit the whole time. Both require exceptional amounts of fitness, but to pass off NFL because they stop and wrack their memories for what they have to do on the next play isn't right..

    http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ4faK6n7lE

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Rose Bowl = Held during the Festival of Roses.

    The Rose Bowl stadium is where the "bowl" name originated. The game was previously part of the Tournament of Roses, and when the bowl-shaped stadium was built, it got the name Rose Bowl. This in turn became the name of the annual game, which in turn lead to other "bowl" games springing up in other areas, and finally the Super Bowl.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Ooo now hold on there. You're comparing sprints to marathons.

    Well true.

    I'm just saying I think it'd be a better sport if there was a 10 second break between plays, and the quarterback didn't have to do a drawing to remind half the team what they're supposed to be doing. It would turn a 3+ hours viewing spectacle into a 2 hours tops game, and have the same amount of action.

    As Danielle said, that's why a lot of people don't like watching American Football, it feels like it could be done faster with no big loss in terms of the actual game.

    You've got Wide Receivers who constantly and consistently sprint 10 - 40 [or more] yards on a play, run back to the huddle then line up and do it again.

    Yes, but they also get to spend a couple of minutes on the sideline while the defence takes the field. I'd be more sympathetic to the players if they played both ways. It'd make it a much cheaper sport too.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    You’ve also got to remember the Gridiron players need to be extra fit to carry round those shoulder pads and helmet for the best part of a day.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    Here's what happens when NFL turns into rugby:
    http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=7aCDfJH6eRY

    Skip to around the 5.30 mark if you don't wanna get all the intense buildup.

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    I found the NYT's Inside The Playbook animations very useful for understanding what goes on in a down.

    And I, for one, look forward to rioting should Haydyn's prediction come true.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Irvine,

    I reckon it's really weird when American Football players punch each other in the helmet - hand / face / spite?

    I'm also here to treat this site like a nightclub carpark and link whore: here's that David Lloyd tribute. Best one's here:

    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=e16FDIb0in8

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 242 posts Report Reply

  • Stephanie Rodgers,

    @Kyle: The quarterback isn't doing a drawing to "remind" the other players what they're doing. They may be using a different set up every single time.

    @Alan: Terry Tate is selling Reebok.

    Are we actually going to get the American commentators this year, or the godawful "international" "now rugby fans may get confused, let's painstakingly explain the notion of a forward pass" commentators?

    To conclude: GO CARDINALS!

    Wellington • Since Jan 2009 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Here's what happens when NFL turns into rugby

    There is nothing better on earth than a sports commentator freaking out and losing his mind like that. Nothing.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Naly D,

    There is nothing better on earth than a sports commentator freaking out and losing his mind like that. Nothing.

    You said it all.

    And here's the reason that Twenty20 mic'ed up stuff doesn't work, it's all just PR [even on the beach cricket!]. Get some egos and personality's in the mix!

    http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=ipSWm1AZZas

    http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=RSCgumlUl6c

    Wellington • Since Sep 2008 • 307 posts Report Reply

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