Sports general discussion thread

[ZedClampet]

I entered through the heavenly gate;
I heard the heavenly band.
And there was John the Baptist,
on Barry John's right hand
—Max Boyce

Barry John: Legendary Wales and Lions fly-half dies aged 79​

The greatest 10 I've ever seen play, and part of the greatest-ever half back partnership with Gareth Edwards.

Doesn't rugby have a lot of variations? Like rugby union and rugby league? Hey, @Colif what do you think?

(never miss a chance to poke the Boru )

 

[Colif]

It really depends. If the country only plays one of the forms,Or the country is Wales where the sport was born, then calling it Rugby makes sense. Its only when you play the League & Union does it get confusing. Worse still if you also call them both football like they do here.. so you can confuse lots of people if you talk about a football match between two nations and don't be specific.

In Australia they play all types. There is actually a fourth here but I could understand why no one else knows about it - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Football_League AKA Aerial Ping Pong (its not Soccer)

 

[ZedClampet]

It really depends. If the country only plays one of the forms,Or the country is Wales where the sport was born, then calling it Rugby makes sense. Its only when you play the League & Union does it get confusing. Worse still if you also call them both football like they do here.. so you can confuse lots of people if you talk about a football match between two nations and don't be specific.

In Australia they play all types. There is actually a fourth here but I could understand why no one else knows about it - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Football_League AKA Aerial Ping Pong (its not Soccer)

My favorite college American football team has a guy who played for Hawthorn for 3 years. He plays punter here. Did pretty good last year, but his kicking style would make going to the NFL difficult, as he kicks on the run. Usually American punters just take one step and kick to prevent the punt from being blocked by the other team. He didn't have any punts blocked, though.

 

[Colif]

At least Hawthorn still only play the one form. So I knew who you meant.

I don't follow any of them. Since I last took any notice every form has added new teams so its a good thing you mentioned one I knew.

Your football and AFL are completely different. Only way they have any link is you have the kicker role, and even then its just barely. Your football closer to Rugby League of all of them.

 

[Brian Boru]

a fourth here but I could understand why no one else knows about it

Your link should be to Australian rules, which is a fine game—the one football type I never played but would love to have had a shot at. It's got some similarities with Gaelic football, to the extent that Australia and Ireland created a hybrid so they could run international competition between the two countries. The series is currently in abeyance, with Ireland having a narrow 21-19 lead in test matches won.

Doesn't rugby have a lot of variations?

Oh of course—from Wiki:

• Rugby union: 15 players per side
  • American flag rugby
  • Beach rugby
  • Mini rugby
  • Rugby sevens, 7 players per side
  • Rugby tens, 10 players per side
  • Snow rugby
  • Touch rugby
  • Tambo rugby
• Rugby league: 13 players per side
  • Masters Rugby League
  • Mod league
  • Rugby league nines
  • Rugby league sevens
  • Touch (sport)
  • Wheelchair rugby league
• Both codes
  • Tag rugby

• Underwater rugby

Rugby Union is the dominant variant, and what most people will mean when they say 'rugby'. Only 2 countries have Rugby League as a national sport, and there are only 4 professional countries—so it's strong, but small compared to Union.

 

[Brian Boru]

Louis Rees-Zammit, a fine Welsh rugby player, is joining the NFL International Player Pathway Program, hope he does well—but I doubt it, the skill sets are very different. But at just 23 he can give it a few years, and return to a second rugby career if he doesn't make it in NFL.

 

[ZedClampet]

Louis Rees-Zammit, a fine Welsh rugby player, is joining the NFL International Player Pathway Program, hope he does well—but I doubt it, the skill sets are very different. But at just 23 he can give it a few years, and return to a second rugby career if he doesn't make it in NFL.

How Jordan Mailata transformed from a rugby player to Eagles' $64 million left tackle

The 6-foot-8 Australian has come a long way since a dazzling workout paved his path to the NFL. His story is making an impact with international players.

www.espn.com

5 Rugby players who crossed over to the NFL

The announcement that Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is leaving the sport to attempt to succeed in the NFL is definitely not the first time a high level rugby player has switched over to American football. In 2018, English rugby star Christian Wade traded in his rugby ball for the bright...

www.americanfootballinternational.com

There are at least a couple of success stories there (coming from rugby).

Easiest position to learn other than kicker/punter would probably be running back, but he's a little thin to be an NFL running back, so I'm guessing he wants to play receiver...or take steroids.

 

[Brian Boru]

I'm guessing he wants to play receiver

Agreed, his main attributes are speed and evasion. His rugby position—Winger—is closest to Wide Receiver, which should be easier to learn.

 

[ZedClampet]

Agreed, his main attributes are speed and evasion. His rugby position—Winger—is closest to Wide Receiver, which should be easier to learn.

I'm going to try to remember to follow his progress.

 

[ZedClampet]

The judge in the Tennessee/Virginia vs the NCAA case refused to grant a temporary restraining order against the NCAA because he said that the full case would be decided next Tuesday, and while, he added, Tennessee was likely to win the case, he didn't feel like there would be enough damages in the next week to warrant the restraining order.

 

[Brian Boru]

—Max Boyce

Hah, saw a fuller version of his verse:

I entered through the heavenly gate,
I heard the heavenly band.
And there was John the Baptist,
On Barry John's right hand.

He plays for the Heaven Welsh Fifteen,
They're very fit and keen.
We'd play the Heaven English,
If they could only raise a team

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/68203130

A Vicar asks his congregation in the valleys the question:
"What would you do if Jesus returned tomorrow?".
A voice in the flock pipes up:
"Move Barry John to inside-centre"!
—Max Boyce

 

[ZedClampet]

Hah, saw a fuller version of his verse:

I entered through the heavenly gate,
I heard the heavenly band.
And there was John the Baptist,
On Barry John's right hand.

He plays for the Heaven Welsh Fifteen,
They're very fit and keen.
We'd play the Heaven English,
If they could only raise a team

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/68203130

A Vicar asks his congregation in the valleys the question:
"What would you do if Jesus returned tomorrow?".
A voice in the flock pipes up:
"Move Barry John to inside-centre"!
—Max Boyce

Love the last stanza. It's easy to remember, too. I went and quoted it to my wife.

 

[ZedClampet]

Apparently my daughter is rooting for the wrong team in the Super Bowl because I just heard my wife screaming on the phone, "DON'T ROOT FOR THE 49ERS!"

I mentioned last year how my wife picks a team, doesn't even know any of the players, and then lives and dies on every play of the game, yelling at the television and acting like the other team is the human incarnation of demonic forces while her chosen team is comprised of angels.

Looks like her mysterious process has settled on Kansas City this year.

Personally, I'm just pulling for KC because of @Zloth and because, without any better reason, I just support the wife's team.

****

Ah, I just asked her, "So Elly May is rooting for the 49ers?" (I acted disgusted as I said it)

Wife, "Both our kids are rooting for them because of Taylor Swift!"

Ah, what a confusing sporting family we are.

 

[Brian Boru]

GF lived near SF for over a decade, so sorry Zloth—she's just prettier than you!

[and closer, with access to sharp metal objects]

 

[Zloth]

Ah, what a confusing sporting family we are.

No worries! KC's colors are red & gold. SF's colors are duller red & gold. Everybody is cheering for the red & gold! Some are dullards, but at least we're all together on the colors.

GF lived near SF for over a decade, so sorry Zloth—she's just prettier than you!

You don't know that!! It's stunningly likely that you're right, but you don't know that you're right! Let's get some passive voice into that phrase!

I just asked Copilot what the kick-off time is. It said 5:30CST. I expect to see the kick-off at that point, not several minutes of player introductions, national anthems, ceremonial coin tosses, and who-knows what else.

 

[ZedClampet]

Good news, @Zloth . After watching the Super Bowl preview show, I've decided to root for the 49ers (don't tell my wife). This means Kansas City is all but guaranteed a victory.

 

[Zloth]

I just asked Copilot what the kick-off time is. It said 5:30CST. I expect to see the kick-off at that point, not several minutes of player introductions, national anthems, ceremonial coin tosses, and who-knows what else.

Actual time, 5:41. Not too terrible.

 

[Zloth]

Good news, @Zloth . After watching the Super Bowl preview show, I've decided to root for the 49ers (don't tell my wife). This means Kansas City is all but guaranteed a victory.

I don't think you're cheering for them very well.

 

[Zloth]

I don't think you're cheering for them very well.

Yeah, THAT'S the way!!

 

[ZedClampet]

Nice try

Some poor tired Wiki editor said "31 April"

Dang it. I was replying to answer that.

Super Bowl going to overtime. I think they should do this like soccer and just kick field goals until someone misses.

 

[Zloth]

Yeah, THAT'S the way!!

Well, you got it done, but only just. Check is in the mail, but I'm hiring another guy next time.

 

[ZedClampet]

Well, you got it done, but only just. Check is in the mail, but I'm hiring another guy next time.

Hey, a job done is a job done, but you owe as much thanks to SanFran for electing to get the ball first in overtime and settling for a field goal. I just got up and left at that point. I didn't even watch KC's winning drive. But I really didn't care. The only reason I was pulling for the 49ers was J. Jennings. Sadly, he would have been MVP if they'd won.

 

[Brian Boru]

Super Bowl going to overtime. I think they should do this like soccer and just kick field goals until someone misses.

In soccer and rugby knockout games where a replay isn't allowed, they [almost?] always play overtime, typically 30 minutes.

Then each team takes a set of penalty kicks, kicked by different players—in soccer 5 kicks by 5 players, in rugby 3 by 3—before it reaches sudden death.

I'm hiring another guy next time

*waves* Yoohoo! *waves*

I managed to secretly apply noise-cancelling tech to GF's cheering, which I'm pretty sure made the difference at the end when she was hoarse.

Btw @Zloth, what's that word for what you guys have achieved recently? Oh yeah, I remember…

Spoiler: that word

G R E E D Y

Congrats

 

[ZedClampet]

In soccer and rugby knockout games where a replay isn't allowed, they [almost?] always play overtime, typically 30 minutes.

Then each team takes a set of penalty kicks, kicked by different players—in soccer 5 kicks by 5 players, in rugby 3 by 3—before it reaches sudden death.



*waves* Yoohoo! *waves*

I managed to secretly apply noise-cancelling tech to GF's cheering, which I'm pretty sure made the difference at the end when she was hoarse.

Btw @Zloth, what's that word for what you guys have achieved recently? Oh yeah, I remember…

Spoiler: that word

G R E E D Y

Congrats

I actually know how soccer works. I was just simplifying it since they rarely score. Had no idea about Rugby.

 

[Brian Boru]

Had no idea about Rugby

Me neither, have only seen it once, in the 2022 European Champions Cup QF when my team lost a shootout v Toulouse

Wiki describes it here, but is wrong about the Munster game. That had 3 players shoot from the 22m line, one in front, others 15m in from touchline.
Then same 3 players same positions from 40m line.

Fyi rugby pitch dimensions

Draws are rare in rugby, and are a legit result in all league games. Even rarer for it still to be drawn after extra time in a knockout. There are probably different shootout rules in different countries or competitions, not something I've ever looked into.