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I heard a tease on ESPN.... Chuck?
Posted By: Bill Riles In Response To: I heard a tease on ESPN.... Chuck? (garyo)
Date: Sunday, 22 November 2009, at 2:35 p.m.
I think one of the big differences is that, as Gregg said, American football is a series of discrete plays and has developed very specialized skill sets for a number of the positions -- you're not going to see NFL/NCAA offensive linemen, or defensive linemen for that matter, running the field continuously in a contact sport such as rugby, or even in a non-contact sport such as soccer.
My son is a chiseled, ripped 6', 205# and is often the smallest guy on the field during a rugby match. They have some guys running the ball a lot, I don't really even know the names of the positions, that are easily in the 6'-3", 250# range, and very fast. Some of the collisions, considering the size, the speed, and no pads, are certainly as violent, if not moreso, than anything you'll see in American football -- certainly more bloody and bruising as they're only wearing, effectively, shirts and shorts.
As you mention, I think the continuous play of rugby and soccer is not well-suited to the ADHD mentality of most Americans, nor their love of statistics. One might counter that statement by citing basketball; however, again, I think it, despite the continuous flow of the game, is still yet an extended series of discrete plays, albeit in a much faster sequence than American football. Plus, it a stastical goldmine.
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