131 replies to this topic

[Chaac]

America is an enormous emerged mass of land occupied by 35 countries or so.

There is no continent named America. That's a very archaic way of viewing the western hemisphere.

There's a North, with three big countries and all the little guys between Mexico and Colombia, and a South consisting of all the countries that touch Brazil and two that don't. But there's no "America."

Do you Europeans consider France and Mongolia to be located on the same continent?

You can walk from Johannesburg to Calcutta if you have the time. Is Afroeurasia the next great supercontinent?

Dude, I'm not talking about continents! I'm talking about masses of land above water. If I start talking about continents, I'd drive you'll crazy here. As far as I'm concerned, the big island on the West is called America, or the Occidental Indies.

But If you want, you live in the North American craton. Unless you live in the far West or the East coast. In that case, you do not!

[Wojo]

Oh, so you're arguing from an arbitrary point of view then? Why didn't you say so.

I type a thousand words a minute, but it's in my own language.

Who can challenge me? Who can say I'm wrong?

No one.

[Stefancos]

Wojo is wrong!

[Wojo]

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll update Leonidas' signpost posthaste.

[Chaac]

You Laurentian wrongness!

[Wojo]

Oh we're name calling now? I'm out.

[Chaac]

Edit: I just checked Wikipedia in several languages and it seems there's a difference of connotations of the word America between English on one side and Spanish, French and Portuguese. I atribute this to a different colonial history. To English speaking world, Americans were from a small zone in the North, but for others, Americans were (are) from the whole thing. The Portuguese wiki is a bit ambivalent on this.

[Stefancos]

Don't believe them! Don't trust them!

[Matt C]

I wonder if the powers that be have decided whether to go ahead with the sequel to Tintin or not. I really hope they do.

I'm pretty sure Paramount and Sony are going to go forward with a second film, since the first did turn a profit. They have a script in development, and Peter Jackson will be directing after he wraps filming on both Hobbit films.

[Joey]

Manuel. Don't try to argue with a nation that refuses to embrace football (what they call soccer)

we do embrace Football, it's the greatest sport, it involves 11 players on each side. One side is offense, the other side is defense.
The field is 100 yards long with an endzone at each end 10 yards deep. The field is 55 yards wide. Traditionally the home team wears dark jerseys with the defense wearing white, however some teams, LSU, Geo. Tech, often play the opposite. The goal is to use your teams offense to move down the field and score. Scoring can be acheived offensively or defensively. Scoring a touchdown results in 6 points. The a conversion is added by either kicking a short 20 yard field goal for an extra point or by going for two points out of an offensive set. However the defense can also score on the coversion by either blocking the extrapoint and returning it for a 2 point conversion, or by intercepting a pass or returning a fumble also for 2 points. During the actual offensive attack a touchdown can be score by running or pass reception for 6 points. Again the defense can score by intercepting the pass or returing a fumble for 6 points. The offense can opt to kick a field goal or drop kick the ball for 3 points. Drop kicking hasn't been done in years. 2 points can be score by the defense when a safety occurs. A safety occurs when the ball is downed in it own endzon while maintaining possession. It can also occur when an offensive lineman is called for holding in the endzone. Profession Football is what most people outside the United States of America see, however it is the least popular of the 3 forms of the game. High School and College Football are vastly more popular and are more pure and exciting formats, with some rule changes. Football in the southern US is unrivaled at the present from Florida to Texas the game represents life itself. The state of Alabama is football central, it's two competing Universities having won the last 3 National Titles.

as for the game itself traditionally the offense consists of 1 quarterback, a center, a left and right guard, a left and right tackle, and then a combination of players that brings the total to 11 player, wide receivers, flankers, tight ends, fullback, tailbacks, halfbacks and wing backs, the names changing depending on the offensive formation. There are teams that are predominately rushing(example Georgia Tech yellow jackets), and there are teams that are predominately passing(example Houston Cougars), and then those who are more balanced (florida State Seminoles). On defense the teams usually have a combination of defensive linemen, defensive ends, linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties. The different philosophies of football ensure an engaging game that is very exciting(the great weakness of pro football is everyone is exactly the same except for talent levels, the pro game offers little variety).

Then there are special teams, which is a misnomer because they are often not special. There are three basic type of special teams, the kickoff team, the field goal team, and the punt team. There is a corresponding defensive team for each. The kickoff team tries to return the ball for the best starting field position. Anything that gets past the 30 yard line is considered a success. For many teams a successful punt return is one that is just fielded but many teams are able to make great returns off the punt return.

[BloodBoal]

Sounds like a boring game.

[Stefancos]

Joe, your post would be clever, if I had not specified the term soccer in my original post.

As it stands, your post is now an epic failure...

American football just seems like rugby for pussies! (real rugby player go bareback, without special helmets and padds.)

[Chaac]

I enjoy seeing real rugby, even though I don't understand all of it.

[Stefancos]

If you watch a rugby match then you soon realize that football (soccer) players are just pussies!

Christiano Ronaldo looks rather muscular of a football pitch, but on a rugby field they would squash him like a bug...

[Joey]

Joe, your post would be clever, if I had not specified the term soccer in my original post.

As it stands, your post is now an epic failure...

American football just seems like rugby for pussies! (real rugby player go bareback, without special helmets and padds.)

again your ignorance is profound. Rugby and football are as vastly different as soccer and cricket. No one in rugby takes the big hits you see in football. You don't have the high speed hits, tackling in the two game is completely different. Without the forward pass there is no isolation plays and devasting hits. Oh btw they do were shin pads and occasionally hip pads.. But they don't need shoulder pads since high tackling is forbidden and no one tackles with their shoulder. In rugby you see alot of cuts bruise and broken fingers and nose. In pro football with all the safety equipment you still see cuts, bruise, broken fingers, occasional broken noses, ACL tears, graphic bone breaks, compound fractures. Profound ignorance, stick to soccer, it's simpler pure game suits you.

[Stefancos]

Both American Football and Rugby use the same ball and have a similar field. Unlike soccer and cricket.

American Footbal is just Rugby for nancy-boys. Which is why you like it!

[Quint]

www.eatliver.com/img/2009/3849.jpg

[Stefancos]

[Quint]

Cheers Steef, the garbage useless board software won't link images on my android phone.

[Joey]

Both American Football and Rugby use the same ball and have a similar field. Unlike soccer and cricket.

American Footbal is just Rugby for nancy-boys. Which is why you like it!

no they don't, hell high school, college, and pro's all use different balls. And I'm not talking size because of age, but the shape is different. Rugby balls are rounded, footballs are pointed for passing.

[Stefancos]

Rugby



American Football



It's the same!

[Quint]

I love how touchy yankies dig deep holes for themselves with this.

They should rename it poncey-armoured handball and be done with it.

[Joey]

they are not the same Stefan, not even remotely, both are specialized. At least in Rugby and football the players can use their arms.

[Stefancos]

They should rename it poncey-armoured handball and be done with it.

They are a bunch of nancy-boys, aren't they...

they are not the same Stefan, not even remotely, both are specialized. At least in Rugby and football the players can use their arms.

In football you are not allowed to use your arms or hands to handle the ball, unless you are a goal keeper.

[Joey]

the same!!!

[Stefancos]

If you have ever handled these balls, you would know they were very different..

Did you ever handle balls, Joe?

[BloodBoal]

Did you ever handle balls, Joe?

[Luke Skywalker]

Awesome But i would call the second 'Handwatermelon'

[Joey]

If you have ever handled these balls, you would know they were very different..

Did you ever handle balls, Joe?

I know, the yellow one I'm allowed to use my hands on.
the white one hardly ever scores.

I've handled balls before Stefan, I've shot free throws poorly, I used to have ok touch from the top of the key outside the 3pt line.
I've picked off a pass and scored a td. I've rushed for td's and I've even caught a 60 yard td pass. That all was along time ago.
I've even played soccer but never scored. As to the enuendo, naturally. Like the rugby, football, soccer ball and basketball, I can supply pictures of those too.

[Stefancos]

I've even played soccer but never scored.

Ok, you were a defender?

As to the enuendo, naturally. Like the rugby, football, soccer ball and basketball, I can supply pictures of those too.

Please do.

[Wojo]

This picture presents a very infantile method of believing how sports should be named.

In "football" (soccer), the foot controls the ball. Ok. But the goalie stops the ball with whatever he wants. Handball. Anythingball. Notwiththehandsball.

In American (and Canadian) football, yes, the foot is only used to deliver the ball into play at the start of a half, to score points between the uprights, or to give the ball to the other team at a change of possession. Thse moments are fleeting and take very little time, if any, off of the clock. The rest of the time, the ball is clutched in the hands. Contact with the foot is a dead ball, stoppage in play. Handball. Clutchball. Passball. The ball is not a melon or egg just because it looks like one, any more than a soccer ball is a testicle because it looks like one.

Baseball. The ball isn't supposed to touch the bases or it jumps into foul territory or up into players' faces. It's hit with the bat. Batball. It's caught in a glove. Gloveball. It's thrown by a pitcher. Pitchball. Handball. It's spat on by nasty pitchers. Spitball. Curveball. Fastball. Seamball. Leatherball.

Basketball. They used to use peach baskets, but now they use nets mounted on hoops. Hoopball. Netball. Players use their hands to pass and shoot. Handball. Dribbleball. Passball. Shootball. Orangeball. The shoes squeak on the hardwood. Squeakball.

Hockey? They use a puck, not a ball.

But field and street hockey can use balls instead of pucks, but they retain the name "hockey" because the rules are largely the same. Should they rename it to puckball, stickball, bladeball, goalieball, iceball, etc.?

Tennis. Racquetball is something else entirely. The ball is green, let's call it greenball. Wilson makes the ball, let's play Wilsonball. They use a net. Netball. Love is a starting score. Loveball.

Volleyball. Players volley for serve. But they also spike. Spikeball. There is a net. Netball. They use their hands. Handball. They play in the sand. Sandball. The women play in skimpy tight tops. Skimpytightshowmeyourtitsball.

[Romão]

95% of times in football (soccer if you will), the ball is actually handled by the feet. Couldn't the americans come up with any other name for their game? And one that actually makes sense at that?

[Wojo]

It was named back in the 1800s. It's too fucking late to change it.

[Stefancos]

African-Americans were named niggers in the 1800's, you guys changed that...

[Joey]

African-Americans were named niggers in the 1800's, you guys changed that...

please you do not know what the fk you're talking about. Your comment is offensive and out of line.

95% of times in football (soccer if you will), the ball is actually handled by the feet. Couldn't the americans come up with any other name for their game? And one that actually makes sense at that?

our sport is appropriately named. In it's original version the use of the foot was more prominate. But we learned a long time ago that your version has very little scoring. We like scoring. And thank goodness we finally did away with ties. there is no point in playing a game that ends in a tie.
If you like fast action Football is the way to go, not soccer which is only slightly less dull than golf or televised poker.

[Stefancos]

please you do not know what the fk you're talking about. Your comment is offensive and out of line.

If you like fast action Football is the way to go, not soccer which is only slightly less dull than golf or televised poker.

Try watching the Tour De France on TV, you'll wanna kill yourself!

[Romão]

Actually, the few I've times I've watched american football, I was taken back by own often the game stops in order to measure yards or for the referee to make a decision or for the times to swap. It probably is one of the ball games with least percentage of actual playing duing its runtime. But it did seem to be strategically and tactically extremely complex

[Chaac]

If I like fast action and scoring I think basketball is the way to go.

I don't like football much, but I learned from seeing it that the difficulty to score is sort of the point.

Try watching the Tour De France on TV, you'll wanna kill yourself!

Yes. Talk about boring.

[Stefancos]

And you know all the Spanish riders are doped to the gills!

[Joey]

but Tour De France is exciting,












when they crash.

Actually, the few I've times I've watched american football, I was taken back by own often the game stops in order to measure yards or for the referee to make a decision or for the times to swap. It probably is one of the ball games with least percentage of actual playing duing its runtime. But it did seem to be strategically and tactically extremely complex

the stoppage of play can get on your nerves but you are correct the game is extremely complex. There are so many philosphies and no one is correct. Right now offenses seem to be dominating, yet the teams that win Championships are generally the best defensively. personally I like big play offenses and knock the crap out of you defenses. Unfortunately my school doesn't have the latter yet.