Do you like rugby or football better? (American football)

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**rubiksnoob**

Just wondering. I play rugby and I think it's the best sport ever invented. It is much more about team work and comaraderie, whereas in football you have maybe a few star players and the rest are just nameless rabble. A lineman will never get the chance to score a touchdown in football, where in rugby everyone more or less can score. (backs more than forwards but even so.) It's about supporting the man with the ball instead of wait for the QB to get off a pass to the star wide reciever. I just believe that rugby is a better sport. Plus we don't wear those sissy pads!

**usernamesareannoying**

this is kind of an unfair question as rugby is less mainstream here in the us.
having said that i like rugby a lot but dont quite understand every aspect of it.

any game where you can step on a guys unhelmeted head with cleats or run up and over a guys back and have it all be legal has got to be good!

**Vulkan77**

Rugby, used to play when i was younger, never payed American football, watched it a couple of times, looks fairly boring and reliant on 1 player to make any moves, as the OP stated basically anyone in rugby can scoreas long as they are supporting the move.

**dogma**

rubiksnoob wrote:Just wondering. I play rugby and I think it's the best sport ever invented. It is much more about team work and comaraderie, whereas in football you have maybe a few star players and the rest are just nameless rabble.

Yes, because everyone remembers who Props when Johnny Wilkinson is on the pitch.

rubiksnoob wrote:
A lineman will never get the chance to score a touchdown in football, where in rugby everyone more or less can score.

Realistically, the same 2 or 3 guys will score the vast majority of tries on any given team. Its simply a matter of relative skill, and established roles. In that way football simply formalizes what already occurs on the Rugby pitch; with dedicated ball carriers and support players.

rubiksnoob wrote:
(backs more than forwards but even so.) It's about supporting the man with the ball instead of wait for the QB to get off a pass to the star wide reciever. I just believe that rugby is a better sport.

Football is about supporting the ball carrier too, that's what blocking is for.

rubiksnoob wrote:
Plus we don't wear those sissy pads!

Those sissy pads let you throw a lot more force behind a hit. Plus you don't have to wrap up in football.

For the record, I've played both (11 years of football, 6 years of Rugby) and don't have a particular preference. I play more Rugby now because its tough to find amateur football teams.

**Vulkan77**

I played rugby for 5 years as scrum/fly half then had to quit when i picked up a bad knee injury and had to have most of the cartlidge removed

**halonachos**

Football pads make it easier to knock someone on their rears and fulfill the need of the players to run about with recklessness. I mean whenever you go to block a player you're giving the other guy CPR chest compressions while hes trying to knock you over. Otherwise you're getting tackled by a 150lb+ player(not including pad weight).

Plus, football jerseys are paper thin with holes in them and rugby shirts are all nice and equivalent to wearing a sweater.

**generalgrog**

Footballicus 12:39GGV(generalgrogs version) says "Thou shalt play American Football only and only shalt thow play it, lest you die."

Can't wait for this devolve now.

Anyway I am a huge American College football fan. GO GATORS!!

I played in high school, and have to disagree that football is less about teamwork and comraderie. The line men are some of the most imortant positions on the field. It's just the the american press focuses on the players that score the points, when in fact they could never score the points without the linemen or the rest of the team. Also if the defense doesn't do it's job scoring points may not matter.

I just think you have big misconception about what it takes to play football.

GG

**Wolfstan**

Just out of interest are you able to play Americab Football outside of College / Uni / Pro? Over here in the UK we have thousands of clubs that play Rugby & Footie at the weekend. Never heard the same about American Football.

**whatwhat**

The differences make the two sports entirely disimilar. For one the short periods of play in American football means players can pack a lot more muscle as they only need to use it for short bursts. A rugby league player would be tired as hell if he bore that much weight. Also rugby players have to both attack and defend so they can't spend all their training specialising in one area.

But ftr the answer to your question is cricket.

**Malecus**

As an American Football enthusiast (getting my fantasy draft picks together starting today) and former Lock for an amateur Rugby team, I have divided loyalties.

I have to give big "props" to Rugby from a fun standpoint as it's the only sport where you beat somebody senseless, and then go drinking with them afterwards. Good memories, those.

On the other hand, as a spectator, American Football just seems more fun to observe than Rugby (although I've played far more Rugby than I've had a chance to watch, oddly enough).

I must abstain, lest I vote for both in a sneaky fashion.

**Redbeard**

rubiksnoob wrote: [Rugby] is much more about team work and comaraderie, whereas in football you have maybe a few star players and the rest are just nameless rabble.

This shows, first, a lack of understanding of the nature of a team, second, a lack of understanding of American football, and third, that you're somehow unsure of your own choice as you have to resort to putting down someone else's.

American football is most certainly a team effort. If one of the linemen, who may not ever score, doesn't do his job, then the 'star' player will get creamed before the play ever unfolds. Just because they're not scoring doesn't mean they're not vital to the success of the team. Does anyone question that soccer is a team sport - the keeper never gets a chance to score either. It may be argued that the man who does his job without any personal glory is truly the team player.

Wide receivers are a bad example. If you ever see an interview with a running back or a quarterback who has just had a great game, the first thing they will do is praise their linemen, for without the team blocking of the line, neither running or passing games work. The players certainly know this.

You may prefer rugby, and that's cool. I enjoy rugby too. But rather than insult American Football, which won't win you any converts and looks insecure, why not simply expound upon the virtues of rugby. It's a good game, full of action, and can reasonably be played by just about anyone.

**Frazzled**

Wolfstan wrote:Just out of interest are you able to play Americab Football outside of College / Uni / Pro? Over here in the UK we have thousands of clubs that play Rugby & Footie at the weekend. Never heard the same about American Football.

Yes indeed. There are adult clubs/groups that play.

Kids: Kids play both formally or informally.

You are not a man until you have played football on a concrete street. The Force is strong with those who survive WAUGGGHHHHHH!!!!

**halonachos**

There's also tackle football(helmets and pads) and flag football(no tackling).

There's also a game we play called "Smear the Queer"(going with the british definiton meaning odd one). Which consists of a football and at least 5 people, One person gets the football and has to run across a smaller playing field while avoiding being tackled by the other 4 once the person is tackled he must throw up the ball and then someone else catches it. Tackle football minus the offensive line and protective gear, good times.

**whatwhat**

halonachos wrote:There's also a game we play called "Smear the Queer"(going with the british definiton meaning odd one). Which consists of a football and at least 5 people, One person gets the football and has to run across a smaller playing field while avoiding being tackled by the other 4 once the person is tackled he must throw up the ball and then someone else catches it. Tackle football minus the offensive line and protective gear, good times.

thats almost british bulldogs, just a more safe sounding version.

Buldogs is where you have two teams one has to get from one side of the field to the other. Other team has to bring them down. If you get brought down you become a buldog and are on the other team. Usually ends up with a herd of twenty od people piling on the one unlucky sod who didn't make it.

**halonachos**

British Bulldogs sounds like a lovely game of tag compared to other games, nothing like "Smear".

**whatwhat**

Sure, that's why it's banned in most british schools.

**Frazzled**

whatwhat wrote:
halonachos wrote:There's also a game we play called "Smear the Queer"(going with the british definiton meaning odd one). Which consists of a football and at least 5 people, One person gets the football and has to run across a smaller playing field while avoiding being tackled by the other 4 once the person is tackled he must throw up the ball and then someone else catches it. Tackle football minus the offensive line and protective gear, good times.

thats almost british bulldogs, just a more safe sounding version.

Buldogs is where you have two teams one has to get from one side of the field to the other. Other team has to bring them down. If you get brought down you become a buldog and are on the other team. Usually ends up with a herd of twenty od people piling on the one unlucky sod who didn't make it.

I've heard it called both actually. I liked to think of it as maximum carnage.

**halonachos**

whatwhat wrote:Sure, that's why it's banned in most british schools.

We don't exactly play "Smear the Queer" in school either. Firstly the name is "offensive" and secondly, theres not enough trees around to run into. Sure there's the baseball cages, but nothing matches bark in terms of scrapes.

**whatwhat**

If you want a hard sport this one has to be the best...

heh heh they aint never gonna catch that cheese. Dumb fools.

**halonachos**

If you brits had firearms you could just shoot the cheese to prevent it from running away, that's why our cheese doesn't run.

**whatwhat**

Your cheese doesn't run because it looks like this...

no good for rolling.

I will inform the swiss though who's been putting the holes in there cheese. They were very unhappy about that last I heard.

**halonachos**

That's because its processed like steak. First we hunt the cheese, then we shoot it and then we cut it up into easy to eat slices.

**rubiksnoob**

generalgrog wrote:

I just think you have big misconception about what it takes to play football.

GG

I've actually played football almost my whole life.

**dogma**

generalgrog wrote:
I played in high school, and have to disagree that football is less about teamwork and comraderie. The line men are some of the most imortant positions on the field. It's just the the american press focuses on the players that score the points, when in fact they could never score the points without the linemen or the rest of the team. Also if the defense doesn't do it's job scoring points may not matter.

GG

A lot of it also has to do with the technicality and nuance of individual skill sets. Anyone can tell that a running back X has superior overall quickness to running back Y, but the difference between the kick-slide of Tackle X and Tackle Y is much more difficult to grasp; especially when watching a game as opposed to a practice.

**rubiksnoob**

Rugby players I find to be in much better overall shape than football players. It's just a more athlectic game.

**dogma**

rubiksnoob wrote:Rugby players I find to be in much better overall shape than football players. It's just a more athlectic game.

There's a whole bunch indecisive commentary in there.

Rugby is more intense in terms of sustained exertion and awareness, but requires a significantly less in terms of power, agility, acceleration, and sheer speed because each individual yard/meter is less important to the outcome of the game.

Having seen people cross over in both directions: football players tend to have problems with their conditioning, and Rugby players tend to have problems with their aggression and explosiveness.

**Ahtman**

They are both horribly violent games and should be banned.

Unless I can play too.

**Orkeosaurus**

Floor Hockey is the best sport ever.

**dogma**

Baseketball.

**notprop**

dogma wrote:...

Rugby is more intense in terms of sustained exertion and awareness, but requires a significantly less in terms of power, agility, acceleration, and sheer speed because each individual yard/meter is less important to the outcome of the game...quote]

Sorry mate but I have to say that’s not true, both games require all of these attributes. What I would say is that the different rules and levels of protection allow Football players to apply their physicality in a much more direct fashion ergo higher (not much but enough) forces into contact.

I had always assumed that the way that Football allows tackles and blocks (spear tackles, no arms) meant that the players required less skill but we recently had an American fella join our club (former college level QB) and whilst he lacked knowledge of the Laws of rugby (who doesn't when new to a game) his skill in the tackle i.e. low body position and rising from knee height was up there with the best in the club. An outstanding athlete as well. Suffice to say that we did not express our admiration for his skill and mocked his gurly padded tight wearing past.

Both are good games but my preference is for Rugby (both codes), but I have no problem watching/playing Football when the chance arises.

On the subject of Bulldog/Smear there was a fantastic British Bulldog advert I think for Addidas prior to the British Lions Tour of New Zealand 5-6 years ago. It shows some of the best rugby players in the world playing the game. Have a search for it (sorry work computer wont allow youtube/videos so I cant post it here), I guarantee everyone will enjoy it.