[timb64]

When I was at school, the 'teachers' tried to get me to play football - we were herded onto a cold muddy field, in shorts and shirts, great leather boots on our pre-teen feet, while a bunch of men in overcoats and apparently no hands peered through the iron railings at us. A brown leather spheroid was dumped in a puddle, and we were 'selected' for teams. Then some of the others began to kick the ball, whilst I watched fascinated, never having seen this method of passing time before, and wondering vaguely what It was supposed to be teaching us. Then the ball headed rapidly in my direction, so I stepped aside politely to let it pass. 'Why didn't you kick it ?' yelled the teacher, himself as red-faced as our impromptu audience.





'Why should I ?' I enquired. 'It hasn't done anything to me.' Even now, some sixty years later, I still have not fathomed out the rationale behind this bizarre activity, which apparently enthralls so many otherwise intelligent people.

I didn’t know they even played football in Norfolk!

[35mmfilmfan]

I didn’t know they even played football in Norfolk!

I didn't live in Norfolk then - I 'existed' in London. Norfolk is far more my glass of mead - much slower pace of life, and lots of nature. Apparently (or allegedly) some local kick ball team is named after a bird not even native to the UK. So much for education.

[timb64]

Apparently (or allegedly) some local kick ball team is named after a bird not even native to the UK. So much for education.

The Canaries,or in my neck of the woods,better known as the stuffed Budgies!!

[bertwert]

But to me the most amazing sports in terms of what the athletes have to do are Alpine skiing and Nordic skiing, in this latter especially biathlon.

Nordic skiing is one of the best sports individuals can do for themselves and their health as well, the guy known for popularizing the sport in Canada died as the oldest man in the world at the time - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Smith-Johannsen

Biathlon takes things to the next level - full body workout requiring perfected technique, then lowering heart rates and precision shooting before skiing out again. Real fun to compete in too.

Alpine skiing... is that the one where they have training heels to attach their feet down with their lack of balance?

[StiffLegged]

Alpine skiing... is that the one where they have training heels to attach their feet down with their lack of balance?

That’s the one where they don’t wear skirts, lad!

[PDL]

I'd like to play Global Thermonuclear War.

You could check the effects here.

https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

It's better not to play.

[photoptimist]

Is that the funny game where the players don't actually touch the ball with their feet..?

Worse, it's not actually played with a ball. It's played with an egg!

It really should be called handegg.

[StiffLegged]

Worse, it's not actually played with a ball. It's played with an egg!

It really should be called handegg.

That one, where “players” inflict what in other circumstances would be Grievous Bodily Harm on other “players” and would normally incur spells in chokey, hefty fines or both. It’s bafflingly described as “played by gentlemen” too. Hooligans!

[robgski]

Sport has a lot of benefit for each individual, mens sano corpore sano, if i may be so vulgar. Intellectuals can benefit from getting ther pulse up and their hands dirty, some research suggests that physical activity increases mental activity, i know it is true for me.

i never fooled myslef into thinking i would be a star player, but i played a variety of sports as a child and as an adulkt, and enjoyed the friendly competition, team sport does increase camaraderie, esprit de corps, all those necessities for winning at waterloo.

The rules of the game are not meant to be enforced from outside, they are meant to be followed by each player.

I prefer to know the rules, so i can watch for infractions, especially before I gert dealt in and ante up.

I half agree with @texandrews, I don’t find baseball dull, but I do prefer to listen to it rather than watch.

NFL is what I find dull, too much time devoted to too little action.

[aslyfox]

. . . The rules of the game are not meant to be enforced from outside, they are meant to be followed by each player. . . .

not so fast, imho

often self interest of the player or the interest of the " team " leads to noncompliance with that statement

were you tagged ?

were you in bounds ?

did you act in violation of the rule intentionally or not

the legend of golf, a sport I don't play, says that the golfer honors the rules and self regulates

is that true, a legend or partially true ?

often a neutral arbitrator needs to regulate actions and remove temptation from the player to make the call

[robgski]

Well, counselor, as you well know, dishonest people will break any law, no matter how many laws are on the books,
The same idea applies to sports, whether sandlot or pro league.

[aslyfox]

Well, counselor, as you well know, dishonest people will break any law, no matter how many laws are on the books,
The same idea applies to sports, whether sandlot or pro league.

True

and in team sports loyalty to the team may cause conflict with personal beliefs

[aslyfox]

" I hate it, I hate it, we got cheated " a fan cries out

" what "

" my team lost and didn't have a chance "

" what "

" the game went into over time and my team lost the coin toss and never had a chance "

" what "

" the other team went down the length of the field and scored a touchdown and my team never got the ball "

" wait a second, wasn't that what was agreed to before the teams played "

" yeah but it ain't fair, cause my team lost "

[luftfluss]

According to the NFL Media Research Department, there have been 163 games played with the current OT rules, including playoffs. The teams that won the coin toss have a record of 86-67-10 in those games.

In the playoffs, there have been 11 such games, with the winner of the coin toss going 10-1, and 7 times the coin toss winner has scored a TD on the first possession to end the game.

[aslyfox]

According to the NFL Media Research Department, there have been 163 games played with the current OT rules, including playoffs. The teams that won the coin toss have a record of 86-67-10 in those games.

In the playoffs, there have been 11 such games, with the winner of the coin toss going 10-1, and 7 times the coin toss winner has scored a TD on the first possession to end the game.

Sounds like to me that a lot of teams had problems with their defense

Defense wins games, IMHO

[ years ago, in high school, I started as a lineman, both on offense and defense, defense was more fun - btw, that team still holds the Illinois state record for the least yardage allowed only giving up a total of 522 yards for a season ]

also sounds like the teams involved had an equal chance to obtain the ball first