laf837 wrote:

TenuredVulture wrote:

Wizlah wrote:

laf837 wrote:Wiz,
I am having this silly turned serious argument with some Anglophiliacs over here with regard to rugby. My contention is if I could pick players that do not make the NFL or get drafted and had someone coach them up for a year, that that team could win a rugby title. My english-loving friends say I am insane. My contention is that rugby is a relatively simple game so natural ability will be able to take over more quickly.
Any thoughts?

Right, first up. I dinnae ken rugby, and I'll freely admit to studiously ignoring ANY aspect of american football.

Now, the rugby thing. Despite freely not understanding the game, I have been diligently watching 6 nations rugby (the main national tournament in the northern hemisphere, and the biggest competition outside of the heinken cup, which is the club competition) for about 10 years now. One of my best mates back home is a massive rugby fan. My da-in-law is an ex rugby player and staunch fan. You'd think after all this time I would understand rugby. But I don't. Because it is fiercely, fiercely technical.

When do you use hands to tackle. where. What constitutes a turnover. the many illegal behaviours that surround the scrum which cause the referee to restart. there isn't a rolling maul anymore. Why? WHO THE $#@! KNOWS WHAT A ROLLING MAUL IS?

Rugby, as far as I can work it, is all about superlative technical execution within a complex rules framework. And for this reason alone, I'm going with your friends. If you don't believe me, consider the following article on the latest set of rule changes, called Experimental Law Variations, and how it's supposedly killing the game. I draw your attention to phrases like 'full raft of ELVs', suggesting a lot of rules. I know, they're rugby players, so it's hard for them to count, but still.

I'm not saying it's more complex than American Football, but I think it's a mistake to assume that the game is comparatively easy to understand. It's not. And since Rugby Union became fully professionalised, every one of those players is every bit as fit and up to speed on sport science as yer fellas in the NFL draft. so I don't figure they'd stand any better or any worse chance than any other club. and if they went up against the all blacks, they'd be $#@! worse than a pig at a pig $#@! contest. But that goes without saying. I mean, anyone would.

I've played both. The big difference is that a rugby player is running a lot. And there are limited substitutions, so I would imagine a typical NFL lineman would probably die. There's no forward pass of course, so that would be another set of skills that aren't useful. Everyone however needs to have some ball handling skills.

Yeah, my boys were saying "hahah 350 pd lineman would die...blah, blah" My thought was the team would be basically be LB's, safeties, tight ends, and running backs. Most of these people would be comfortable with the ball. But I will concede that I have no idea what goes into rugby and I'm sure any team would get routed regardless of their physical ability at the outset. It would be a cool idea for a reality show but the talent level would need to be SEC, big time football types and not schlubs off the street.

Houshphandzadeh wrote:Igglesblog today had an interesting link to a bit about how "Hobbesian choice" is a misnomer. It's actually Hobson's Choice.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hobsons-choice.html

TenuredVulture wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:Igglesblog today had an interesting link to a bit about how "Hobbesian choice" is a misnomer. It's actually Hobson's Choice.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hobsons-choice.html

I've never heard the phrase Hobbesian choice. I would have remembered if I had.

Barry Jive wrote:for the first time ever, my online banking photo and security phrase were not what they were supposed to be. that was weird.

phatj wrote:

TenuredVulture wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:Igglesblog today had an interesting link to a bit about how "Hobbesian choice" is a misnomer. It's actually Hobson's Choice.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hobsons-choice.html

I've never heard the phrase Hobbesian choice. I would have remembered if I had.

Ditto.

TenuredVulture wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:Igglesblog today had an interesting link to a bit about how "Hobbesian choice" is a misnomer. It's actually Hobson's Choice.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hobsons-choice.html

I've never heard the phrase Hobbesian choice. I would have remembered if I had.

Woody wrote:

Barry Jive wrote:for the first time ever, my online banking photo and security phrase were not what they were supposed to be. that was weird.

This happened to me when I entered the wrong ID number once. It said, "Welcome Back, Greg!" or something like that. Very trippy

swishnicholson wrote:

TenuredVulture wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:Igglesblog today had an interesting link to a bit about how "Hobbesian choice" is a misnomer. It's actually Hobson's Choice.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hobsons-choice.html

I've never heard the phrase Hobbesian choice. I would have remembered if I had.

I would have remembered because I would have laughed. What's next, Schroeder's cat?