American Football players in the NRL?

[Squatdog]

Okay, here's something that's been bugging me for a while:

I distinctly recall back in the 1993 Winfield Cup pre-season, the Canberra Raiders were experimenting with a couple of Padball college players ('college football' is a HUGE deal in the states) and there was one black dude who played in the Sevens and a couple of friendly matches, but couldn't cut it and was dropped before the regular season. I can still hear Stirlo encouraging him from the commentary box in a faux-American accent: "Go maaaan, go!"...

At the time, there was a deal of discussion about how poorly they adapted to League and that people were surprised at how reluctant they were to run into contact.

Does anyone have some clarification on this? I routinely have to listen to Americans drone on about how their 'superior athletes' would dominate Rugby (both codes, they don't know the difference).

 

[Bumble]

This again?

Yeah, the USA would dominate the sh*t out of us in Rugby if they could be bothered. Open your mind a bit...the NFL is awesome to watch and players often run head first into one another.

 

[BLKOUT!]

I don't like NFL but the more athletic players in that league are on a different planet in comparison to what we produce. There's probably random NFL training camp cast-offs who'd come here and make our Olympic sprint team.

 

[Squatdog]

This again?

Yeah, the USA would dominate the sh*t out of us in Rugby if they could be bothered. Open your mind a bit...the NFL is awesome to watch and players often run head first into one another.

They wouldn't necessarily dominate Rugby or League, despite their depth of talent.

Look at Olympic Wrestling. The sport is HUGE in America at highschool and college level and has an extensive elite program, but they literally didn't win a single men's medal in this year's World's and managed a single gold at the 2008 Olympics, behind such luminaries as Georgia...

The 'big hits' in Padball generally involve illegally ramming other Michelin men with their crash-helmets

 

[macavity]

different training focus and very specialised positions - linemen are way too big as they are now and wouldn't last a game.

Linebackers, backfield defenders, TEs, RBs and WRs would be suitable, and most top line QBs are such supremely coordinated athletes that they would probably be fantastic - and half of them are 6'5 and not exactly beanpoles.

I would love to see a second row of Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing in red and blue....

Oh, and squatdog - you are either a hater or don't really have a clue about NFL - there are huge legal hits pretty much every game. Second best sport known to humanity.

Edit - looking at the game through RL eyes I have always wondered why they don't use the lateral pass more often in the pros. It is much more common in high school and college, but I guess it is deemed too risky in the pros? It ight be that you are unable to pass properly with all the padding - they always seem to do a basketball style pass.

 

[Squatdog]

different training focus and very specialised positions - linemen are way too big as they are now and wouldn't last a game.

Linebackers, backfield defenders, TEs, RBs and WRs would be suitable, and most top line QBs are such supremely coordinated athletes that they would probably be fantastic - and half of them are 6'5 and not exactly beanpoles.

I would love to see a second row of Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing in red and blue....

Oh, and squatdog - you are either a hater or don't really have a clue about NFL - there are huge legal hits pretty much every game. Second best sport known to humanity.

Edit - while we are talking about what they could offer us, I have always wondered why they don't use the lateral pass more often in the pros. It is much more common in high school and college, but deemed too risky in the pros? I wonder if you are unable to pass properly with all the padding.

The average Padball player LITERALLY spends half the game sitting on the sideline and the ball is only in play for an average of 16 minutes in a typical 3 hour broadcast marathon. An 'elite' Linebacker might only make three tackles a game.

The reason you don't see lateral passes in Padball is that the players (other than the quarterback) are mindless drones performing their one-dimensional niche role over and over as they conform to pre-determined plays. They can't be trusted to do anything requiring independent thought.

 

[macavity]

The average Padball player LITERALLY spends half the game sitting on the sideline and the ball is only in play for an average of 16 minutes in a typical 3 hour broadcast marathon. An 'elite' Linebacker might only make three tackles a game.

The reason you don't see lateral passes in Padball is that the players (other than the quarterback) are mindless drones performing their one-dimensional niche role over and over as they conform to pre-determined plays. They can't be trusted to do anything requiring independent thought.

yup, hater.

 

[Squatdog]

yup, hater.

Which of my facts do you disagree with?

 

[macavity]

the players (other than the quarterback) are mindless drones performing their one-dimensional niche role over and over as they conform to pre-determined plays. They can't be trusted to do anything requiring independent thought.

This is an opinion, it is not a "fact".

 

[Danish]

Why is it that fans of the NFL always seem to go on about their athletes like they are some sort of super human gods? Its essentially reverse racism in that the argument tends to always revert back to "well they have black people, so they must be awesome".

Yes, there are some topline NFL stars who'd dominate in our league, however most wouldn't. Skill set is just WAY too different, body type and fitness requirements for the 2 sports are completely different.

Playing non-stop for 40 minutes with the moving up in defence then retreating back 10m every tackle would take its toll on most of them, as its completely out of their style of play. As would being called upon to make 20-30 full contact tackles per game, without pads. No amount of being f**king massive and squatting 600 pounds is going to get them used to that.

don't get me wrong, if they ever got serious about league (like billion dollar broadcasting rights serious) they'd certainly be right up there with us, but IMO america would never truly dominate league. Its just not their sport. Look at how many billions they invest on ice hockey every year and they are completely incapable of winning at the olympics, and their own national league is still dominated by european and canadian players.

As to the hits involved, I rate NRL at least on par with the NFL in that department. NFL players are wearing full body armor for f**ks sake. You can literally run into a brickwall at full pace in NFL gear and get up jitterbugging. NRL players run full pace into each other with nothing on. They have no protection from injury except for their technique, and still our players register similar G forces to the NFL in their tackles.

 

[BLKOUT!]

Why is it that fans of the NFL always seem to go on about their athletes like they are some sort of super human gods? Its essentially reverse racism in that the argument tends to always revert back to "well they have black people, so they must be awesome".

It's because they measure their athletic feats. You can get most NFL players 40 yard dash times, bench press, vertical leap etc. All we ever get in the NRL is "I think player A is faster than player B. They had a race at training once".

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

This again?

Yeah, the USA would dominate the sh*t out of us in Rugby if they could be bothered. Open your mind a bit...the NFL is awesome to watch and players often run head first into one another.

NFL players in the NRL? Personally dont think they'd have the motor.

 

[Squatdog]

This is an opinion, it is not a "fact".

It's a fact.

Linemen might not make a single tackle in an entire game and go their whole career without running with the ball. Running Backs might go their entire career without making a tackle Players other than the quarterback are EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN by the coaching staff to 'pitch' (pass) the ball.



Let's have a look at one of the 'elite' Padball players who I have been repeatedly assured would 'kill any Rugby player' by American fanboys:

Julius Peppers - 9 seasons in the NFL - average number of tackles per game: THREE!

 

[Doomednow]

I love the NFL but no, I don't think they would adapt well. You might get some speed from some Wide Receivers, and a good Running Back knows how to break a tackle, but I get the feeling most of them wouldn't understand much about the passing game and getting other players involved. You might be able to lateral pass legally in NFL but its rarely seen, once the QB gives it to someone they are generally expected to be a one man show for the rest of the play.

In any case I think a lot of the positions require far too much specialisation in regards to skillset and fitness, hence the need for offensive and defensive teams.

 

[macavity]

No, that is an opinion.

It is a much more structured game than RL - that doesn't mean that the players:

can't be trusted to do anything requiring independent thought.

Any more than it means that RL players couldn't possibly kick a behind in AFL or contest a ruck and maul in Union. They simply haven't trained for the demands of a game that they don't play - doesn't mean that they couldn't.

I am not supposing for one second that given an off-season a selection of NFL players would dominate the Kiwis - but as we are increasingly seeing, supreme athletes can generally adapt to different games given time.

 

[Squatdog]

No, that is an opinion.

It is a much more structured game than RL - that doesn't mean that the players:



Any more than it means that RL players couldn't possibly kick a behind in AFL or contest a ruck and maul in Union. They simply haven't trained for the demands of a game that they don't play - doesn't mean that they couldn't.

I am not supposing for one second that given an off-season a selection of NFL players would dominate the Kiwis - but as we are increasingly seeing, supreme athletes can generally adapt to different games given time.

Rugby and League players learn to kick as part of their sport and are allowed to kick under the right circumstances (as long as they don't screw it up). It's not much of a stretch to think they could adapt to basic AFL kicking. Hell, even retired Rugby and AFL players kick goals in American Padball...

Padball players other than the quarterback literally aren't allowed to do anything other than perform their one-dimensional role as they mindlessly adhere to a pre-determined set play.

 

[Danish]

It's because they measure their athletic feats. You can get most NFL players 40 yard dash times, bench press, vertical leap etc. All we ever get in the NRL is "I think player A is faster than player B. They had a race at training once".

So because you can look up and know that x NFL player runs the 40 yard dash (which is several metres shorter than 40m BTW) but you don't know how fast an NRL player does it in you assume that the NFL player MUST be faster and is therefore awesome??

What they do on the field in a game situation is all that matters. What they register in these stupid skill tests generally only matters to player agents hoping to talk up their client in the draft.

The amount of draft picks that teams have wasted on idiots with great stats is hilarious. Tony Mandarich being my favourite of the lot. Mainly because he was picked 2nd ahead of two of my favourite players of all time (barry Sanders and Derrick Thomas) based almost entirely on his so-called stats.

 

[BLKOUT!]

So because you can look up and know that x NFL player runs the 40 yard dash (which is several metres shorter than 40m BTW) but you don't know how fast an NRL player does it in you assume that the NFL player MUST be faster and is therefore awesome??

I think gridiron is a sh*t sport, so I don't think they're awesome. I'd be shocked if their wide receivers/running backs weren't generally faster than our players though.

 

[zombie jesus]

NFL players would go about as well in the NRL as NRL players would go in the NFL.

 

[zombie jesus]

Rugby and League players learn to kick as part of their sport and are allowed to kick under the right circumstances (as long as they don't screw it up). It's not much of a stretch to think they could adapt to basic AFL kicking. Hell, even retired Rugby and AFL players kick goals in American Padball...

Padball players other than the quarterback literally aren't allowed to do anything other than perform their one-dimensional role as they mindlessly adhere to a pre-determined set play.

That's not true.