OT: Tough sport?
 

As many in the US know we are reaching the climax of the football season and since there is a good "international" mix on these Boards, I was curious. I do know there are sometimes disagreements and discussions about sports; US football vs. "futball" and the like. But what about the "toughness" factors in said sports?

I am not "trolling" but just curious...

What prompted me was a discussion on another board I visit about the weather playing a role in the upcoming AFC Championships. These guys (the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts for those of you not in-the-know) are playing about 1 hour south of me on Sunday and the stadium weather is very similar to mine.

This morning outside my house it was -12 F with wind chill factor of about -40 F. I don't know all the conVersion factors but I do know -40 is the only place the Celsius and Farenheight scales agree. Darn frickin cold anyways!!! Today it never got above 5 F with wind chills around -15 F. They don't expect it to get much better this weekend (we're having record cold January).

Well, with US football, they do not call the game due to weather and in these kinds of conditions, the football turns into a rock. The NE Patriots are favored in these conditions 'cause the Colts play in a dome. Reguardless, this kind of weather is an extreme yet they play anyways. In fact, in the early history of US football, many games were like this 'cause all stadiums were outside, northern teams dominated, and the Superbowl is in January.

Now you knew there would be a point to all this and here's where the international mix comes in handy...any of you soccer, rugby, etc. fans have games with these kinds of etremes? Do they or would they even still play those sports in that extreme?

Any comments (which I'm sure there will be... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif )

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

the only sport I watch is US NFL football, but rugby has to be the toughest sport I have seen, other than surfers trolling for sharks http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Rodeo.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Ouch!!! They don't get very cold but they don't have a very long life expectancy either...
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

rodeo is a sport? I know they have all them sponsers ect... but a sport? I guess, but I think rugby is pretty tough

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Rodeo might as well, nah, ought to be a sport; it takes a special breed of people to ride mad horses and bulls willingly.

But yes, Rugby is tough. So is Lacross IMHO.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

Edit: So it is. I thought -40 Fahrenheit was -50 celcius or something http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

[ January 15, 2004, 20:28: Message edited by: TerranC ]

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">IIRC, -40 is the same in both the Farenheit and Celcius scales... don't quite remember, it only ever got that cold in PA about ten times http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

[quote]Originally posted by Will:

Quote:

IIRC, -40 is the same in both the Farenheit and Celcius scales... don't quite remember, it only ever got that cold in PA about ten times http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yep, -40 is the same temperature in both F and C. And if you want to see those temperatures (or colder) every winter, come live in nortern British Columbia, Canada. You gotta love cold weather.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

I've always thought playing Darts in an English pub is pretty dangerous, especially by the end of the night. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">well, come join the(reletivily) sane people in southern BC. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

No thanks, I think I'll stick with the cold and snow. Not to mention I hate rain. Southern BC gets lots of that.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

snow is nice. you can't make a ball out of rain. although you can't stick snow in a balloon to well either.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

The coldest temperature I have experienced was -43 deg Celsius, when I visited Fort McMurray (in northern Alberta) in January a few years ago. Walking around outside at night, I was numb with cold and I thought I was going to freeze.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

As I understand it the ugliest sports (not counting full-contact fighting sports) are ozzie rules football and that Irish game with the hockey sticks and the fightings and the beatings and the mutilationings.

As for playing in bad weather... no idea. I don't think I've ever heard of a football (soccer) or rugger match stopped for bad weather, but I'm not a fan of either so I could easily be wrong.

On the subject of excercise in intemperate conditions- have you ever tried skipping barefoot in the freezing cold? It *freaking* hurts when the rope catches your toes.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

If by tough you mean physically demanding you can't beat F1 racing. < pause while non racing fans laugh >
Think about it. It's 30 plus degrees celsius. Your wearing several layers of fireproof clothing, crammed into a tiny space and must experience 5G's plus. Under these conditions you must concentrate 100% for up to 2 hours. One tiny lapse and it's over. F1 drivers are probably the most physically fit atheletes in the world. You could argue that, but you'd be wrong. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

(now if you mean tough as in beating the crap out of the other players well that's a different story)

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

I agree wit David G, F1 is tough which explains why all the drivers are so highly paid, and whippet thin.

I also agree with Dogscoff, Shinty and Aussie Rules Football are "hard" games, as is lacrosse. I think in Aussie rules however a lot of the hardness comes from having to cope with all the fights one is expected (note: expected!) to get involved in!

Rugby Union is a hard game by any standards, though probabl not the hardest. Rugby League is harder, I played one game of that and decided I would rather go down the local pub frequented by squaddies and call them a bunch of pillow biters instead - it would probably hurt less.

One thing I will say is that although I do like it, football (ie soccer) is not a hard game, not at all. Nor is American Football (with that body armour).

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

I saw a British sport called "Field Cannon". Basically teams take an old field cannon, ammo, powder and tools and transport it across rough terrain, gullys and down cliffs, reassemble it and fire at distant targets within a certain time limit. Probably suffering crushed fingers and feet, tropical skin diseased and torn clothing. Think "Survivor" but with artillery. I probably coundn't even lift the shot.

Re: OT: Tough sport?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Oh that needs to come to the states. We've got folk that'll start doin' it every weekend.