Can't find the American sports thread

Aussie not American sport, but in any case, I went to my first AFL match last week. Interesting enough, especially now the season's climaxing, but something doesn't quite seem satisfying about this sport. I dunno if it's cuz the regulation pitches are massive so I'd frequently have to look at the big screen instead, or because you can't immediately tackle the "mark", or even something silly to do with not having a crossbar. Anyhoo it seems I've been indoctrinated as a Western Bulldogs fan now and can get sneaked into the members area if I wish.

In other news, it was worth staying up the other night to watch Bullwell's own Emily Campbell break the Commonwealth record in that there weightlifting. Went to see her win gold last time in Birmingham 2022 and she battered the opposition again this time.

Haven't watched a moment of the Commonwealth games. Will there be another one?

I did see the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba last year.

I think it’s because athleticism is exponentially more important for success than any kind of ball skills or game shape.. resulting in a sport where having a ball and teams is very much ancillary to all the running into people and jumping up quite high.

Don’t mind Gaelic (much better than AFL) but my people are Hurling people and I believe the addition of murder sticks makes it by far the superior sport.

Yeah, I think that's definitely part of it. Unlike rugby that's designed to accommodate a few different shapes and sizes, here it appears you just need lean lanky bastards (and aerodynamic mullets for full effect, seemingly). One case in particular I clocked this weekend was a bloke called Mason Cox. No wonder Freemantle are top of the league. Also, I forgot to mention that I was expecting more fighting on the pitch.

The only lasting memory* I have of AFL (when it used to be on C4).
“Eh, he’s done well.”

*I saw it when I lived there as a kid in 1979 but I don’t remember much other than it seeming pretty mental

Hmm.... I reckon I've seen more people sporting san francisco 49ers attire here today in Melbourne, before tomorrows big game, than I saw when I actually lived in SF.

The Chiefs with a legit running threat are a scary prospect. Kenneth Walker and the Chiefs line made one of the best defenses in the league look like chumps tonight.

Well we know A.I. is going to kill us all in three years so I will be going on the A-Z of holiday travel starting in Afghanistan but the signs have already appeared as both the Giants and Jets have won their first games in week 1 since what? 1990?

Shit we are doomed sooner than I thought.

Chicago: Off to go play Goat's head polo soon.

I understand why the NFL is keen to expand its international base by playing games overseas, but the NCAA playing a game at Wembley seems a little ambitious. And if they really must do a London game, why would they send Kansas and Arizona State? I would have thought that someone like Bama, LSU, Michigan or Georgia would have been a much bigger attraction.

Try as I might (and attending a college that, for some reason, didn’t have a football program probably didn’t help), I have never been able to give a flying fuck about college football.

Not having a US alma mater, I similarly struggle to care. That said I did go to my first CFB game last weekend (Delaware @ Vanderbilt) and it was fun, so I might try pretending to be a Vanderbilt fan this season and see if it catches on.

Coincidently, the only game I ever went to was Tennessee v Vanderbilt in 1993. It was extremely fun. Tennessee were very good that year and won easily. The QB, Heath Shuler, was up for the Heisman and consequently did little of note in the NFL.

Should have watched my beloved Vanderbilt, they came back from a 17 point deficit to win with a walk off fumble recovery TD. I don't really know how you fumble with a lead and a handful of seconds left on the clock, but apparently NC State did just that.

Edit: OMG it's even worse than I imagined. He could literally have taken the safety and still won, all he had to do was not fumble.

streamable.com/utx2f1

Shuler served 3 terms as a Democratic congressman also.