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Could rugby learn anything from Wembley's American Football freakshow?
From watching yesterday's New York Badasses and Miami Dolphins trying to play their own daft version of egg chasing we've come to a few conclusions.
1) We don't understand Amercian football.
2) NFL is the slowest God damned sport in the world -literally nothing happe
ns
3) Americans don't know how to handle English mud
and, 4) Maybe rugby could learn a trick or two from the seemingly hideous, but hugely glitzy NFL corportate machine.
During this post World Cup period with every Tom, Dick and Prince William firmly plonked on the rugby bandwagon, is it time to make sure they stay on it this time.
Apparently 100,000 people applied for Wembley tickets to watch a game most of them probably didn't know all the rules for. That's pretty remarkable figures. These are the kind of people who like their sport to include big foam hands they can spend £50 on, team coloured hotdogs that they'll eat even if their team plays in blue / lime green, and cheerleaders, hot and glorious cheerleaders dancing around when there's a break in play.
Would you like to see some of that in rugby to make sure the masses and the cash stay in the sport, or would you rather die than let your favourite sport turn into a corporate franchise like NFL? As ever, let us know with your comments...
October 29, 2007 in Rugby on TV | Permalink
Comments
Rugby could learn a lot from American Football. Rugby League did when it reinvented itself. For more information check out the British American Football League http://www.bafl.org.uk
Posted by: Charlie Wilson | 29 Oct 2007 23:23:08
For the love of everything good and holy, don't let Rugby become what Gridiron Football is here in the states. Players are obnoxious, pompous, and view themselves as above the general population (OJ got away with murder for christs sake). The sport has degraded itself into one giant money scandal with sponsors dictating the playing of the game. In college football (I don't know if in pro, but if I were a gambling man I'd say so) the game has to take extra long breaks until commercials are over. That is horrible. Please, Rugby playing nations of the world, don't follow anything gridiron does.
-Ray, A US Rugger who respects a sport that is worthy of it(the one with the big egg).
Posted by: ray | 30 Oct 2007 21:03:15
I'd rather die than see rugby turned into simply a business. Actually, no I wouldn't, I'd just move on. Rugby is more than a game, it's a community, and in some cases, a way of life. The top end is a tiny fraction of the sport, and I hope it always stays that way.
Posted by: Doggie | 30 Oct 2007 22:11:29
Give me a Shed and a brass band any day ;-)
Posted by: Ashley | 31 Oct 2007 21:41:43
