MMQB: Canada Week (The CFL)

[zoogs]

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/06/30/canada-week-peter-king-cfl/

 

MMQB/SI's Peter King with a feature here on how our Canadian brothers play ball up there.

 

What I did find here on the prairies north of Montana and North Dakota (...) was a fierce love of their game, very little NFL envy, and some wonderment that no one in America cares a whit about this hidden game up here.

How about this travel note from Jenny Vrentas, leaving Manitoba Friday morning after covering Winnipegs opener?

 

Customs agent: Who do you work for?

Vrentas: The MMQB Sports Illustrated.

Customs agent: What were you reporting on in Winnipeg?

Vrentas: The Blue Bombers!

Customs agent: (incredulous) For Sports Illustrated?

Vrentas: The MMQB. It was Canada Week, sir.

Pretty cool little feature. I didn't know that they had a 1-point scoring play there (called a 'rouge') -- which you can score if you punt the ball into the endzone and the other team doesn't advance it out. That sounds really sweet, actually.

[Hooked on Huskers]

Any ex-Husker players in present day CFL rosters ??

 

Occasional I watched it but CFL major pet-peeves ..... in American football there are four downs, while in Canadian football there are three. Three downs was not enough. However, I liked one CFL rule ...... all offensive backfield players may be in motion at the snap, any directions .

[huKSer]

Anybody remember watching Australian Rules football in the early days of ESPN?

[Hooked on Huskers]

Anybody remember watching Australian Rules football in the early days of ESPN?

 

Oh yeah, I watched it all the time. Big fan. Also Versus channel (absorbed by NBCSports). Non stop action and the rules was a combination of American football, ice hockey, basketball, rugby and soccer at the same time! No fake floppers allowed. If I remember right, very little timeouts. Plus no helmets and pads.

 

Funny thing: backwards throwing back into play

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIReSJhQor0&feature=kp

[huKSer]

Announcer:

 

Oh my goodnes, the defender takes the head off of the attacker, and the ref says "Play on, no foul"

[Hooked on Huskers]

Announcer:

 

Oh my goodnes, the defender takes the head off of the attacker, and the ref says "Play on, no foul"

 

Refs "play on" even minor injuries and in progress fighting (famous ice hockey tussle) with no timeouts. Very little ref's involvements. Suh's stomping actions completely legal ..... "play on, no foul" !! Only brief 5 seconds timeouts or so by placing ball in free kick if pass successfully complete (I think - fuzzy rules).

 

Soccer fans calls a barbaric sport (LINK). "Down under" countermeasure; soccer was a pu&&y and little girls sport. My guess, 3 or 4 concussions per one game. Whole bunch of violent collisions, usually no fouls. I'm surprised no helmets.

 

Believe it or not, Aussie's national soccer team made three appearances in WC races. In 2014 WC Group B, 0 wins and 3 losses, Spain, Holland and Chile. Probably a dozens of red cards against Aussies in Group B . BTW, FIFA rankings, 62 position.

[Rochelobe]

 

Anybody remember watching Australian Rules football in the early days of ESPN?

 

Oh yeah, I watched it all the time. Big fan. Also Versus channel (absorbed by NBCSports). Non stop action and the rules was a combination of American football, ice hockey, basketball, rugby and soccer at the same time! No fake floppers allowed. If I remember right, very little timeouts. Plus no helmets and pads.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIReSJhQor0&feature=kp

 

They've been showing Australian Rules on Fox Sports 2 as well as Fox Soccer Plus. They broadcast live as well as tape delay. Since I'm on the west coast I can watch live (for example ) Saturday afternoon games in Australia at around 9 or 10 PM PT on Friday night. It is a great sport.

 

The ESPN family has started showing some CFL again - for example Saskatchewan at Toronto is on tomorrow afternoon on ESPN2