The Greatest Achievement in Team Sports

[slorch]

NFL commissioner made this description tonight while presenting the Lombardi trophy to Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts.

Do you agree with this assessment of the NFL championship?

[twcpfan1]

NFL commissioner made this description tonight while presenting the Lombardi trophy to Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts.

Do you agree with this assessment of the NFL championship?

Absolutely not. It's a sport that's only played in one country. (the CFL doesn't count) They play what? 19 total games to be the champion? Not even close.

[DiamondJ2]

NCAA basketball champion is a lot better.

[slorch]

I would say the NFL game requires more players with a broader range of skills than any other sport, thus, the team effect

as far as how many games they play, it is pure survival just to make it through 16 games, much less the playoffs.

In my 20's we would play hoops all day. Football leaves you barely able to walk the next day, if you're playing it right.

as far as the international implications, well, the simple fact that France ever has won a World Cup should automatically disqualify soccer.

Baseball is a bunch of individuals waiting for a guy to do something to the ball 2 guys are throwing back and forth. great sport, absolutely, but not as team oriented as it appears at first glance.

basketball is dominated by 19 year olds= women's tennis

Hockey is the only sport that comes close for me, but even it pales in comparison when looking at the number of different levels of individuals doing their job to make a play work in football.

[twcpfan1]

I would say the NFL game requires more players with a broader range of skills than any other sport, thus, the team effect

as far as how many games they play, it is pure survival just to make it through 16 games, much less the playoffs.

In my 20's we would play hoops all day. Football leaves you barely able to walk the next day, if you're playing it right.

as far as the international implications, well, the simple fact that France ever has won a World Cup should automatically disqualify soccer.

Baseball is a bunch of individuals waiting for a guy to do something to the ball 2 guys are throwing back and forth. great sport, absolutely, but not as team oriented as it appears at first glance.

basketball is dominated by 19 year olds= women's tennis

Hockey is the only sport that comes close for me, but even it pales in comparison when looking at the number of different levels of individuals doing their job to make a play work in football.

Based on that argument, Rugby players play both ways without helmets and padding, and without the 40 second break between plays. Making an open field tackle is a pre-requisite. I don't know of a single offensive lineman who can do that.

[slorch]

Based on that argument, Rugby players play both ways without helmets and padding, and without the 40 second break between plays. Making an open field tackle is a pre-requisite. I don't know of a single offensive lineman who can do that.

I never said every player culd do every skill, and that is exactly my point. It has the broadest range of required skills to get to the objective. You can't just have one kind of athlete and be successful.

we're not even talking about the level of commercial success of the NFL as a proffessional league. I think that also plays into the commissioner's statement as well.

[BAMF cowboy]

Ask any person who has lived in a different country than the United States, and they will say winning the World Cup is the greatest accomplishment in team sports.

The superbowl is the greatest accomplishment American sports.

[jrock210]

ya the world cup is all the talk in korea...when i lived there they would talk bout the super bowl the day after it was played and then the focus would turn to soccer or baseball

[cougardude]

I've never understood why so many of our professional sports championships are called "World Championships" when it's only teams from this country. :rolleyes:

[twcpfan1]

I never said every player culd do every skill, and that is exactly my point. It has the broadest range of required skills to get to the objective. You can't just have one kind of athlete and be successful.

we're not even talking about the level of commercial success of the NFL as a proffessional league. I think that also plays into the commissioner's statement as well.


It's almost impossible to compare sports really, and you will be amazed how many Europeans, Aussies and New Zealanders try and make the comparison between their brand of Football and ours. But I see your point. Our football is extremely complex when compared to the other codes. And you do need a pretty wide range of skills to be successful. I guess I was referring more to the physical demands in my previous post.

[GoOwls]

The most extreme example of team activity is an army. A successful army is made up of specialized parts that come together as a whole to kill and defeat the enemy. Army is a ground acquisition activity. Football is a ground acquisition game. Football is army without the killing. The killing has been replaced by blocking, strategy, plays, tackling, and scoring, instead of body counts. Football is live chess on steroids, speed and meth, meant figuratively, not literally.

If football most closely mimics army, then it is the best example of team sports. It may not be your favorite, but it is the best.

[yallerjacket]

I've never understood why so many of our professional sports championships are called "World Championships" when it's only teams from this country. :rolleyes:

Because there aren't any teams in the rest of the world that could stay on the field with the Colts. Or any of our other league champions for that matter. Well, maybe there are some Baseball and Hockey teams out there that could hang.

[jrock210]

I've never understood why so many of our professional sports championships are called "World Championships" when it's only teams from this country. :rolleyes:
i know in basketbaLL they say they r world champions cuz the teams from canada...uiheard that durin a game this yr between dallas and toronto....i think
Because there aren't any teams in the rest of the world that could stay on the field with the Colts. Or any of our other league champions for that matter. Well, maybe there are some Baseball and Hockey teams out there that could hang.
baseball world champions are argueable because japan won the world baseball classic and i think they should have the rights to the name until the next country wins it

[stevefoxsc]

i know in basketbaLL they say they r world champions cuz the teams from canada...uiheard that durin a game this yr between dallas and toronto....i think

baseball world champions are argueable because japan won the world baseball classic and i think they should have the rights to the name until the next country wins it

japan dominates what ever they enjoy.

[twcpfan1]

Because there aren't any teams in the rest of the world that could stay on the field with the Colts. Or any of our other league champions for that matter. Well, maybe there are some Baseball and Hockey teams out there that could hang.

You're forgetting that we are now a second rate basketball powerhouse. As for hockey, I think it's more like we're the ones trying to hang with the Canadians and the Europeans.

There aren't any other teams outside the USA that play what the Colts play. So I guess you can call them World Champions. The term is a little loose considering the world doesn't play.

[yallerjacket]

You're forgetting that we are now a second rate basketball powerhouse.

If you are talking about the "All-Star" teams that go to the olympics and World Championships, you're right. However, I don't think there is any country with any team that could hang with the Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Rockets, or most teams in the NBA.

[Firebird]

Yes, yes it is. It's the ultimate team sport. No other sport requires all the same elements of football-- strategy, toughness, athleticism, mental ability, aggressivness.....

For those of you saying "well, the rest of the world doesn't play, the rest of the world loves soccer, the rest of the world, the rest of the world....blah blah..."

The rest of the world has notorious, famously bad taste in knowing what is cool and what is not. The rest of the world is responsible for making this guy, who couldn't buy a hit in the USA, into an international platinum sensation:

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/REIN/13616~Robbie-Williams-Torso-Posters.jpg



For those of you who don't know who this is, his name is Robbie Williams and you should consider yourself lucky.

The rest of the world has given us such abominations as eating bait for dinner (sushi), man-bags, metrosexualism, Hello Kitty!, stupid Japanese cartoons and comic books, the Spice Girls, French movies, Socialism.....the list could go on and on. The rest of the world had its day. I loved Gothic Cathedrals, the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, Scientific Revolution, but now its over. The only thing they export now is dumb cartoons and soccer players with ridiculous hair styles.

I don't know why we should consider their taste in sports any better. Long live American exceptionalism.....Football is the greatest sport in the world.

[pied]

If you are talking about the "All-Star" teams that go to the olympics and World Championships, you're right. However, I don't think there is any country with any team that could hang with the Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Rockets, or most teams in the NBA.

Interesting that you would bring up four teams whose starats were not born in the US.

Germany
Canada
Virgin Islands
China

It's odd to me that people want to believe for some reason that the only place the best athletes come from is the US. It is quickly becming apparent this is not the case and basketball is the most recent example.

[pied]

To me the NFL is not the greatest achievement in the US, much less all of sports. To win the championship you only have to win four games max. You can actually play two at your place and one at a neutral site.

That in no way copares to the gauntlent in the NHL/NBA/MLB. I think you can make anb arguement that it is much more difficult to win the MNC in the the NCAA. You have to be perfect, maybe lose one game.

The Steelers won less than 70% of their games last year and got the title from getting hot at the right time. I would hardly say their season was close to "The Greatest Achievement in Team Sports".

[HUM398]

Birth of Vince Young????

[BAMF cowboy]

Yes, yes it is. It's the ultimate team sport. No other sport requires all the same elements of football-- strategy, toughness, athleticism, mental ability, aggressivness.....

For those of you saying "well, the rest of the world doesn't play, the rest of the world loves soccer, the rest of the world, the rest of the world....blah blah..."

The rest of the world has notorious, famously bad taste in knowing what is cool and what is not. The rest of the world is responsible for making this guy, who couldn't buy a hit in the USA, into an international platinum sensation:

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/REIN/13616~Robbie-Williams-Torso-Posters.jpg



For those of you who don't know who this is, his name is Robbie Williams and you should consider yourself lucky.

The rest of the world has given us such abominations as eating bait for dinner (sushi), man-bags, metrosexualism, Hello Kitty!, stupid Japanese cartoons and comic books, the Spice Girls, French movies, Socialism.....the list could go on and on. The rest of the world had its day. I loved Gothic Cathedrals, the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, Scientific Revolution, but now its over. The only thing they export now is dumb cartoons and soccer players with ridiculous hair styles.

I don't know why we should consider their taste in sports any better. Long live American exceptionalism.....Football is the greatest sport in the world.

thats not the topic at hand. the question is what is the greatest acheivement in team sports, not which is the greatest.

i still stand by my first comment, that is winning the world cup is the greatest acheivement

[slorch]

To me the NFL is not the greatest achievement in the US, much less all of sports. To win the championship you only have to win four games max. You can actually play two at your place and one at a neutral site.

That in no way copares to the gauntlent in the NHL/NBA/MLB. I think you can make anb arguement that it is much more difficult to win the MNC in the the NCAA. You have to be perfect, maybe lose one game.

The Steelers won less than 70% of their games last year and got the title from getting hot at the right time. I would hardly say their season was close to "The Greatest Achievement in Team Sports".

quantity of games isn't comparable.

a football game is like a battle.

baseball- poohhyyyyy. Besides the pitcher's arm there's nothing getting wore out besides the beer vendors

basketball- can play all freaking day- I did it through my 20's.

as far as the percentage of games the steelers won, it proves the difficulty even more. The teams are more evenly matched and you don't have the freaking yankees every year or the stupid soccer teams in england that dominate.

i could entertain the discussion about the NCAA football championship being harder than the NFL, but that's about it.

[pied]

I don't agree at all. To win the title in pro football, you have to play a 16 game season. You will likely qualify for the postseason by going 10-6 possibly 9-7. The toughest road possible would include three road games, followed by two weeks off and a titel game at a neutral site. Included in this schedule are two bye weeks.

Included in the 24 week season total are 4 weeks off.

Hockey for instance you have to win 3 seven game series simply to advance to the finals. You play many of these games back to back travel games. You must win as many playoff games as you do in the NFL regular season.

Compare EPL/Serie A/FA Cup/UEFA Champions League/European Cup/World Cup and I think you will find the road much more difficult and the achievement greater than winning the Super Bowl.

[Firebird]

thats not the topic at hand. the question is what is the greatest acheivement in team sports, not which is the greatest.

i still stand by my first comment, that is winning the world cup is the greatest acheivement

Why? Because 2 billion foreigners with a taste for boring sports get all hot and bothered about it?

[slorch]

now that's some discussion points. I love it.

I would agree that hockey's Stanley Cup is in a level all it's own, as far as intensity, rivalry, and difficulty goes. Are the players as diversely skilled as football? I don't think so. You've got big defenders and fast wingers, but they basically have similar skill sets.

An OT and a LB are playing 2 different games, yet the outcome depends on them execution both individually, and collectively. That is the difference for me.

Yes the Stanley Cup playoffs is often more exciting for me, yes really, but to me it's still not as big of an achievement as the Super Bowl win because of the fact that a hot goalie can just cancel out some excellent play, regardless of how poorly his own team is playing. a hot goalie wins championships. No one player can have as big of a positive impact like a goalie. because of turnovers, I do think a QB could have an equally detrimental effect as a goalie on the game.

[BAMF cowboy]

Why? Because 2 billion foreigners with a taste for boring sports get all hot and bothered about it?

I hate using this argument because it is such a cop out...but you will never understand.

Americans have been brought up on NFL, NBA and MLB, and that's all they'll ever know. Americans are very patriotic, but they have no pride for their national sports team. The world baseball classic showed that. No one gave a [censored] that the US got completely dominated. In an other country other than the US the national soccer team have the entire nation behind them, and the pressure of meeting their expectations. Even winning the European Champions League cup is a greater acheivement than the super bowl. Not only do you have to win your own country's league, but then you have to beat all the other champions in Europe.

If you've never lived it, you won't understand. No American sport even compares to soccer.

[slorch]

I hate using this argument because it is such a cop out...but you will never understand.

Americans have been brought up on NFL, NBA and MLB, and that's all they'll ever know. Americans are very patriotic, but they have no pride for their national sports team. The world baseball classic showed that. No one gave a [censored] that the US got completely dominated. In an other country other than the US the national soccer team have the entire nation behind them, and the pressure of meeting their expectations. Even winning the European Champions League cup is a greater acheivement than the super bowl. Not only do you have to win your own country's league, but then you have to beat all the other champions in Europe.

If you've never lived it, you won't understand. No American sport even compares to soccer.

you're right, none of our sports involves near the strategy or athletic skills as soccer...ROTFLMAO!!!

Soccer=OU

[GoOwls]

you're right, none of our sports involves near the strategy or athletic skills as soccer...ROTFLMAO!!!

Soccer=OU

Yeah, soccer is a game where you can't use your hands at all, and if you do it's a foul. The point is to run up and down a field kicking a ball with your hands flailing around like a little girl getting chased on the playground. The time there is some contact, your goal is to flop to the ground feigning mortal injury to try to draw a penalty on the other team, even get carried off the field on a stretcher you're so mortally dismembered, but then miraculously recover from those mortal wounds to run back on the field in triumphant glory as a testimonial to the healing powers of that miracle spray they spray on the dismembered area that is housing that mortal wound.

ROTFLMAO, indeed.......

Football = the greatest sport ever invented.
Soccer = drama queens on parade (with great lungs, of course) :D

[GoOwls]

The most extreme example of team activity is an army. A successful army is made up of specialized parts that come together as a whole to kill and defeat the enemy. Army is a ground acquisition activity. Football is a ground acquisition game. Football is army without the killing. The killing has been replaced by blocking, strategy, plays, tackling, and scoring, instead of body counts. Football is live chess on steroids, speed and meth, meant figuratively, not literally.

If football most closely mimics army, then it is the best example of team sports. It may not be your favorite, but it is the best.

Nobody taking on my logic, I'm not surprised. :eek: :rolleyes: :D

[t-long20]

NCAA basketball champion is a lot better.

football is a team sport so i agree it is the Greatest Achievement in Team Sports he said that in miami so obviosuly he was refering to the greatest achivement in sports in america

[slorch]

football is a team sport so i agree it is the Greatest Achievement in Team Sports he said that in miami so obviosuly he was refering to the greatest achivement in sports in america

NM

[Firebird]

Yeah, soccer is a game where you can't use your hands at all, and if you do it's a foul. The point is to run up and down a field kicking a ball with your hands flailing around like a little girl getting chased on the playground. The time there is some contact, your goal is to flop to the ground feigning mortal injury to try to draw a penalty on the other team, even get carried off the field on a stretcher you're so mortally dismembered, but then miraculously recover from those mortal wounds to run back on the field in triumphant glory as a testimonial to the healing powers of that miracle spray they spray on the dismembered area that is housing that mortal wound.

ROTFLMAO, indeed.......

Football = the greatest sport ever invented.
Soccer = drama queens on parade (with great lungs, of course) :D



Yes...Yes...and Yes. I don't care how passionate foreigners get about it, it's stupid. I have already explained to you that foreigners, in general, have terrible taste.

[t-long20]

Yes...Yes...and Yes. I don't care how passionate foreigners get about it, it's stupid. I have already explained to you that foreigners, in general, have terrible taste.

i second that how interesting is runing around trying to kick a ball in a goal.. for 2 hours with the score most likely being 1 to 0

[Firebird]

I hope ya'll realize that I am being tounge-in-cheek here. Still, I do think football is so much better than soccer.

[lonny23]

NFL commissioner made this description tonight while presenting the Lombardi trophy to Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts.

Do you agree with this assessment of the NFL championship?
I think it's a joke that either of those 2 teams won it this year.

When I saw Irsay, I said this guy is as shady as his dad.

I've always thought that the Road to the Stanley Cup is the greatest achievement in team sports.