So what sport(s) DO you follow?

[Typhon]

Even from just a few minutes of highlights I can see Mason Cox has natural athletic ability.  His anticipation as to where the ball will land, and then timing his arrival and jump for the catch.  Anticipation is an underrated talent IMO.  It helped me avoid a lot of tennis defeats because I am not very fast.  Cox's height gives him a big advantage.  Are you saying he is nearly 7 feet tall?  (212cm = 6' 11")  The average height in that league must be way under that.

[Jack the Stripper]

Yes he's the tallest player in the league, but every team has at least 2 players on their list that are 198cm or more so it's not that unusual, but it is unusual to have such a tall player playing predominantly forward.

Very astute analysis by you too Typhon. One of the hardest things from a forward in our game is anticipation/reading the play ahead. Identifying the space in front of you and knowing when to lead for the incoming kick. The fact he had never picked up an Australian rules football and knew nothing about our game prior to his combine makes Mason story all the more incredible.

[Typhon]

Yes he's the tallest player in the league, but every team has at least 2 players on their list that are 198cm or more so it's not that unusual, but it is unusual to have such a tall player playing predominantly forward.

Very astute analysis by you too Typhon.

Thanks.  I played an awful lot of sports while growing up and beyond.  Either organized or plenty of pickup games in the neighborhood where I lived.  Golf, tennis, baseball, street hockey, football, jai alai, basketball, racquetball, badminton, table tennis, bowling and I may have forgotten a couple more.  Also have given lessons in golf and tennis.  Like they say, there is no substitute for experience.

Oh yeah, I played in a volleyball league too.

[Zzzptm]

Ah well, I reckon Zzzptm would at least be interested given his from Texas and appreciates a good story 

I was on the plane back from the UK all day yesterday, just catching up.

GO TEXAS!

[Jack the Stripper]

So the AFL Grand Final was played yesterday and this is what happened.

Mason Cox really struggled in the first half, had one kick and that was a kick off the ground. But he never gave up and came alive in the 2nd half taking several marks(catches) and kicking 2 goals. The game went down to to the wire after Collingwood opened up a very handy 30 point lead early on. It took a clutch goal 40m out on an acute angle in the last 2 minutes of the game to seperate the two teams. Was very much a classic Grand Final.

[Zzzptm]

When I was young and had ESPN in my cable package, I used to watch Australian Rules Football from time to time.

I had no idea what was going on or how to read the game scores, but it was always a helluva lot of fun to watch.

[Jack the Stripper]

^^It's been called aerial ping pong from people from overseas 

It's defintely not an easy game to follow for people that haven't grown up on the game.

Here's some basic rules.


AFL is played on an oval-shaped field with scoring posts at each end.
At each end of the oval are four white goal posts. If a player kicks a ball through the two centre goal posts, he scores a ‘goal’ which is worth 6 points. If the ball misses the inner posts and goes between the two outer posts, this is known as a ‘behind’ and is worth 1 point.

The main purpose of the game is to kick or hand pass the ball to your team mates in forward positions who then kick it through the goal posts.

The game is won by the team who has the highest score at the final siren.

A game lasts for 80 minutes and is divided into four 20 minute quarters.
There are 18 players per team.  And they run around a LOT.

Players are split into three categories: forwards (the ones who score the goals), backs (they try and stop the goals), and midfielders (the ones who do a lot the running).

A player catching a kicked ball on the full that's travelled a minimum of 15 metres is said to have taken a ‘mark.’ He can either play on, or take his time to kick the ball.

Players cannot be tackled higher than the shoulder, or lower than the knees. They also can't hold a player who hasn't taken possession of the ball or push a player in the back that is attempting to take possession of the ball or who already has possession of the ball. 

Unlike NRL, rugby union and soccer, there is no kick-off to begin the game. An AFL game begins with an opening bounce by one of the field umpires.

There are 18 teams in the AFL competition. They are: Hawthorn Hawks, Collingwood Magpies, Sydney Swans, Geelong Cats, Carlton Blues, Essendon Bombers, North Melbourne Kangaroos, Melbourne Demons, St Kilda Saints, Richmond Tigers, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle Dockers, West Coast Eagles, Port Adelaide Power, Adelaide Crows, GWS Giants, Brisbane Lions, and the Gold Coast Suns.

Each AFL season is made up of 23 ‘home and away’ rounds and 4 rounds of finals games. The season runs from the end of March until the end of September each year.

Only eight teams will make the finals each year.

[Billy Underdog]

The game is won by the team who has the highest score at the final siren.

Damn, what a weird rule...

 

[Jack the Stripper]

The game is won by the team who has the highest score at the final siren.

Damn, what a weird rule...

 

Quite unique eh? 

[Zzzptm]

Nightcliff
21.15 (141)   5.1   5.5   4.8   7.1   
 
Palmerston
8.8 (56)   0.2   2.3   3.2   3.1

^ This score, I do not get. What are the decimals and the numbers in parenthesis?

[Jack the Stripper]

^^It's goals and points or behinds. A goal is worth 6 points. A behind is worth 1 point. So say 10.5.65 is 10x6=60 + 5 = 65

[Zzzptm]

^^It's goals and points or behinds. A goal is worth 6 points. A behind is worth 1 point. So say 10.5.65 is 10x6=60 + 5 = 65

OK, so the number in parenthesis is the total! Ah, now I get it!

Cool, now to get back into it.

[Typhon]

First Responder Bowl - Boston College vs Boise St. in Dallas Texas

Game cancelled because of severe lightning storm.  First time a College Bowl game has been cancelled since 1941.  Don't they have any meteorologists in Texas? 

[Zzzptm]

First Responder Bowl - Boston College vs Boise St. in Dallas Texas

Game cancelled because of severe lightning storm.  First time a College Bowl game has been cancelled since 1941.  Don't they have any meteorologists in Texas? 

Well, the rain storm showed up after the date for the bowl game was set.

It's also at the Cotton Bowl, which is open-air. We've had rain all afternoon and then the lightning started in the evening. Quite a light show today.

[Charger]

Open Air bowling? That's a thing?