Smartie's Sports Bar & Grill #24

Excellent! Now is a good time to start watching it, with the world cup on for the next month or so. It's on Universal Sports in the US, and looking at their web page it looks like they are showing some games live on TV, but you can buy any of the games to view online (if you were thinking of buying one of the games that there has already been, I'd recommend the Wales v South Africa game as a good one to watch).

That was a good video of the basics. There are some more intricate rules, obviously, but they shouldn't be too hard to pick up by watching a few games (especially if TV commentators in the US are working on the idea that most people watching need things explained to them because they aren't familiar with the game).

And yes, it's definately a much, much better game than soccer!

 

Good morning all. How about this for a change of pace. Besides, it's good for you.

 

There are clubs of various sizes all over the US, and a 'Superleague' competition for the top clubs (there seem to be 14 of them at the moment, of which Dallas Harlequins are one). You also have a national team, considered one of the 'Tier 2' nations, currently ranked 18th in the world. It's definately been a growing sport in the US over recent years.

http://www.usarugby.org

So far in this World cup, you have played 2 of your 4 pool games, losing the first 22-10 to Ireland (who are ranked 8th in the world), and winning the second 13-6 against Russia (ranked 19th). The remaining 2 games are against Australia (ranked 2nd) and Italy (ranked 11th). The top 2 from the group go through to the knockout stages of the competition, but realistically USA won't be one of them - from that group it will be Australia and probably Ireland (although Italy also have a decent outside chance).

The world cup gets more competetive every time it happens, though (every 4 years), with the 'smaller' teams all improving steadily compared with the big guns. Having said that, New Zealand 'All Blacks' (ranked 1st in the World) just beat Japan (ranked 13th) 83-7, so there is still a bit of a gap! The big 3 southerm hemisphere teams (NZ, South Africa and Austalia) are probably still out in front, followed fairly closely (with a gap that is reducing) by England, France, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, and probably still behind them (but only just, and improving) Italy, Argentina, the pacific island teams (Samoa, Fiji and Tonga), with Canada, Japan, USA, Namibia and the East Europeans (Russia, Romania, Georgia) coming in behind them (but also improving) to make up the top 20 ranked teams in the world. There has been alot of work over recent years to spread the popularity of the game and improve the 'lesser' nations, so it keeps getting more and more competetive at every level (with more and more countries developing domestic club leagues and so on too).

It's only been a professional game since 1995 - it was the last of the 'big' sports to stick strictly (in theory, although 'shameterism' was a big issue, and the differences in 'strictness' in application of the amateur code was what led to the big 3 southern hemisphere sides becoming so dominant) to an amateur code.

 

What it means is that the authorities have picked up an incident of suspected foul play after the game (possibly following a complaint from the other team) that the referee may not have fully dealt with during the match. they will investigate it (using the TV picures), and see whether punishment is due for him, probably in the form of a ban for a couple of matches.

I spotted the incident when it happened (the ref didn't see it, and the ref's assistant didn't recommend a yellow card, which he really should have), and I suspect, given the 2 match ban that one of the England players had, he may well get something similar.

It looked like a shoulder charge (which isn't allowed - you have to use your arms when tackling, not just charge in with your shoulder) and a probably 'late tackle' (tackling the player when he no longer has the ball, which is against the rules, although there is a bit of leeway - if you are fully committed to the tackle while he still has the ball, and are unable to pull out of it when the ball has left his hands, that's OK). It didn't look particularly malicious or nasty, but it was certainly very careless and badly timed - they tend to take a dim view of things like that, because it can be dangerous to the other player, and can cause injuries (especially if he isn't expecting the hit, becuase he no longer has the ball).

Rugby does have quite a number of rules about contact and so on - it is obviously a very phyisical game, and players accept that injury is definately possible, but they do try to limit the number and severity of the injuries. Thankfully very serious injuries like broken necks and the like are rare these days (although they can still happen if someone gets buried under a ruck in the wrong position).

 

Good morning, sports fans! Thx for the breakfast, OT! Looks delish! (needs biscuit & sausage to wash it down with, though)

In the 60's this morning! Glorious weather!!!! FINALLY! Still no rain, but at least it's not blazing hot.

LOL, some entertainer had a gig in Dallas last weekend and when he stepped off the plane, tweeted, "Now I know where the term 'hotter'n hell' comes from!"

Thankfully, we're finally cooling off!

Let's get 'er done, shall we? (Falena, if those guys weren't wearing short pants, you'd never give 'em a second look. Ohlala, those legs!)

 

I don't mind at all - more than happy to help.

The penalty kick is taken from the spot where the offense occurred. A penalty can be anywhere on the field, and it's up to the team who have been given a penalty to decide whether to have a kick at goal (from that spot), a kick to touch (where they get the throw in at the lineout), a scrum (where they get to put the ball in between the 2 packs of forwards) or a quick 'tap and go' (tap it with their foot, and start running with the ball). Whether they opt for the kick (and the chance of 3 points) depends on whether they think it is within range of their kicker (some have a good chance of kicking goals from inside their own half of the field, over 50 yards away from the posts, but some can't do that at all - the quality of the kicker in a team (usually the number 10 'outside half' player, but not always) is obviously very important), and whether they want the 3 points or the chance of keeping posession to work towards getting a try (5 points, or 7 if converted - the conversion kick is taken opposite where the ball was touched down for the try, so a try beneath the posts is easier to convert than a try near the touchline, because of the angle of the kick).

He would be replaced by another player from the squad.

The only time a team play with less than the 15 is if someone, during a game, gets a yellow card (they spend 10 minutes of the field in the 'sin bin') or a red card (they are sent of for the rest of the game). They can't be replaced then, although the team can substitute someone else to rebalance the team if it is someone from a key position that is lost (and they have to if the person sent off was a front row forward and there is a scrum - the front row boys (numbers 1, 2 and 3) have to be recognised specialists in the position, becuase of the risk of neck injuries involved in the scrum with the pressure of 2 pushing packs being placed directly on their upper bodies - there's technique and rules involved in doing that safely).

Each team has a squad of 30 players for the tournament (and they can replace them if they are injures), and 22 for each game (15 on the field, the rest as replacements for either injuries or tactical reasons). It is very rare, but if they had used all of their replacements and then got an injury, they could potentially have to finish the game with less than 15. I can only remember seeing that happen once or twice, though, and only for the last few minutes of a game. Once a substitution is made, the substituted player can't be brought back, unless it was a temporary replacement while they have a bleeding wound sorted (again the front row issue applies - they can bring a specialist front row forward back on if they have to).

Hope I didn't complicate that too much!

 

Can't get the channel with basic cable, but I might try to catch it on the web. Never know what yer missing until you try.
As long as its not tennis or baseball. That is just too boring.

 

Good mornin' everybody!

Smartie, I was thinkin' of you last night at dinner --



And you too Kimi!



You know, I'm not surprised that Mississippi has one of the worst rates of obesity in the nation. We may be overweight, but we eat goooooood!

 

LOL....I think me jumping out of a cake would scar these cadets for life!

 

Yum...I love fresh fruit! Thanks, OT.

 

Only because they'd soon realize that no matter what happened in the rest of their lives, it was never going to get any better - they'd been to the mountaintop!

 

Mid-50's second morning in a row...love it!

Morning gang! TGIF for sure!!

 

Oh man.... hope you saved us a doggie bag!!

Ya know, I was surprised by something I saw in Galveston. Not really unexpected, but one of those things I never give much thought to.

People actually fish for their supper. GS gave a drum he caught to an old guy who was fishing next to him and the guy said, "Thanks! Now we can eat tomorrow!"

Very sad to think folks rely on their catch to feed their families. But then again, better they live near the ocean... guess po folks in Big D would love to have that option for supper!

 

OK...I'll pay you next time you travel this direction...LOL

Aren't you the sweetest thing?

 

I would have, but those pickles were gone in less time than I can finish typing this sentence!

My wife and I went to dinner with the perpetually hungry omnivore (aka: 13 y/o grandson), who eats like there won't be a tomorrow!

He's at the stage where he's just going through puberty, and goes through food like Sherman went through Atlanta! He's not fat, but ohmigawd how that boy can eat!

 

Teenage boys have hollow legs, Spots...I raised three of them, and the oldest one started eating like a man at age 5.....like cooking for an army.

 

We went to the Chinese buffet when I first got home, he went to the sushi bar and returned with at least two dozen, probably closer to three dozen pieces of sushi on his plate. Polished those off, and then has a couple bowls of wonton soup. After that, over to the Chinese section, where he literally ate something of everything they have on the buffet - if he didn't, it's because they had run out and hadn't refilled the pan yet.

After that, it's dessert time. Probably ate a whole cantaloupe and a whole muskmelon, along with some bananas in a strawberry glaze.

If you've had three boys, you know what I mean - it's like watching a pack of hungry wolves devour an elk!

 

Yes, it is...LOL Mine have been out of the house for years, and I am still trying to learn how to cook for just two of us, AND deal with leftovers. There weren't too many leftovers when they were all at home. My husband, who never had kids of his own, was astounded at the size meal I was preparing the first time they all came out after we were married. I told him to just watch...and fill his plate first...LOL He understands better now.

 

"Leftovers"... I seem to remember them from years ago!

Wasn't that when you had food left over (hence the name) from a meal, and you put it in the refrigerator for a later meal - like a day or two later?

We have a refrigerator in the garage that we used to call "The Morgue", because that's where left over food from dining out would go to die - one of the girls would bring home left over Italian or something with the intent of eating it later, but they never did.

Now, we refer to it as the "THF" - Temporary Holding Facility. That's where any excess food from the grocery store is kept before it comes in to the main refrigerator - there are no leftovers anymore!

Actually, that's somewhat incorrect - we do have a few leftovers. What, if anything, is leftover from dinner goes into the fridge, and is eaten in the afternoon when he comes home from school and is doing homework. Then, about 7pm, it's dinnertime!

And to top all this off - I have to take the garbage disposal in for psychiatric counselling. It thinks we don't love it anymore because we so seldomly use it...

 

LOL....well, as much as I hate to tell you this, Spots....it's just beginning with that boy.

I still forget we have leftovers in the fridge, because I was never used to having any. Thankfully, hubby likes leftovers and will generally remember to finish them off.

 

Yep, my GS is 20 and he still eats like its his last meal forever. And FAST, too!! He'll clean his plate by the time I get thru salt & peppering mine. Can down a double bacon cheeseburger in 4 bites.

They're eating machines, I tell ya! Guess they don't slack up until they're out on their own, paying for their own groceries!

 

*ding* *ding* *ding* Your correct! My boys are like vacuum cleaners when they come out to eat. They miss mama's cooking, for sure.

 

Afternoon folks! Tried to get in here earlier today but the site was down.

At least for me. Y'all trying to tell me somethin?


How's everyone's Friday going? Mine is draaaaaaaaging by.