So...one of the Grey Cup teams lost? I care? Canadian Football Discussion Thread

[Magus]

What the hell is up with Canadian football? I've been watching this the past couple of weeks while watching the NFL and I can't figure anything out. For one thing, instead of having a real field, they just play on a converted soccer field. It still has the damn lines for where you put the goalie nets. So the field is gigantic.

Also, the end zone is gigantic. Seriously, what gives? Talk about making stuff easy.

How the hell do you get one point, anyway? How? Just by purposefully kicking the ball through the endzone? That ought to be hard with a gigantic fricking end zone. Is this worth the horrific penalty of having the receiving team start on the 35?

Also the goal posts are at the front of the gigantic endzone instead of the back. This is understandable since the end zone is fricking gigantic like I said, but they could still maybe be like in the middle. It decreases all field goal tries by like ten yards or something. I think. Maybe this is all being measured in meters? I have no idea.

Anyway I'm reading the Wikipedia article on the differences but it's kind of huge. I mean, I'll probably have it read by next season but still, look at this thing, it's huge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...adian_football

Anyway, the Alouettes won, can someone tell me what an Alouette is? And discuss Canadian football?

[Darth SS]

After watching my team lose?

NO. AND WE ARE NEVER SPEAKING OF THIS EVER AGAIN.

Okay fine.

I've been watching this the past couple of weeks while watching the NFL and I can't figure anything out. For one thing, instead of having a real field, they just play on a converted soccer field. It still has the damn lines for where you put the goalie nets. So the field is gigantic.

Actually, it's a converted rugby field, but nice try anyways. This is because football as we know it is an evolution of rugby. Rugby in North America began at McGill university in Montreal. The Canadian game is actually older than the American version. This season was the Saskatchewan Roughrider's 100th anniversary, and the Grey Cup was the 98th Grey Cup.

Also, the end zone is gigantic. Seriously, what gives? Talk about making stuff easy.

I would think that having receivers bunched together makes it easier. The bigger endzone and unlimited motion allow teams to actually use a passing play inside the red zone instead of endlessly running it.

How the hell do you get one point, anyway? How? Just by purposefully kicking the ball through the endzone? That ought to be hard with a gigantic fricking end zone. Is this worth the horrific penalty of having the receiving team start on the 35?

The rouge? Yes, that's for kicking it through the end zone. The other team can elect to receive a kick or take it on the 35. No one actually tries for the Rouge except under really weird circumstances, they usually result from missed field goals or punts. The other team can try to run a deep punt out of the end zone, or they can give up a single point in exchange for better field position. Because of the bigger field, field position can rapidly become a big deal.

It decreases all field goal tries by like ten yards or something. I think. Maybe this is all being measured in meters?

Yes, they're at the front. Like Rugby. And we still use yards.


An Alouette is a bird.



The biggest differences (aside from only 3 downs) are that the play clock is 20 seconds, the field is 110x65 with 20 yard endzones, there are 12 men and receivers are allowed unlimited motion.

You have to run farther, you get less time to rest, there's more going on, you can take a running start and you have less chances to screw up. Due to the size of the field, you live and die with your Quarterback. If he can't throw to the wide side, and if he can't scramble, he can't play the Canadian game.

[rpgdemon]

Isn't that a type of cheese?

Edit: Or bird or something. Right, bird, because the song is about murdering and torturing a bird.

[Hanuman]

We have a football team?

Why play football when you can play hockey? Skating is way more fun than running.

[Magus]

I really can't figure out Rugby, don't even bother. They have a scrum, they get the ball, they get tackled, they kick it backwards, etc. it's pretty confusing. But anyway I'll just chalk up all the Canadian Football oddities to being closer related to rugby than the current American version, which has had nine hundred different changes through time.

And no bunching up the receivers does not make it easier, since it is easier to intercept the ball as well. The smaller red zone makes it harder, as you mentioned, so does the smaller endzone.

Yeah I looked up Alouette, it's a song about plucking the feathers off a skylark, I guess a skylark is an alouette? Or something like that? Except the song is what is the alouette, or something. Eh, whatever, they're from Montreal, I'm sure the rest of Canada can't stand them or something.

Yeah sorry about Saskatchewan losing, dude. Better luck next year.

[Hanuman]

I vote we sell all our canadian teams to the french and use the funds to form the CFL (Canadian Federation of Larping) and hire veteran European combat larpers as coaches.

What's better than watching a bunch of dudes run into other dudes? Giving those dudes impact weapons and shields, forget all this competitive "retreating to the endzone" crap, I just want to see people fight.

[Darth SS]

Originally Posted by Hanuman

Giving those dudes impact weapons and shields, forget all this competitive "retreating to the endzone" crap, I just want to see people fight.

Still trying really hard to be one-dimensional I see.

Originally Posted by Magus

And no bunching up the receivers does not make it easier, since it is easier to intercept the ball as well. The smaller red zone makes it harder, as you mentioned, so does the smaller endzone.

You have less space you need to scan and it's easier for a receiver to come over to your throws because they have less distance they need to cover. If you throw up a hail mary or a bad pass, they only need to move ~15 yards as opposed to ~25 in Canada. Just my opinion, based on some very limited experience screwing around in Seattle.

[DarkDrgon]

Originally Posted by Hanuman

Why play football when you can play hockey? Skating is way more fun than running.

I support this motion

probably because my football team is pretty bad right now, and my hockey team is... well they're the Rangers. I don't know what else to say about that.

Thank god I have the Yankees, or I'd be swimming in a shithole of depressing sports.

pseudo-edit: Oh, don't get me started on the Knicks. just... spare me.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Originally Posted by Magus

I really can't figure out Rugby, don't even bother.

Basically just play American football but even time someone is being a pussy (armor, continual breaks, unimited substituions) you get to punch them in the face.

[Hanuman]

Originally Posted by Darth SS

Still trying really hard to be one-dimensional I see.