The New York Times Liked Aussie Rules Better
There’s been a lot of focus this year on violence in the NFL — hard hits, horrific injuries, past players looking for ways to prevent future concussions, bounties on players, new rules that may or may...
View ArticleNot Every Game Demands a Victor
If you’re looking for the one thing that separates American sports from sports in other countries, it’s this — in America, someone has to win every single game. Is that baseball game tied after 9...
View ArticleWhat’s In A Name?
Apparently, “soccer” has become a dirty word down under… It has been widely reported that if Australia is to host soccer’s major event, then the only stadia capable of holding adequate crowds across...
View ArticleLink: Ben Cousins Not Coming Back After All
The St. Kilda Saints have decided to take a pass on Ben Cousins, which means his AFL career could be over. Does he have a future as an NFL punter? Stay tuned...
View ArticleLink: Ben Cousins Not Coming Back After All
The St. Kilda Saints have decided to take a pass on Ben Cousins, which means his AFL career could be over. Does he have a future as an NFL punter? Stay tuned...
View ArticleHow to Watch the AFL Finals Series in America
A few weeks ago, an old friend of mine came to town with her boyfriend for another friend’s wedding, and they crashed at my place. In between events, the subject of football inevitably arose — she...
View ArticleLink: Your AFL Grand Final Preview
If you live in the USA, set your DVR for ESPN Classic at 12:25 AM. The St. Kilda Saints, who are seeking their first title since 1966, edged out the Geelong Cats, who are in their third consecutive...
View ArticleLink: Your AFL Grand Final Preview
If you live in the USA, set your DVR for ESPN Classic at 12:25 AM. The St. Kilda Saints, who are seeking their first title since 1966, edged out the Geelong Cats, who are in their third consecutive...
View ArticleGeelong Vindicated in Ugly Instant Classic
It wasn’t nearly as pretty or as high-scoring as the Round 14 clash between Geelong and St. Kilda. A downpour in Melbourne coated the turf and made the ball slick, and the high stakes made it seem...
View ArticleThey Take Their Footy Seriously on Groote Eylandt
Until yesterday, I had never heard of Groote Eylandt, a small island off the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory that became part of the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve in 1976. Groote Eylandt is...
View ArticleThe AFL Frowns Upon Your World Cup Shenanigans
God, I love Australia. Nowhere else in the world will you find so many football codes constantly warring with each other for the hearts and minds of the people. How many epic pub brawls have started...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: An Expensive Trophy Not Named Elin
Of course, just as soon as I make some exceedingly inane remark about shiny trophies, we get this monstrosity from the Russian Football Federation. This trophy, which goes to the club who has the best...
View ArticleIs Aussie Rules Coming to Roku?
Actually, the more relevant question here might be this: Does MHz Networks still carry Australian Football League games? I ask because MHz is now available through the Roku Digital Video Player, and...
View ArticleFooty Season is Here!
Last summer, an old friend of mine who remembers me from my “soccer is evil” days — it was a dark and ignorant time, five years ago — brought her new boyfriend to town for another friend’s wedding....
View ArticleJarrod Harbrow Channels His Inner Ronnie Lott
See Jordan Lewis of the Hawthorn Hawks here? That’s how your local Arsenal supporter feels today. You should go and give that Gooner a hug. For more about this hit, check out these columns by Mark...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: How Football Can Wash Your Pants
You gotta love designers. Tell them that it’s a World Cup year, and they’ll find a myriad of pointless ways to incorporate Joga Bonito into your life. Tell them that the World Cup is being hosted in...
View ArticleAFL Players Think Cocaine’s a Hell of a Drug
When most NFL players get busted for using drugs, those drugs tend to be of the performance-enhancing variety. Yes, you get the occasional marijuana suspension, but mostly it’s guys like Houston Texans...
View ArticleJason Akermanis Throws His Body on Cocaine Grenade
Does anyone else think the timing of Jason Akermanis’ latest controversial missive is just a little bit curious? In case you missed it yesterday, Australia’s favorite troglodyte wrote this column for...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: Did Ndamukong Suh Lose a Playoff Bet?
I don’t pay much attention to the NFL pre-season, in part because it’s filled with games that don’t count, and I’m not that into watching practice squad (and UFL) fodder compete for jobs. These games...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: A Time Warner Cable Rant
I’m sure I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: I hate Time Warner Cable. I loathe this company with the heat of a thousand blue stars. If all their executives and “customer service”...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?
Ines Sainz shows up in an NFL locker room wearing tight jeans, gets a few cat calls, and the media goes into a massive feeding frenzy. Meanwhile, a giant badger shows up on an NFL sideline and devours...
View ArticleHow to Watch the AFL Grand Final in America
Collingwood, Geelong, St. Kilda. By season’s end, everyone figured it would be two of those clubs playing in the Grand Final, and once Collingwood and St. Kilda both dispatched of the defending...
View ArticleAnd Now We Get TWO AFL Grand Finals
When St. Kilda Saints fought back from 24 points down to draw level with the Collingwood Magpies with 1:32 left in the game, I sat back and thought, “Oh, man, this extra time period is going to be...
View ArticleESPN Will Air AFL Grand Final Replay
It’s been confirmed elsewhere, but for those of you leaving anguished comments on this blog, here’s your proof — a screenshot of the ESPN TV listings, taken this morning. Yes, Aussie rules fans in...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: Before There Was FIFA 11, There Was Super Sidekicks
Kudos to the gang at The Offside for digging up this nostalgic trip through 8-bit and 16-bit soccer video games. I didn’t play much video game soccer back in the day — was too busy losing hours...
View ArticleMagpies Pick Saints Apart to Win AFL Premiership
While nearly everyone was griping last week about the pending replay after the first AFL Grand Final match, two images stood out. The first was Collingwood Magpies head coach Mick Malthouse sitting at...
View ArticleSpot Kicks: International Rules Hits YouTube
While most of my football chagrin has focused on the Carolina Railhawks losing the USSF Divison 2 Finals to Puerto Rico — I so wanted my club to be the answer to that trivia question – I was also a...
View ArticleThe Beginner’s Guide to Aussie Rules, 2011 Edition
So the NFL lockout proved inevitable, the NFL Players Association has decertified, and everyone’s dug in for a long, ugly legal battle that nobody really wants to read about, even though the fate of...
View ArticleThree Goals From This Weekend That I Can’t Stop Watching
Presented without comment, except to say, “Damn.” 1.) Heather O’Reilly, U.S. Women’s National Team v. Colombia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UUJw-QX-PE 2.) Darlington Nagbe, Portland Timbers v....
View ArticleInternational Rules Football Is A Dog’s Game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwucRJBkWv0#! Yesterday, our pals at Dirty Tackle decided to highlight a Copa Sudamericana match in which a dog invaded the pitch and held up play for 3 minutes. The...
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