Impulsively Reading Since...

Yeah, I'm totally late. But of course I taped it! It's England v. Wales and poor Douglas and Arthur are probably scheduled to be tipped a measly five hundred pounds each...(time travel, nostalgia, whatever...) ETA - holy cow, Wales won playing in Cardif - if only there was a fourth Birling Day to be told! Can you imagine the tips?

So I'm watching this and it's american football - without any padding or helmets. The players are wearing shorts. One guy has some blue headgear going on but it can't possibly be a helmet since everyone else is completely bareheaded.

I've got players in both red and white (because the flag's red white and blue [please note Wales is not uniformed per any of Arthur's rules and therefore I've no idea which they are]) and they're just now starting to look muddy after half an hour.

Please note that I know nothing about american football. I permanently swore off it when I was forced to play some form of it in high school and told I had to start with - and I quote - one down.

Please think about that for a second. Down is a negative term just on its own. Added to that, after a certain number of them you must give up your turn - it therefore proves to be the equivalent of an out (I understand baseball just fine - much simpler). Why do I need to start with one down? I haven't done anything at all wrong yet.

So - my real hope is that rugby has a more sensible scoring system than american football and this 'starting with one down' thing is some bizarre invention of our own as well.

One of the things that is striking me is the ball is being handed out of the tackles. Whereas in american football the player embraces the ball, holding on for all he is worth (in an effort to gain yardage?) as everyone within sight piles upon him - these guys are consistently shoving the ball out of the pile into a teammate's hands.

*

In another match - Italy won!!! (Mr Mandela is singing) possibly more later...