Underrated sports

[BoyBrumby]

I went to see the Falcons when Ivan Mauger was there. I'm against it, cinders FTL.

Pfft. Man up.

Used to have a clip board that I used to hold my program as I dutifully kept score on, which was handy for deflecting shale that came my way.

There was a lad who rode for Mildenhall for a season who we signed from the Falcons. Michael Coles. Still lived down in Exeter so had a hell of a round trip for home meetings.

 

[GIMH]

Football

WC forum showed there are people who don't like/understand it, therefore its underrated

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Darts.

Can't believe how good viewing it is.

 

[Ausage]

Nah, lot of factors mitigate against it, but two main ones are the lack of depth to international game & the fact it's still the poor relation to union. As union is (still) the posh code (in UK certainly) there's a lot of power and money behind it still.

Mmm I see it slightly differently. While all those factors don't help, I think league is underrated even in places where it is supposedly the dominant code. (eg the Australian eastern seaboard) People watch a game of league, even a couple of games of league and all they see are big guys running at each other. I've had countless arguments with people who have only watched the odd game and see it as a skilless game for thugs, but good league teams owe far more to teamwork, speed, stamina and skill with the ball than people give it credit for. I never hear the same things said about Football, Aussie Rules, Tennis etc, hence I see it as underrated. Same would go for union I would imagine.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Mmm I see it slightly differently. While all those factors don't help, I think league is underrated even in places where it is supposedly the dominant code. (eg the Australian eastern seaboard) People watch a game of league, even a couple of games of league and all they see are big guys running at each other. I've had countless arguments with people who have only watched the odd game and see it as a skilless game for thugs, but good league teams owe far more to teamwork, speed, stamina and skill with the ball than people give it credit for. I never hear the same things said about Football, Aussie Rules, Tennis etc, hence I see it as underrated. Same would go for union I would imagine.

I think, because possession is (pretty much) uncontested nowadays league can give the impression of a bit of a sameness sometimes, especially to the uninitiated.

But agree it's dismissed as a game for meatheads on occasions too; amongst the posher corners of union it's still sometimes styled as "the ruffians' code".

 

[Ausage]

But agree it's dismissed as a game for meatheads on occasions too; amongst the posher corners of union it's still sometimes styled as "the ruffians' code".

Bah, just because criminals excel at it

Actually I'd put cricket in the underrated category tbh, specifically test cricket. I've had similar sorts of arguments with people calling cricket boring, like watching grass grow etc. Obviously not a view shared with many around these parts, but even in Australia it's a hard sport for alot of people to get into.

 

[andyc]

Contest a scrum rather than having a big group hug and then we'll talk.

But as someone who is happy enough to watch a game of league if it's on TV, I don't think you can say it's underrated, given its popularity in NSW and QLD. You're always going to get people who don't like it, just like there would be (maybe) Victorians that don't like AFL and Indians who don't like cricket, but it's rated pretty highly by a lot of people around that eastern coast.

 

[Daemon]

Bah, just because criminals excel at it

Actually I'd put cricket in the underrated category tbh, specifically test cricket. I've had similar sorts of arguments with people calling cricket boring, like watching grass grow etc. Obviously not a view shared with many around these parts, but even in Australia it's a hard sport for alot of people to get into.

I think cricket is a sport where the only followers are those that have either played the game, or have known the game since a young age.

 

[ripper868]

Contest a try rather than having a big group hug and then we'll talk.

But as someone who is happy enough to watch a game of league if it's on TV, I don't think you can say it's underrated, given its popularity in NSW and QLD. You're always going to get people who don't like it, just like there would be (maybe) Victorians that don't like AFL and Indians who don't like cricket, but it's rated pretty highly by a lot of people around that eastern coast.

Think you meant to say scrum there candy...

But yeah, the thing that pulls league down in my eyes is the contest for the ball, especially at scrum time, why not just take a tap if your only going to roll it under the props outside foot. But def not an underrated sport in aus, if anything i'd say union is more underrated locally.

 

[andyc]

Haha wowzers, how did that happen? Duly edited.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I meant motorcycle speedway, actually. The 500cc no-brake variety. Requires serious balls of steal to gun a bike round a hairpin at 70mph with no brakes.

IIRC DCYE's dad used to race.

Yeah my dad raced for about 10 years, won various NSW titles and even raced with Crumpy a few times. He was never big time but he had a crack. I raced juniors for a while as well, until dad hit a wall and mum banned both of us haha.

Would love to take it up again actually, there's no feeling like being sideways with no brakes.

 

[Jono]

**** you're ballsy dcye.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I never really thought about it like that when I raced, I was only 12 and 13 at the time and just loved being on bikes. I didn't race often as the local speedway would only have juniors race once every 2 or 3 meets so I've probably only ridden in competition like 5 times. The junior bikes were signifcantly less powered than the senior equivalents, and did have emergency brakes (that were **** hard to use though). For me it was just fun. Apparently mum wasn't able to watch when I raced haha.

Always been a frother for motorbikes though, need to go get my license I think.

 

[benchmark00]

Haha did someone say rugby league was underrated?? If more than one person rates it then it means it's overrated. **** sport.

 

[Xuhaib]

Bah, just because criminals excel at it

Actually I'd put cricket in the underrated category tbh, specifically test cricket. I've had similar sorts of arguments with people calling cricket boring, like watching grass grow etc. Obviously not a view shared with many around these parts, but even in Australia it's a hard sport for alot of people to get into.

think its just about rightly rated.I suppose if you don;t grow up with the game it means you have to dedicate a lot of time to understand the depth and the strategies involved within the game ofcourse not every one has that much time to invest in a game.

 

[vcs]

Field hockey for me.A quick paced game which requires equally a lot of physical skills aswell as ball playing skills infact watching pure Asian style hockey match is one the most pleasurable sights in sports.


i guess cricket dominance is sub cont and Football dominance in Europe never allowed it to get in the main spotlight in those countries where it is played at a high leval..

We smashed you.

 

[nightprowler10]

Basketball maybe? Outside of the US of course.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Basketball maybe? Outside of the US of course.

A lot of continental & in particular former communist Yurp goes divvy for it, so definitely woudn't say it's underrated. It's just (correctly) ignored in most Anglophone countries except the US & Canada.

I'd actually say basketball and football are the most overrated sports, actually.

 

[Xuhaib]

We smashed you.

yeah was a good game congrats.

 

[Shri]

Dart Championship.