New Leaf Runoff Vote for July 2019 • Naturally Gifted: Prodigies

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by gmw

I always wondered how so many people got interested in baseball - now I know: School or baseball, your choice kids. Brainwashing!

Originally Posted by issybird

Oh, please. Baseball's a doddle compared to the incomprehensible and interminable snoozefest of cricket.

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

The really incomprehensible game is Gridiron! But I must admit that cricket is all rather mysterious too, to me anyway.

I sense a theme possibility here, something around "That's not cricket!"

And yes, I find cricket a bit opaque, but I am, slowly, figuring it out.

[Bilbo1967]

Cricket explanation for foreigners:

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

It's quite simple really!

Personally, any game with built in meal breaks has to be good. And when you get terms such as silly point, long leg, cow corner and googly thrown in as well, then what's not to like?

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Cricket explanation for foreigners:



It's quite simple really!

Personally, any game with built in meal breaks has to be good. And when you get terms such as silly point, long leg, cow corner and googly thrown in as well, then what's not to like?

Meal breaks are good, especially if you're playing a 5 day Test match! But it's the silly terms that completely flummox me. It would help if there were TV matches available here, where I could start to connect the expressions with what actually happened on the pitch. But short of finding a way to steal^H^H^H watch BBC here, I'm pretty much out of luck.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

The really incomprehensible game is Gridiron! But I must admit that cricket is all rather mysterious too, to me anyway.

Cricket is still mysterious to me too. But I keep feeling I should learn about it, because it’s enjoyed in so many countries.

‘Gridiron’ is new to me, but Google says it’s a term for what we call ‘football’. If so, and you enjoy strategy, I highly recommend getting to know the NFL (American professional league). It’s the ultimate team sport!

It’s so much fun. It looks confusing, but is very easy to understand once you know a few simple rules. And exciting! (PS - skip Canadian football - it’s boring because our rules stink )

Have to add a ps that it’s a guilty pleasure because football can be a pretty rough game.

[Catlady]

Baseball. Only baseball. I have spoken.

[CRussel]

Baseball, sure, but only as background noise while doing something else. Football, as in NFL, CFL, or AusRules, NEVER. You can't PAY me to watch it. Women's basketball (though I will watch the Raptors, I admit), curling, and once a year, the Tour de France for three weeks every morning. Cricket would be an interesting addition, if it were more widely available to watch here.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Baseball. Only baseball. I have spoken.

Originally Posted by CRussel

Baseball, sure, but only as background noise while doing something else. Football, as in NFL, CFL, or AusRules, NEVER. You can't PAY me to watch it. Women's basketball (though I will watch the Raptors, I admit), curling, and once a year, the Tour de France for three weeks every morning. Cricket would be an interesting addition, if it were more widely available to watch here.

Baseball and curling are great! The Tour de France is mesmerizing & beautiful. But I guess football is an acquired taste. I didn’t get it until I worked in the counselling department of a FOOTBALL university - discussing the game was practically a job requirement! I do draw the line at hockey though. Too fast - can’t see the puck
(Fingers crossed for the Raptors )

[Bookpossum]

Aussie Rules, when it was only played in Victoria, was referred to disparagingly by people in New South Wales as aerial pingpong. However, Victoria has had its revenge as there are now clubs in all States playing it.

People do play baseball here, but it's a minority sport. (I can hear Catlady crossing Australia off her list of places to visit!)

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

People do play baseball here, but it's a minority sport. (I can hear Catlady crossing Australia off her list of places to visit!)

Not that I expect ever to go there, but I could forgo baseball for the chance to see a koala in the wild.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Not that I expect ever to go there, but I could forgo baseball for the chance to see a koala in the wild.

Sadly that's getting increasingly hard to do. Climate change is causing problems with the eucalyptus leaves having less moisture in them. If they can't find water, they can die of thirst.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Victoria

I do draw the line at hockey though. Too fast - can’t see the puck
(Fingers crossed for the Raptors )

I was a fan of the Rangers when I was a kid, but gave it up. In part because over time there was less stick handling and more brute force and in part because the seasons became too long and almost all the teams make the playoffs anyway, so what's the point of all those games? Hockey in June is an abomination. That said, I was glad to see the Bruins lose. And glad to see the Raptors win, too.

[astrangerhere]

I enjoy most sports, soccer primarily. But I do have an MLB subscription and catch as many Yankees games as I can.

I started The Natural this morning over my coffee and am enjoying it so far. I've read Malamud before, but had no idea he was the source material for the film.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Baseball, hockey, football, college basketball. In that order. As a lifelong Blues fan, I am especially happy this week. What a game that was! It was a long wait for the Cup, but what a season and story for the ages!

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Baseball, hockey, football, college basketball. In that order. As a lifelong Blues fan, I am especially happy this week. What a game that was! It was a long wait for the Cup, but what a season and story for the ages!

I'm thrilled that the Blues kept Boston from having three concurrent championships. Thank you, St. Louis! Enjoy your well-deserved victory.

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

But I do have an MLB subscription and catch as many Yankees games as I can.

That makes two Yankees fans here and we can outroot everyone else.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

That makes two Yankees fans here and we can outroot everyone else.

Sorry, not happening here. The Yankees are the only baseball team I actively do not like. Probably all those years of Steinbrenner trying to buy championships. OTOH, there's really no baseball team I particularly like any more, either, so I guess my vote on this doesn't count.