Super Bowl v. 6 Nations

I do not know which I am more excited about: the Super Bowl this evening or the start of the 6 Nations Rugby tournament. As a fan of American football I have been frustrated by the plodding season that has lacked drama and intrigue, and seemed to feed the disgusting over-inflated egos of the football “star”. Not to mention the fact that my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, were consistently inconsistent throughout the season. After playing Rugby for several season’s I have found the NFL to be rather slow.


However, I still appreciate the operational strategy that is introduced each play; but it is not a very good trade-off for the constant action and hitting that rugby provides. While both sports have spectacular plays, hard running, and devastating hitting the fundamental game dynamics make for subtle yet key differences.


First of all the team dynamic is different. Although both profess to be “team sports”, American football is focused around the personality and performance of a single player, the Quarterback. Though Rugby may have its stars, the entire team dynamic is not based on how well a single player is protected. In fact, in Rugby all players are expected to be aggressively part of the offensive and defensive collision.


In American football five players are dedicated to the protection of the “Field General”. If he can be protected then the game will ride on his shoulders as he marches his team to victory. Sometimes this dynamic falls on the shoulder of the running back. In rugby all players are individual cogs in the machine.


I appreciate both aspects for different reasons. Being an American, the idea of being the individual hero is a key concept to our culture. For example it was Washington who crossed the Delaware, and McArthur who returned to the Philippines. It is the individual that hits the two out, ninth-inning homerun, and it is the individual who marches his team to victory after the two-minute warning.


With their names emblazoned across their backs, American athletes seek the moment for individual glory. Our sports strategy is designed to focus the team’s efforts to create that hero. That is why when the Quarterback throws an interception or the running back fumbles they get booed. In Rugby the numbers on the back identifies the players and rarely does an individual “carry” a team.


I guess you can say that I am excited for the Super Bowl because it is a cultural phenomenon where the entire country gets together to cheer the athlete in a physical contest. Similarly, the 6 Nations tourney is a collection of Super Bowls as England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy, and France gather together to cheer their athletes and exhibit their national (Not EU) pride. So, no matter who wins the Super Bowl, you will find me in front of my telly this evening watching tape-delayed 6 Nations Rugby match and finally getting my fix for an aggressive fast-paced game. I am just glad it’s back just as American Football is ending. It will be quite cathartic for me as I have suffered through another boring season of the NFL since the World Cup finished.

GO ENGLAND!