So who's gonna win the Championship (UK ~ Football)?

[rhegedus]

Not seeing a sub 4.2s here:

Hayes, Green top list of NFL’s fastest ever

The draft this year looks to have loads of 4.5s but no sub 4.2. Credit where it is due, they are faster than I thought they'd be.

EDIT - this looks interesting:

Fastest Man in the NFL

[defense]

@rheghedus ....I KNOW it is baffling. I could guarantee you that the majority of people who THINK they know football and watch the game regularaly..just don't have a clue. If you ask them a guys position they may know...but to ask them specifics such as clock times in the 40 or vert or benching/squatting..they won't have a clue. I know it is baffling because it just doesn't seem logical, right? But this is why I explain this things to people who just watch American Football on T.V and think Rugby or Hockey are a tougher sport. As I said...you can play those sports several times in a week...you can NOT play pro football two times a week...at least not regularaly. Players wouldn't be able to move...lol.

College football is played once a week...as well as High School Football..but anyone who played in High School or College would tell you that they could play four times a week in most cases. The reason football is played once a week is because of the massive amount of preperation it takes for your opponent...alot of film time and studying. But even if you could get all that down in one day you couldn't play several NFL games a week...guys would be playing on their knees. Some offensive lineman lose in EXCESS OF 25 LBS in a SINGLE GAME...lol. Even though that's persperation and water weight....that can't be said about any other sport...it's extremely intense...and even that is an understatement.


And as for the answer to your question about why NFL players don't challenge for the World Sprinting Records...first..let me say that I SWEAR TO GOD I KNEW you were gonna ask me that question...I knew it. Because that would be SEEM logical, right? The reason NFL players who run those insane speeds don't challenge for Sprinting records, World Records, Olympic Records, in door records, outdoor records, etc...is because there is an INTENSE AMOUNT OF TRAINING that World Class
Sprinters like Maurice Greene go through.

Let me remind you that you can't just walk up to the Olympic Committee and say your gonna race against Maurice Greene in the next Olympics..lol...no man...an INSANE amount of training is done and YOU HAVE TO EARN YOUR SPOT IN THE OLYMPICS to compete for those records. You have to QUALIFY to even get a shot at that level no matter who you are.

Now...you are probably saying..ok, so what...if they can run that fast then why don't they just compete a few times and break the world record?

And that's another excellent question....it is...but i'll explain why this won't happen either. Let's say you are coming out of college and are one of the greatest track superstars in the world as well as an amazing football player....and you have choices at one of the two careers...more times then not which one of the careers do you think that person will take? They are going to choose football...and the reason is simple....the root of all evil...that all mighty dollar! Simply put, there is just much more money for a first round draft pick in the NFL then there is as a track superstar.

You know what a first round draft pick gets in the NFL? Regardless of whether they go 1st or 32nd ...they are INSTANT MILLIONAIRES! You cant say that about any track star. Yea, over time with endorsements you can make millions...but not by signing a single piece of paper and getting a 10 million dollar signing bonus as the 1st round draft picks in the NFL get. Even at 32nd, your signing bonus will be smaller...but you'll still be an INSTANT MILLIONAIRE.

So what ends up happening is you have a contract. It may be for 3 years it may be for 7 years.....but your contract pays you on your performance on the football field. So guys are going to obviously focus on their "job" which is to play football and dominate at their position..whatever it may be. When you take into account mini-camps, training camp and an entire NFL season..you are talking about 7 months. After the season ends most guys need some type of surgery or serious R&R...so they may eat a few doughnuts and slack off some. Rest their battered bodies....but if a player needs surgery...they are going to be out for several months...maybe even until next year...or often times...out for most of the season the FOLLOWING YEAR...that's how bad it is.

So where would a player have the time to train for World Class Sprinting? Guys like Maurice Greene train YEAR ROUND for their sport....and if you want to be the BEST NFL PLAYER...you need to do the same. Look at guys like Jerry Rice man...the greatest Wide Receiver to ever play the game ....he NEVER TOOK A SINGLE VACATION WITH HIS WIFE AND FAMILY...during the off season he did nothing but train, train more and train even more! You think maybe that's why he's the greatest to ever play Wide Receiver?

That's definitely one of the reasons. By the way..Jerry Rice was NEVER all that fast on the football field ironically....he was one of the SLOWER receivers in the NFL....see, I bet many people who THINK THEY KNOW FOOTBALL didn't know that...but it's true. Rice just had and still has the best hands and the best "moves" ...and those things as well as his football awareness made him the greatest even though he wasn't as fast as some of the other "BURNERS" in the league.

Anyway...as you can see here..I've gone into detail..but these are the answers to your questions. Money, and timing.

And let's just assume that there was 24 months in a year and after the NFL season one of these guys like a Roy Brown or a Deion Sanders in his prime ...or a Charles Woodson wanted to compete against the likes of a Maurice Greene....even then it would still be EXTREMELY DIFFICULT..because i'm sure you know that even Maurice Greene can run FIFTY TIMES in the next few days...and not even come close to breaking his own world record.

Running is perfection and you have stances and wind factors and being able to time the jump of the gun perfectly..etc..etc....when you are dealing with Sprinting....there are MANY intangibles...and that's why it's not like saying to Michael Jordan to dunk a Basketball....something he could do over and over again without screwing up. No, Sprinting is much more complex and Roy Williams in that one day of training ran those speeds, as well as do MANY OTHER NFL PLAYERS AT THE NFL "COMBINE" but to run that EXACT SPEED over and over is impossible for ANYBODY...and that's why breaking world records takes an insane amount of training for that particular sport..normally year round...and it also takes some luck and perfection.

If you really want to know how amazing NFL athletes are...I suggest you do a search on google for "NFL COMBINE."

This is the year round event that is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC...MEDIA IS NOT ALLOWED there..and it's STRICT TRAINING AND TESTING OF ALL NFL PROSPECTS BY ALL 32 TEAMS. The media has been furious for years that they are not allowed behind closed doors to see what goes on...but you wanna talk about thoroughbread city....that's what happens in the NFL COMBINE...nothing but breathtaking athleticism.



Oh, and as far as your comment about Jonah Lomu playing American Football...lmao...do more research on the sport man. I'm not going to say this guy COULDN'T PLAY in the NFL...it may be possible...but you just can't compare any RUGBY player..superstar or not..to an NFL player. If you ever get a chance to go to an NFL game..try to sit as close to the field as you possibly can...try to get the best tickets you can....I guarantee you..you'll shit in your pants...because you'll be hearing car wrecks and seeing blurrs across the field all day. You won't witness this in ANY COLLEGE GAME and you won't see this on T.V.

You have to be there to see it....but do a little more research..i'm sure you will really be surprised...as will most people who THINK they know the NFL.

[defense]

@ rheghedus....that link is from 2 years ago..but either way..it only lists the top ten..and the list is not accurate anyway. I'm gonna post MORE CURRENT links for you man.

Two players in that article were two players that could ABSOLUTELY compete in their prime with any SPRINTER. DEION SANDERS AND BO JACKSON...AND MAN...BO JACKSON WAS A PHENOM...probably the greatest running back i've ever seen...although Barry Sanders in my mind now is the best....Bo Jackson got hawked down from behind vs. the Bengals in a game and got a CAREER ENDING injury....but man..this guy was SOLID STEEL...he could run THROUGH PLAYERS but could RUN SUB 10.0 IN THE 100M...look that one up...that guy to this day is probably the greatest Phenom along with Barry Sanders to EVER PLAY ANY SPORT.


Anyway....i'm gonna link you a few articles man...that article doesn't even list Sanders or Jackson's speeds...and BOTH of them should be #1 and 2 respectively.

[defense]

@rheghedus, check this link out..this is from a guy who hasn't even played in the NFL YET...he was a first round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys....( I hate the Cowboys) but man, they are really getting burners on defense.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/draft/2003-04-01-cb-newman_x.htm

This was their 1st round draft pick this year...a 5-10 CB about 190 lbs...out of Kansas State...this article sums up his ability as well as his fastest 40 Meter times....he's been clocked at 4.2. Keep in mind, this is a guy who hasn't even played an NFL game yet...oh, and by the way...he's on the same team as another guy I mentioned...Roy Williams...both of them are Corner Backs...shit...if this guy is the player he appears he'll be...you think opponents will be able to throw to their Wide Receivers with BOTH ROY WILLIAMS who was clocked at WORLD RECORD SPEED IN THE 40 last year...as well as Terrence Newman who was clocked at 4.2 in the 40...you think opponents will be able to throw the ball on them? lol...the Cowboys opponents better have a nice running game.

P.S notice how the article says Newman only "dabbled" with Sprinting in College...but still won BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS...Lmao...how do you think that makes his opponents feel when he doesn't even focus on sprinting nor trains for it. Imagine what he could do if he did focus on sprinting..but why would he ...as I said..he's life is set in the NFL. Even if he is a bust which is possible...he's still a Multi-Millionaire just from his signing bonus.


Here's another link...pay close attention to #10 ..a guy by the name of Ray Carruth.

http://www.kstatecollegian.com/issues/v101/sp/n133/sports/spt-column-mccorm.html

Carruth was timed in the 40 @ 4.17 ...SHIT..I knew Carruth coming out of college was a burner...but never knew he ran that fast. Anyway...Carruth was drafted by the Carolina Panthers...but shortly after...was convicted of a plot to hire a hitman to kill his wife. I remember the whole thing on the news....it was pretty devistating....but 4.17...Shit....well...Roy Williams was timed even faster then that last year....you amazed yet?


And another link...check this one out..this is from B.J. Tucker and once again THIS YEAR ironically. Don't pay attention to the first couple of 40 times listed...he was at about 4.38 (which is still blazing) in his later runs..but his run which was clocked by many at UW's pro day was in the 4.2 range. Again, this is just this year alone.

http://www.wisinfo.com/journal/spjsports/277528538370578.shtml

And here's a link from Mike Vick...the QB for the Atlanta Falcons..and probably the most athletic QB to ever play the game. I was looking for his NFL COMBINE time..but he chose not to run the 40 at the Combine when he came out of Virginia Tech. Some players won't run at the combine for various reasons....he didn't have to though...he was going to be a top draft pick and he's already established himself as an amazing player..and he's only played a couple of years.

http://www.michaelmancusophoto.com/page36.html

You can also look up Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. They are two of the best Wide Receivers in the world. They have both been timed on several occasions at running a sub 4.2/40 and I remember reading an article online from a writer of a Pennsylvania paper that called "TERRELL OWENS" the fastest human on the planet. He was clocked at 4.17 in the 40 at that time. Maurice Green apparently made some negative comments because he wasn't too happy with the article. Poor Maurice...anyway....I can still keep posting links if you'd like...but I don't want to make this a completely endless post.

By the way...I re-read the link you posted regarding those sprint speeds for NFL players..becaue I couldn't imagine it could be that inaccurate. And when I re-read it I saw why. If you look closely you will read that the author is trying to use some type of "formula" for getting the fastest NFL PLAYERS who could also run track. For example...remember what I said about Jerry Rice earlier? Remember I mentioned that he was never that fast...which would surprise even people who love the NFL...they'd probably argue he was a blazer..but they'd be way off...anyway..the article says he never was clocked at below a 4.5/40 ....BUT on the field he ran at least a 4.3. Where do they get that shit from..that's total bullshit....on the field you are almost never running straight ahead...even a down and out or a bomb are plays which would require some hesitiation..either from the play or the play of the Defensive Back...but the way Jerry Rice played, you'd THINK he ran a 3.3 in the 40 ..lol..anyway..that article is tainted and just fabricating statistics.

But as I said..two of those guys listed there ....Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson were absolutely 2 of the fastest guys in the world at any given time..if not THE FASTEST.....especially Bo Jackson...because he could run over SUPERMAN AND STILL HAVE THE SPEED TO KEEP TRUCKING! :P


I'll wait to hear what you think before I post any more links.

[rhegedus]

Thanks for the info It's gonna take me some time to digest it all!

[Will Hay]

I take my PM back defense, you've totally fucked my topic, you shit
I'm gonna have you banned so hard you're gonna wish you'd never met me
Will

[indolikaa]

Manchester United. Tim Howard will be the League MVP.

NFL? What's that?

[defense]

@Silky Silk...LMAO..hey, if I can't ruin these types of posts..what good am I? lol....I told you I saw when you iniitally posted this question....and I intentionally waited until the majority of people responded so I could mention the NFL AFTER...wasn't that nice of me?


@indolikaa ....I guess all the Seattle Seahawk fans ask themselves what is the NFL...because they are constantly lost without a cause year in and year out..huh? :P The NFL should of kept the SeaHawks in the AFC West...big mistake moving an already weak AFC team to the NFC.

[indolikaa]

@indolikaa ....I guess all the Seattle Seahawk fans ask themselves what is the NFL...because they are constantly lost without a cause year in and year out..huh? The NFL should of kept the SeaHawks in the AFC West...big mistake moving an already weak AFC team to the NFC.

So true, my friend. So very true. On both counts.

[defense]

So true, my friend. So very true. On both counts.

WELL at least you have a perfect record right now....no losses...so that is something to look forward to, right? In all seriousness....what are your projections for this year? My hunch is 6-10, 7-9 at Best. I'm usually dead on with my predictions....damn..I hope I didn't ruin your season before it started. :P

[indolikaa]

I figure 7-9 and Holmgren gets the boot. Not likely to be a good season, I'm afraid, but there's other teams to watch on my NFL Sunday Ticket package if things go south...

And the media picked Arizona to finish dead last in the PAC-10. Well, we'll still fly the Wildcat flag proudly here at the Ranch regardless. Where's that dead horse emoticon when you need it...

But hey, my alma mater (New Mexico) is slated to finish second behind Colorado State in the Mountain West! Maybe two bowl games in a row?

It's all a secondary exercise when the Premier Leauge is on, though!

[defense]

I figure 7-9 and Holmgren gets the boot. Not likely to be a good season, I'm afraid, but there's other teams to watch on my NFL Sunday Ticket package if things go south...

Man, I loved that NFL Sunday Ticket since it's first year of inception. The damn NFL made an exclusive agreement for 7 years at that time with DirectTV to be the ONLY provider of the NFL SUNDAY TICKET. I can't get a dish where I am because I don't have a South West view. I need a South West view because i'm in Florida. If I only needed a South view and lived in any other state, i'd be good to go.

Anyway, I have to resort to going to friends places and sports bars every Sunday. I thought when the contract expired this past year...the NFL would take offers from both digital cable companies and directtv...but they once again signed and EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH DIRECTV for another 5 years! Man...that pisses me off. They actually offer the package on cable in Canada...with Rogers Cable and some other providers..but won't offer it in the States. The deal with DirectTv was too lucrative...but I really think the NFL would of made more money if they at least accepted offers from digital cable companies. Comcast now offers that hockey pass, NBA LEAGUE COURT PASS and the MLB pass...none of which I get...but I would of quickly gotten the Sunday ticket if the NFL signed a contract with them. OH well....shit happens.

But on another note...yea....I see 7-9 at Best for you guys..and I never pay too much attention to pre-season predictions...especially in college football from these so called analysts. The problem with Arizona is the same problem with every team in the PAC-10...no defense....it's been that way for years..and even when Arizona had that two headed monster at QB a few years back...they still had no defense. Same thing when they had solid running games with Trung Candidate...etc. You gotta have defense to win championships.

Take a look at the last ten superbowl winners and the last ten college football NCAA champions and then look at their defense that year. You'll see that in all cases...it was at the very top. That's why the Raiders got blown out last year...that's why St. Louis was upset by New England the Year Before....and that's why all the Florida teams are clearly above the rest of the country each and every year. FSU, THE GATORS, HURRICANES....look at the defense year in and year out...pretty scary, huh? And when ANY of those teams don't have a good year, like the Gators and FSU "last year"....it can be directly attributed to one thing....and what's that?....that's right...the Defense.

[flaninacupboard]

American sports always seemed strange to me. america is a nation that wants things to be bigger better and faster, and yet their national sports are baseball (rounders is a girls game in the UK!) Basketball (again, netball is a girls game) and then ice hockey (hockey is a girls game too. you play it on ice so it's easier than running ) and then American Football, which is rugby with padding. jeez, i would have loved to have a helmet the number of times i got punched in the head playing rugby, and getting tackled down by an elbow into your chest is not nice!

[indolikaa]

@flaninacupboard

I started reading your response and thought, "tgpo your in America, what the hell are you talking about?!"

PATIENTLY waiting for DirecTV to announce the availability of their English Premiere League package. It was supposed to be avaiable by now.

We need Sky Sports. All of them!

[defense]

@flanninacupboard...my posts regrading American Football were actually geared towards your type of person. Someone who's views are blurred. So all the American sports are considered girls sports in the UK, huh? LMAO...I've never been into baseball..but no girl in the world can throw a 100 MPH fast ball. Getting hit in the head WITH A HELMIT with one of those would wake you up real quick. I played basketball, but I could occasionally get a guy like you to put up and get in a game of street football. No helmits in street football and you tackle each other on the street.

As I said in my earlier posts....rugby players don't have a percentage of the strength and speed the majority of the NFL players have. You say you'd love to have a helmit playing rugby. Are you gonna honestly B.S yourself and say you would put on a helmit and pads and attempt to play a game of tackle football...even at the High School level?

Actually, can you honestly say that you aren't too scrawny to be able to even WALK WITH the weight of pads and a helmit? lmao......I guarantee you this buddy...you take the majority of those rugby players and give them all the padding in the world with FIVE HELMITS and they'd be shitting in their pants after one solid hit. IF they were able to walk away from it....they'd walk their ass right off the field and cry all the way home. And i'm not even trying to be funny...that's real right there...they'd CRY all the way home.

Hockey isn't nearly as physical as football play in the NFL and those guys have padding on damn near every part of their body. Oh, and have you ever seen the best girls in the world play basketball..as well as the best guys in the world play basketball? Have you seen the strength and finessee male basketball players have? I'm honestly not sure how the women even in the states can have professional basketball...they just can't jump and don't have the speed or strength. They are hurting the game.

But that's why these American sports are played by girls in the UK. You can take your TOP MALE ATHLETES and let them play these sports amongst themselves...and to a U.S athlete in the same sport...your gonna look like a bunch of girls. So i'd really be amused watching your girls attempt to play these sports. As for you though....stick to el futbol pal. By the way...the U.S weakest sport...EL FUTBOL and if memory serves...didn't we damn near WIN THE WORLD CUP LAST YEAR? Germany was shitting in their pants weren't they....LMAO..and that's our WEAKEST SPORT....YIKES.

[Craig Tucker]

Hey Will, good sign for Swindon the other day, Leeds getting a 4-0 stuffing like that by Leicester.

[Will Hay]

erm, shit, you're right
W.

[Gees]

Somehow :cO I missed the vote - but I chose Man Utd.

Been a fan for ages.

Craig, Premiership is shown in the States or was back when I was there, but it's on obscure channels & times - kind of like they show US baseball, hockey, etc. here. I had to scour schedules in advance to find and watch it. But it's how I started following Man U way before I ever knew I'd end up here.

My local team was NY/NJ MetroStars, so I am really pleased Tim Howard's with them. Doesn't quite make up for losing Davey :cD, but close.

I don't know why US calls football "football" or football "soccer", but I know footie will never be as big there because there's not the big money behind it. A shame.

[Will Hay]

Somehow :cO I missed the vote - but I chose Man Utd.

Been a fan for ages.

What a surprise, a Man Utd fan from America
Is it true there are more Man Utd fan's in botswana than there are in Manchester?
Hell, there's more Man Utd fan's in Swindon than there are in Manchester.
Alll the bright ones support City
Will

[VCDHunter]

I missed the vote but would have said Arsenal. Then I listened to them yesterday playing Inter.

Pains me to say it but think it will be ManUre . . . again.

And that American Football is a game best watched via teletext