Quote:
Originally Posted by Busyman
I agree somewhat.
Your definition of fit has to relate to fit for what.
I can say that a soccer players aren't as fit as sportsmen who participate in football.
A player like John Riggins was not fit to sprint 100 yards in great time. He was there for speed, running over players and taking hits.
Also soccer players get their breaks too when they are out of play (similar to basketball in that respect).
Sure a soccer player is not running as fast as he can for the ball. That ain't the same as sprinting 50 yards....as fast you can. A track runner isn't just ho-hum after running a 40-yard dash and doesn't take a hits as well....but oh....many football players have a nice 40 time AND take hits. Figure that. :smilie4:
That's just pish.
A midfielder runs an average eight miles in a match. I think an American footballer wouldn't run even one. There are some occasions where a footballer wouldn't run flat out, of course, but if he is in an offensive move or chasing another player for the ball - which is the most common circumstance, then he will be running as fast as he can.
Soccer/football is a poor analogy. Rugby/football is a better one.
The players take tackles, make tackles, kick and make covering/attacking sprints without the ball. All rugby players have to be competent at
all disciplines. They have to be fit to tackle, fit to sprint and not have to take oxygen at any point - otherwise they won't make the team. They also stay on the pitch for 80 minutes.
This simply isn't true of American football. You get fat guys in American football.
Wales have one of the best running packs in the world, this mean that the big guys do just as much, if not more, running than the smaller, faster guys. In the 13-a-side version of rubgy, the players are traditionally fitter but now the 15-a-side code has caught up.
An international rubgy player is, overall, the fittest team sportsman in the world. NFL 'stars' don't come close.