The (off field) Coach is the chess player, who decides the strategy (running play or pass) and the tactics (the Running Back will go left … so block enemy tacklers in that area) for the team.
The Quarterback is the King, who starts in the centre hiding behind his pawns (Offensive Linemen). He can change the Coach’s strategy if he sees the opposition are ready for it.
The Running Back is the Queen, because if the Quarterback hands him the ball the Running Back keeps going as far as he can until he’s tackled.
The Wide Receivers can be:
Rooks, when their tactic is to run straight downfield a long way and catch a pass from the Quarterback
Bishops, when their tactic is to swerve infield and catch a pass from the Quarterback
Knights, when their tactic is to run a crooked path and catch a pass from the Quarterback
Offensive Linemen are sort of pawns, but they can move backwards. If the Quarterback calls for a run, they generally charge forward to push enemy Defensive Linemen out of the way. If he calls for a pass, they will generally drop back and block to protect the Quarterback while the Wide Receivers run into position.
P.S. Tight Ends are Offensive Linemen who can either block or act as Wide Receivers.
Each Football play is a single move in a chess game. Both are timed and a team has a time limit of 60 minutes for all its plays.
And this is where the analogy breaks down. It’s decent for describing the positions, but horrible for describing play, since all pieces move at the same time in a single “turn”.
You could ask if they think Tevaris Jackson is truly their quarterback of the future, or if they think Adrian Peterson can stay healthy. Any good fan will already have positions they think need upgrades going into the draft, if not specific college prospects in mind if you ask about it.
I can go into mind-numbing detail on how to predict penalties if you want, but there’s not much payoff.
Somehow, I am thinking Diogenes must be just furious that someone who knows nothing about football gets to watch his Vikings in person at the playoff game.
That is, unless Dio gets to score playoff tix himself.
But I’m still not quite able to congratulate Dio on the Vikings making the playoffs…
I would suggest not trying to fake football knowledge that you don’t have. It will probably be both obvious and slightly annoying (“Hooray! We made a score-point! Now the score is 7 to 14.”)
Better just to stick to things that are obviously true (“Wow, that guy is fast”), and perhaps find someone *without a strong rooting interest in the game *who would enjoy walking you through the basics.
Yeah, faking knowledge at a playoff game is just going to make you stick out, as everyone thinks of their friends who couldn’t score a ticket.
As for assimilating the advice here, there seems to be a fairly high noise:signal ratio, especially for a beginner. Just stick to the absolute basics so you know what’s going on and can ask meaningful questions relevant to your lack of understanding of the game.
Many Vikings fans are unhappy with their head coach. Ask people what they think.
The Vikings have used two very different quarterbacks this year (this is by far the most important player – he is the one that controls which other players get the ball). Both players have had mixed results. Ask people to explain their choice – the talented but erratic young Jackson or the veteran Frerotte (Or should they look to get someone else for next season)?
Ask about football indoors versus outdoors; many people think football should be strictly an outdoor game.
When Minnesota has the ball be sure to keep your eyes on their #28, Adrian Peterson. He is the best ballcarrier on the planet right now, and the best player on either team.
Easy way to impress serious fans: try to observe things happening away from the ball, especially the line play. Most casual fans just follow the ball on every play Keep an occasional eye on Minnesota’s #40, Kleinsasser, and you’ll see him make some excellent blocks (“blocking” = getting in the way of defenders who are trying to get the man with the ball). Make an observation along the lines of “that was a good run by Peterson, but I noticed that #40 really did a great job clearing the way for him.”
Unless your clients are idiots, they will spot a faker from a mile away. Better to be honest and say you don’t really follow football. Sure, they’ll think “what kind of MAN are you?” but at least you’ll have credit for being honest. Or else send me in your place, and I’ll impress them with my football knowledge and secure whatever contract/business deal you were working on.
You’re right, of course, which is why I abandoned the idea of cramming in post 16. At this point I’m looking for stuff to ask the client about football that will get her pontificating. Like the quarterback thing.
11 men on the field at one time, but a maximum of 53 players on the roster; the joke here is that he “carries” his team (including the coach, I suppose, which would add up to 53 since he himself is the 53rd player), being the best player.
As for general football-type stuff to ask about, you might say something like, “I keep hearing people talk about the Wildcat offense; do you think NFL teams are going to use it more, or is it just a novelty that will wear out as defenses adjust to it?”
Alternatively, you might ask if she thinks that the Vikings ought to try the Wildcat offense, as it would get the ball directly to Adrian Peterson or Chester Taylor (two excellent running backs, with Peterson being possibly the best in the league) minimizing the risk of the quarterback fumbling the snap or handoff.
That fits in with my current plan, which is to be entirely forthright, admit I don’t know a damn thing about the sport except how to spell it and that it has some mysterious connection to propitiating Freyja with a blood sacrifice, and ask to be educated.
When the team you are rooting for is on defense and the other team makes a sizable gain, scream out, “That’s fucking holding! Where’s the fucking flag?”
The converse is when your team is on offense and the defense makes a great play on them and keeps them from gaining yards, scream out, “Interferance! Where’s the fucking flag?”
