I’ve long been a rugby union, rugby league and cricket supporter. The AFL went from curiosity to professional necessity, then enjoyable acquaintance in my first year as a journalist at Fox Sports.
The NBA finals moved from passing interest to annual ritual. The PGA Tour (and European Tour) have gone from sleep-inducing to sleep preventing; ditto cycling’s Grand Tours. The Olympics and football World Cups are entirely different beasts.
But American football has been that one sport that failed to grab my attention.
It didn’t have the personal battles of the NBA post-season that make each game so deliciously important. It didn’t have the nostalgia and personal sentiment home-grown codes do. There was no Ashes-like rivalry I could sink my teeth into.
There was nothing to be excited about down under, removed from the rhythm of beat writers, the hubbub of drunken Sundays in front of the television with the lads, and the smoky goodness of a tailgate party.
If there were ribs and tinnies involved for Australian supporters, I can promise you the NFL would enjoy a lot more attention.
Even watching two NFL teams duke it out in my younger years at ANZ Stadium didn’t pique my interest to the point of following any team.
In fact, my lack of taste for NFL led to me penning a Roar article a while back about how all Aussies should boycott the Super Bowl.
I got a roasting that day from defensive NFL fans.
But Jarryd Hayne may change all that; I might just go from NFL h8er to luvv@ within the space of a few short weeks.
Then again, he may not. I may not.
Promisingly, average running yards (not metres!) for a running back and punt returner, as well as cuts, blocks and stiff-arms (silly terms for steps, shepherds and don’t argues/fends/palm offs), are becoming a whole lot more interesting to me than they were before.
Is it just because it’s an Aussie? I really don’t think it is, otherwise Sav Rocca would have captured my imagination all those years ago, or maybe even ‘Tha Monstar’.
No, it’s the tale of a superior athlete leaving the code he was safe in, that he excelled at, and taking a one-in-a-hundred chance in a league full of superior athletes.
And then, in his first two matches not played with a Playstation controller and inane repetitive commentary, he kills it.
We all knew how good Jarryd Hayne was in Australia. He was our secret. A big fish in a small pond that was to be guarded, not let loose to swim among those he probably could have.
It’s the curse and blessing of the Australian sporting market – very insular and highly competitive. There’s no real way for any of our athletes to measure how good they are, aside from the four-year cycle of some sports. The two most popular codes in Australia don’t even have that option.
But the secret is out now, and Hayne is quickly transforming from the curiosity to the success story of the NFL pre-season. That’s big news, in a big market.
He’s not playing against seasoned NFL pros, but that’s the whole point. He’s playing against the very same hopefuls trying to impress their coach enough to earn a spot on an NFL team’s roster.
So, if I’m on the bandwagon right now, the mind wanders to where the bandwagon ends. If he fails to win a spot on the 49ers 53-man roster? (I only learnt the rosters were 53 men a little while ago).
If he isn’t given big minutes and a chance to revel at the very tip top during the regular season?
If the ‘Niners fail to make it to the post-season?
No. It doesn’t matter really. Because even if the devout Jarryd Hayne can’t turn me into an NFL disciple, he can count me as a big old bandwagon fan of him.
In the immortal words of Adam Scott:
“Come on Aussie.”
pete bloor
Guest
Oh is there still space on the bandwagon? Okay I'll take seat 78B. I'll take a healthy serve of the humble pie for my meal choice with a glass of the Haters 2014 Whine thanks. He looks a lock for the squad which is an achievement so massive that I honestly could not fathom how he would bridge the knowledge gap . He still does seem to make some read errors but once he gets in space he can play naturally which has been amazing - can't see that space coming in the regular season but even doing it in preseason at that level is still an achievement that outstrips his Dally M's in my mind. So congrats never been happier to be completely and utterly wrong
Baz
Guest
To actually read and follow blocks when all your life your taught your not allowed to run behind people. He actually Cuts and follows his blocks makes lots of decisions. There was one punt where he cuts and make the guy miss him without someone else blocking him pretty awesome cut its in the hayne plane song. You may not know alot about Gridiron. Reading a block at speed is a skill. That you have to read that and make the move to the block when people do it is seems easy. But it's not. He has not been doing that forever. I more expected him to beat people one on one cause that's what made him a star. I am a massive fan and know he won't get many plays at RB but give him some space i'll back him to beat plenty of people.
Disco Stu
Guest
I agree there are not many who can do it, not because they don't have the skills but they won't commit to the incredible amount of work Hayne has had to do to get this far. Coaches will only look at a person who is prepared to give it everything they have got. Inglis is a good athlete but I honestly believe he would get sick of it after one night with his head in a playbook.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I always love it when players I love join teams I love. I grew up as an Eels supporter, and quite liked Hayne before, and when I started watching the NFL in the early '90s (thanks Don Lane!) and went to pick a team it was Steve Young and the 49ers, and I've been with them ever since even if I don't watch much NFL these days. So when Hayne went to the Niners I was pretty stoked, always thinking he had what it took to not only make it, but within the next couple of seasons prove to be a top player in the NFL.
Bill C
Guest
I'm sure I saw Hayne tackled by the grill on his helmet in one of the t.v sports clips that I saw. Is that a legal tackle in NFL? It looked as though his head was twisting unnaturally while another player was holding the helmet. That can't be allowed, surely. Great to see him doing so well, other than having his head twisted around.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Gloating you bet, after months of reading on a certain US forum that Rugby League was full of weak arm tacklers(based on the Hayne highlight video the only Rugby of either variety that they have ever seen) and the players were too slow to run out of sight on a dark night and the first time he got hit he would get a ruptured spleen because his body was not conditioned to the supersonic force of the hits, with much of the same drivel being posted here ....as I said sooooooo funny. I remember Mark Harris. I also remember the bloke who went to Newtown back in the seventies, Singleton brought him down here and they played him on the wing.He lasted three games got badly knocked out and then gave it away.Tough game Rugby League, no amatuer boxing style head gear and 16 oz gloves and tag team fights.In Rugby League It is no head gear 8 oz gloves..and there fifteen rounders.
Machooka
Roar Guru
@ piru I think the Prof is Auntie Helen's half brother ??
Birdy
Guest
Piru I think you should read what machooka writs again but this time take notice. Just enjoy the ride on the Hayne plane, even if the ride stops here he has already shut up a lot of his knockers. That's what everyone is excited about. Read the article again , the author is saying that too .
piru
Guest
I've played league at the same level I play gridiron, hardly elite. I support Hayne fully, but I know what a different world he's about to enter (and he hasn't really entered it yet). Yes his own players will be better (though I think his offensive line has been more or less first string) but he won't be able to always run outside, he's going to need to show he can run in traffic (nfl traffic, not league traffic). I have realised now that this thread is for all the league fans to gloat about their sport and really has little to do with Hayne so I'll stop trying to actually discuss his performance. Obviously anything less than total approval is seen as a shot at league.
piru
Guest
good point, wait did you even have one? Sorry for having an opinion other than 'Haynes sick eh, we told youse'
piru
Guest
Why are league fans so full of themselves? If an NFL player turned up for a go at league and had this sort of success in practice games you'd all be talking it down. Don't pretend otherwise
ProfVonSchrodinger
Guest
Wow, what an elitist. You must be a charmer with the ladies (if you ever leave your house that is).
ProfVonSchrodinger
Guest
Why are NFL anoraks so precious? Your sport isn't above criticism, learn to deal with it sweetheart.
Birdy
Guest
Really I knew that , just wanted to get the 38 ers in. Now piru, since you've played gridiron for 10 years , and hopefully you've played league at an elite level to make a fair assessment of hayne's chances, you should have noticed all his natural skills and realise that when the real season starts not only will his opposition be of a higher quality but also his own team mates. All aboard .
piru
Guest
Re QC: a warning about counting chickens etc Yep it's all happening, being honest I'm not all that sure the wallabies shouldn't be more confident than we are right now. As you said, no guarantees!
piru
Guest
In cabin in a cavern excavaaaating for a mine, Lived a miner 49er and his daughter Clementine. Oh ma darlin Oh ma darlin etc
Machooka
Roar Guru
@ piru Ummm... I think it donates the year of the gold rush 1849 ?
Machooka
Roar Guru
@ piru All well and good then... but the '... suddenly experts.' bit ?? Again... c'mon buddy you do know where you are, don't you ? Places like these are expert opinions'ville. Always have been, always will be mmm ? Regardless... good to see back and up for it. Hey, the big dance is about to start in da Nth. Hemisphere. All the usual suspects will be there in their new dresses. Should be a cracker, especially as there's going to be some fascinating dance-offs in the beginning rounds. And as we know, from previous experience, there are no guarantees as to who goes through et al. My Wallaby are showing some promise under the Cheika... but I think your almighty Black should get the chocolates ? And England play Ireland this week... what a delicious treat ! PS... I don't get what you mean about QC... did I miss something ?
piru
Guest
49ers = slang for miners As in gold miners / San Francisco, see what they did there?
piru
Guest
I mean hard work in the sense that a RB is expected to grind, not dance in open field. His job at RB will be less about breaking big runs than gaining a yard (or an inch) at a time in heavy traffic. I said somewhere else that the niners ran stretch plays behind some outside zone blocking to get him open. This is great when it works but these plays take a long time to develop and a sharp safety or linebacker is going to break these up in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. He'll mostly be expected to hit the A and B gaps as a RB in the nfl and open space for his WRs. But hey, don't listen to me, I've only been playing the damn game for ten years. What would I know compared to these people who've watched two preseason games?