Sweden vs Australia.

[speedplay]

Now, I'm not even suggesting that the difference in level is the same here as it is in TT, but Sweden and Australia meet each other in the World Championship in Floorball today. Now, just like Table Tennis, Floorball is a sport with tradition here (I actually think the sport was inveted here) while I assume it is only a minor sport in Australia, perhaps even smaller then TT? Any way, the result was 39-1...

Makes you think about what National level actually means. Not to disrespect any of the Aussie guys, but I doubt any of them would be considered for the Sweden team, yet they can still claim to play at the highest national level. Sounds better then Swedish third division level, even though it hardly is.

Now, this isn't to down grade the Aussie members here, cause as I've said before, it's the same with Aussie rules football, but the other way around, as I doubt a Swedish National team member would even be considered to play High school football in Australia.

[pingpongrob]

World Championship in Floorball

What is Floorball - never heard of it. And who one.

[Silver]

floorball looks like hockey for countries that can't play real hockey

[speedplay]

floorball looks like hockey for countries that can't play real hockey

ROFL!

It is kind of simillar to hockey, but it is played indoors, with smaller sticks and a round ball instead of a puck. Not as much protective padding as in Hockey, don't even know if there is any?

Any way, this is a sport that Sweden dominates almost as much as China dominates Table Tennis. I think we have lost one World Championship on the males side and one on the females side for the entire time it's been played. Serious contendors are Finland and Switzerland, the rest of the teams are almost tourists trying to learn how to play. Oh, almost forgot, I think Chezch have a good team as well.

[Silver]

ROFL!

It is kind of simillar to hockey, but it is played indoors, with smaller sticks and a round ball instead of a puck. Not as much protective padding as in Hockey, don't even know if there is any?

Any way, this is a sport that Sweden dominates almost as much as China dominates Table Tennis. I think we have lost one World Championship on the males side and one on the females side for the entire time it's been played. Serious contendors are Finland and Switzerland, the rest of the teams are almost tourists trying to learn how to play. Oh, almost forgot, I think Chezch have a good team as well.

nono you're thinking of ice hockey. I'm talking about field hockey, better known as hockey.   

[speedplay]

nono you're thinking of ice hockey. I'm talking about field hockey, better known as hockey.   

Ah, I did consider this for a while, but decided that you where talking about Ice Hockey. Field Hockey haven't caught on here at all, which is kind of strange, since it reminds a lot of Ice Hockey that is really big here.

Rob, this is what it looks like:

Innebandy Superligan Caperio/Täby FC - AIK IBF 1/12/08

[Silver]

poor goalie. Doesn't get hand mits or a stick.

This hockey looks like ice hockey on concrete.

And without the massive hits they do.

I still don't *get* the hits. Are they legal?

I imagine field hockey didn't really catch on in Sweden because you need a field all year round that isn't covered in permafrost 

Ice hockey is almost non-existant here SP. Relatively speaking. It's played (as is some lame sorts of spinoffs like Broomball) but like Handball it's pretty much non-existant.

[speedplay]

To be honest, I don't know if the pushes are legal or not. I think that some contact is allowed, but nothing like that in Ice-Hockey. I had a feeling you didn't play much Ice-Hockey down under, but this field Hockey you mention, is that the one where the players are only allowed to use one side of the stick? If so, I've seen a couple of matches. A little difficult to understand at first, but they do have some skills with their sticks.

Speaking of Permafrost, we have it really cold here at the moment I really hate the winter with all the frekin' snow, slippery roads and the need to wear severallayers of clothing just to leave the house.

[Silver]

yeah, one side of the stick but also edges of the head and the handle. There are a few rules as to how you can hit the ball, mostly to stop people getting smacked in the face by the ball or stick.

The best way (to me at least, a casual hockey observer when it's on telly) is to think of it like soccer/football, but with sticks.