Super Football

[Asperion]

In the conventional supers-verse, the NFL decides to start a new league - the Super League. The rules will be all the same but the use of most superpowers will be allowed. The only things that are not allowed will be flying, ranged powers, and mental powers. The field size will be ten times larger to account for the use for greater speeds and super-strong throws. Also the field will be surrounded by a force field that is only meant to protect the spectator in the case that a throw or kick will happen to fly into the crowd.

 

How would this go over? Would the other sports try to copy the concept in their sport? Is there anything else that would be needed to make this go over properly? Any other suggestion would be appreciated.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Super Football

 

I think it might be hard to get enough players to have a decent-sized league, unless superpowers are very prevalent.

 

Unless the powers used are very powerful/effective, and assuming that other normal rules of football apply (ie trying not to injure participants, no entangles or force walls b/c that would be "holding", etc) then I think that a decent team of normals that plays the game well would frequently win out vs a team of people with powers that aren't great players.

[Doug Limmer]

Re: Super Football

 

How would you beat a team with a teleporting quarterback?

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Super Football

 

How would you beat a team with a teleporting quarterback?

 

Hence the "Unless the powers used are very powerful/effective..."

 

Movement-based powers (teleport, superleap, superspeed, flight) would be the easiest thing to put the supers over the top. And would be pretty boring to watch, IMO.

 

To have a super-sport that people would want to watch, you'd either have to significantly alter the rules (beyond the increased playing area) or just make up a new sport from scratch. "Super-ball", where the "ball" is a ten-ton boulder, and the field is a specially-built simulation of a small town, with random surprises for both teams like robot "obstacles" or something like that. Take advantage of the kind of things supers could do, don't necessarily try to cram them into an existing game.

[adidamps2]

Re: Super Football

 

not to high jack a thread but how bout a list of marvel vs D.C supers for this super football game. with characters put into positions on a team. 11 offensive players 11 defensive players per team and 1 kicker 1 punter or a kicker/punter.

if its not a good idea..you can pretend i never mentioned this.

other wise posn's would be as follows: i'll start off with a guy i put in a posn.

 

OFF MARVEL D.C.

QB

RB

FB INC HULK

TE

WR X2

Off T X2

Off G X2

C

 

DEF

DE X2

DT X2

OLB X2

I/MLB

CBX2

SS

FS

 

SPEC TEAMS

KICKER

PUNTER

[Badger]

Re: Super Football

 

You sure Hulk couldnt double as a DL or LB?

 

"Hulk smash puny quarterback"

 

Superman would probably be a QB on offense knowing him. LB would be suitable for defense probably.

 

Some MAs who kick a lot would obviously be K/Ps.

[adidamps2]

Re: Super Football

 

although another question would be: who would be the head coaches of these teams???

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Super Football

 

One line offensive playbook:

 

"Give the ball to Juggernaut."

[adidamps2]

Re: Super Football

 

One line offensive playbook:

 

"Give the ball to Juggernaut."

 

With The Hulk lead blocking???

[Dynamo]

Re: Super Football

 

How would you beat a team with a teleporting quarterback?

Easy. Teleport-proof ball.

 

More seriously, there are an uncountable number of powers possible in Champions that would make American football, or any traditional sport, laughably easy to win. The designers of the game would have to think so far out of the box that the game would no longer be recognizable as football.

 

So why stick to football? Put all the various sports leagues together to concoct an outlet for super-powered athletic competition and make some serious buckazoids. Call it Superball and let Wham-O be a major sponsor.

 

If I were to do this in my own campaign (and that's not a half-bad idea), I'd have theme-powered teams (all flyers, all bricks, etc) for easy marketability, and every match would have custom rules written by a panel of experts. The custom rules for each game should challenge each team's strengths and weaknesses, as well as create a unique media spectacle to drive profits.

 

From a plot perspective, it's a panacea of story hooks. Not only can the players participate in games and exhibition matches, but you get gambling investigations, rules-rigging scandals and plenty more monkey business. Just observe the shenanigans that go on in the professional sports world in real life, then imagine even bigger salaries, endorsement contracts and other profits. Add superpowers, shake well and serve.

[Solomon]

Re: Super Football

 

I think it could work very well in an ironic, post-iron-age setting such as Top Ten, where everybody and their dog got superpowers. In a conventional superverse such as Marvel and DC you'd have to stretch suspension of disbelief a lot to allow for multiple superpowered teams.

 

OT:

It's worth noting that several Manga and Anime sports series, as well as some Hong Kong comics, bordered on superheroics, at least when it came to the kind of abilities displayed by characters. "Kyojin no hoshi", "A****a e Attack" and "Akakichi no Eleven" come to mind

In the latter, they had a character who could blow holes through brick walls with a soccer ball, another who could outrun racing horses, and another who trained his musces my being run over with a car! Then there's another Hong Kong comic whose name escapes me, where they had a goalkeeper with cybernetic hands and a forward who could project illusory images. And of course, you haven't truly lived until you've seen Shaolin Soccer. I'd love to run such a super-powered sports campaign.

 

EDIT: Apparently the profanity filter doesn't like the Japanese word a.s.h.i.t.a.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Super Football

 

I think such a leagu would probably sustain itself with the spectacle for a few years before it could build a talent base of superpowered athletes who knew the game and who'd developed their skills.

If it survived 5-6 years it would have a huge boon as the teams suddenly could play. Give it 30 years to develop and national past time baby!

[Asperion]

Re: Super Football

 

Easy. Teleport-proof ball.

 

The QB (brick) passes to the LB (teleporter). LB teleports to goal. He celebrates a successful goal. The ref informs him that the ball was left where he teleported from and has been intercepted by the opposition.

 

Here is another idea for super-football: Disallow any power that directly interferes with another's movement, this includes things like entangles, mind control, illusions, and slick surfaces.

[BNakagawa]

Re: Super Football

 

"Another shutout victory for team Hypno-Toad!"

[stitches]

Re: Super Football

 

The QB (brick) passes to the LB (teleporter). LB teleports to goal. He celebrates a successful goal. The ref informs him that the ball was left where he teleported from and has been intercepted by the opposition.

 

Here is another idea for super-football: Disallow any power that directly interferes with another's movement, this includes things like entangles, mind control, illusions, and slick surfaces.

 

I can't think of many instances when a quarterback would INTENTIONALLY pass to a linebacker

[Dynamo]

Re: Super Football

 

I can't think of many instances when a quarterback would INTENTIONALLY pass to a linebacker

If you consult the bloodwork on file with Hero Games, you will find that many of us are uncontaminated by anything so foul as a working understanding of the rules and tactics of football.

 

[Mike W]

Re: Super Football

 

Personally, I don't think it goes over well.

 

First, you're going to have a hard time getting players.

 

Second, while there would be a niche/novelty market for a while, it would be very, very small because...

 

Third, I think people would resent supers trying to "move in" on human territory. Sort of a "Geez, they already get to do cool stuff we can never do and some of them cause all sorts of trouble, now they want to take over our sports too." kind of resentment.

 

Fourth, even assuming you could manage 1-3, I don't think you could get someone to insure it. Can you imagine going to an insurance company with this? They'd be terrified of some super going berserk. Yeah, the "Malice at the Palace" again, except this time Ron Artest can benchpress a bus. Good luck finding someone to take THAT risk.

 

Fifth, anyone who tries to put that many superpowered people in one place at one time is likely to attract a lot of attention from the government, superheroes, and probably supervillains as well.