I’d strike Sweden from this list - it isn’t any more right-wing than Prussia, so fully mainstream by European standards. it just that it’s not OTL’s Sweden
Into the Cincoverse - The Cinco de Mayo EU Thread and Wikibox Repository
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I was thinking less from a being too right-wing and more that we don't know when and how violent the Norwegian Independence movement is...s
1956 World Cup. We were wondering which country had to cancel, but the Author *did* mention it in the "2020 FIFA World Cup - Host Selection/Venues/Infrastructure" entry on this thread...
"Colombia had hosted most recently in 1980, while Argentina even more recently in 1988 and would have been a third-time host if selected, weakening their bids; Chile, which had been meant to host on two occasions (1956 and 1968) but been forced to drop out due to the cancellation of the former and its economic inability to host the latter following the devastation of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake and concurrent South American "lost decade" of the 1960s, expressed a desire to "finally welcome the world" and emerged as South America's choice."
So Chile had been meant to host in 1956, but it still isn't clear quite *why* it was cancelled. Does not appear to be referring to something internal to Chile, still thinking something like a worldwide pandemic..
"Colombia had hosted most recently in 1980, while Argentina even more recently in 1988 and would have been a third-time host if selected, weakening their bids; Chile, which had been meant to host on two occasions (1956 and 1968) but been forced to drop out due to the cancellation of the former and its economic inability to host the latter following the devastation of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake and concurrent South American "lost decade" of the 1960s, expressed a desire to "finally welcome the world" and emerged as South America's choice."
So Chile had been meant to host in 1956, but it still isn't clear quite *why* it was cancelled. Does not appear to be referring to something internal to Chile, still thinking something like a worldwide pandemic..
My guess is United South African Republics, ie the boers states, with South Africa being the Cape-Natal
2023-24 PRA Championship Preview (16-9)
(August 24, 2023)
There is a week to go now before the first whistle of the Thursday night kickoff games for both collegiate and Championship rugby, and in the PRA it will see defending champion Cleveland Rams face off against promoted club Pittsburgh Steelers, back in the top level after three campaigns out. The thirty-two week, thirty-match campaign begins there with the traditional three-week holiday break in late December and early January, as sixteen sides contest the Doritos Cup and a chance for playoff positioning - or simply an attempt to stay out of the drop zone. The next campaign of the PRA Championship is almost here, and in power rankings format we preview the season ahead.
9. Oilers Los Angeles - Owen Farrell returning to Los Angeles is obviously a huge boon for Oilers, as the England captain is on any given day one of the best players in the world. That Oilers failed to pick up much else in the offseason, including getting outbid for Jack Edwards by Metropolitan, was not a positive, and a team that hovered near the drop zone for most of Fall Season last year must prove that it still belongs in an echelon above. Farrell's return is the first step in that process.
10. Boston Redskins - Getting an outstanding player like international George Ford could make for another opportunity by Boston to make a run for silverware glory, though Ford will not solve the ills of other issues with their dependency on roster players well past their prime, especially among the locks. Still, Ford and young Canadian scrum-half Jevon Holland should inject some new life into this roster as the transition to a new generation in Boston begins
11. San Francisco 49ers - Injuries have, hopefully, healed, and the 49ers can thus make a run for some kind of silverware glory. However, after their remarkably 2020-21 Doritos Cup-winning campaign, they now have to contend with a number of other clubs having improved dramatically in the interim, leaving them well outside of what we would consider the upper echelons of the PRA, unless proven otherwise.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers open their campaign up against archrival Rams as a welcome back to the Championship. Having won the 2nd Division with an historic points and scoring record, Steelers are confident - especially with the additions of players such as Kenneth Browne or French international Baptiste Couilloud - that they can make a play for the top half of the table and perhaps even a Play-Off spot. Time will tell - Pittsburgh have not placed in the Top Six since 2010-11.
13. Green Bay RC - The Packers were unenthused at the decision of Canada's Jack Edwards to decamp for Metropolitan, leaving a massive hole at inside center. The roster is revamped with several excellent 2nd Division signings and loan players, but needing time to gel in the unforgiving Championship is the bane of many a club in the drop zone, especially during the crucial points accumulation of the Fall Season
14. Minneapolis Vikings - Vikings are back in the PRA after two campaigns out thanks to landing in one of two automatic promotion spots at the end of last year. They are a good club, certainly, but will need to prove they belong up in the Championship after yo-yoing between the two levels over the last decade, never spending more than three campaigns in either.
15. Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs were lucky not to fall into the drop zone last season and got rid of their biggest clubhouse headache in foisting off George Ford onto Boston. That being said, while that may be a better move from a personalities standpoint, its hard to say exactly how else Chiefs improved over the summer, and August exhibition tests have not been kind. Play-In positions by May seems, unless there is something we don't know about, the likeliest future.
16. Chargers RC - Chargers survived Milwaukee Maroons in the final Play-In game, but only barely, and the departure of Kenneth Browne to newly-promoted Steelers leaves the cupboard around fly-half Justin Herbert even more bare. As the only remaining club from last year's drop zone and with clear roster attrition, San Diego will have to prove they have what it takes to keep their stretch of eighteen straight Championship seasons going into nineteen.
There is a week to go now before the first whistle of the Thursday night kickoff games for both collegiate and Championship rugby, and in the PRA it will see defending champion Cleveland Rams face off against promoted club Pittsburgh Steelers, back in the top level after three campaigns out. The thirty-two week, thirty-match campaign begins there with the traditional three-week holiday break in late December and early January, as sixteen sides contest the Doritos Cup and a chance for playoff positioning - or simply an attempt to stay out of the drop zone. The next campaign of the PRA Championship is almost here, and in power rankings format we preview the season ahead.
9. Oilers Los Angeles - Owen Farrell returning to Los Angeles is obviously a huge boon for Oilers, as the England captain is on any given day one of the best players in the world. That Oilers failed to pick up much else in the offseason, including getting outbid for Jack Edwards by Metropolitan, was not a positive, and a team that hovered near the drop zone for most of Fall Season last year must prove that it still belongs in an echelon above. Farrell's return is the first step in that process.
10. Boston Redskins - Getting an outstanding player like international George Ford could make for another opportunity by Boston to make a run for silverware glory, though Ford will not solve the ills of other issues with their dependency on roster players well past their prime, especially among the locks. Still, Ford and young Canadian scrum-half Jevon Holland should inject some new life into this roster as the transition to a new generation in Boston begins
11. San Francisco 49ers - Injuries have, hopefully, healed, and the 49ers can thus make a run for some kind of silverware glory. However, after their remarkably 2020-21 Doritos Cup-winning campaign, they now have to contend with a number of other clubs having improved dramatically in the interim, leaving them well outside of what we would consider the upper echelons of the PRA, unless proven otherwise.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers open their campaign up against archrival Rams as a welcome back to the Championship. Having won the 2nd Division with an historic points and scoring record, Steelers are confident - especially with the additions of players such as Kenneth Browne or French international Baptiste Couilloud - that they can make a play for the top half of the table and perhaps even a Play-Off spot. Time will tell - Pittsburgh have not placed in the Top Six since 2010-11.
13. Green Bay RC - The Packers were unenthused at the decision of Canada's Jack Edwards to decamp for Metropolitan, leaving a massive hole at inside center. The roster is revamped with several excellent 2nd Division signings and loan players, but needing time to gel in the unforgiving Championship is the bane of many a club in the drop zone, especially during the crucial points accumulation of the Fall Season
14. Minneapolis Vikings - Vikings are back in the PRA after two campaigns out thanks to landing in one of two automatic promotion spots at the end of last year. They are a good club, certainly, but will need to prove they belong up in the Championship after yo-yoing between the two levels over the last decade, never spending more than three campaigns in either.
15. Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs were lucky not to fall into the drop zone last season and got rid of their biggest clubhouse headache in foisting off George Ford onto Boston. That being said, while that may be a better move from a personalities standpoint, its hard to say exactly how else Chiefs improved over the summer, and August exhibition tests have not been kind. Play-In positions by May seems, unless there is something we don't know about, the likeliest future.
16. Chargers RC - Chargers survived Milwaukee Maroons in the final Play-In game, but only barely, and the departure of Kenneth Browne to newly-promoted Steelers leaves the cupboard around fly-half Justin Herbert even more bare. As the only remaining club from last year's drop zone and with clear roster attrition, San Diego will have to prove they have what it takes to keep their stretch of eighteen straight Championship seasons going into nineteen.
A major (the major?) American sport with pro/rel...be still my beating heart!
Less thrilled about the "Redskins" still being a thing in 2023 but you can't have everything..
Rugby and “football” are the two that I have it for which is nonetheless better than zero haha
This is intentional - hopefully the Redskins and Cleveland Indians still being a thing gives more of a sense where the US is culturally, at least on some matters
Good q - I could see an argument that it’s appeal in New England and Quebec makes it a bit too regional to take off elsewhere until, say, the 1990s when the Olympics iOTl started experimenting more with non traditional Olympic sports
A little bit, mostly just college rugby tho. Open to ideas on football/soccer on both sides of the Ohio
2023-24 PRA Championship Preview (16-9)
1. Philadelphia Eagles - That's right - the reigning US Open Cup holders and runners-up for both the Championship Final and the Doritos Cup nab our top spot thanks to the best combo of previous performance, lack of roster attrition and comparison to their peers. Eagles supporters will surely be wanting to "do a Cleveland" and avenge their Final defeat (at home ground, no less) and chance to earn a double with a run to the Halas Cup the following season. This is an merely an educated guess, but considering the depth and balance of talent at this club, you'd be silly not to think Eagles have the early advantage heading into this season
2. Cleveland Rams - This is the second time in as many years that we are handicapping the reigning Championship titleists, and that nearly backfired last season with Eskimos' Doritos Cup journey. Rams have earned their place near the top of the heap and will likely continue to prove why when they face Pittsburgh on August 31st to open the season; that being said, Nick Chubb's history of injury concerns opens the question of Rams in attack, and while Johnny Sexton seems ageless, the Ireland captain did just play a full summer schedule for his country while turning 38. This is an experienced team that has earned two trophies in as many seasons and thrilled on their Final run last spring, but they are in the second position purely as a courtesy to what they have achieved.
3. Metropolitan Rugby Club of New York - On paper, Metropolitan is the most talented club in the league, having only become more so with the addition of young Canadian phenom Jack Edwards to go with France's Antoine Dupont and Texas' Malcolm Brown in the back. "On paper" is how Metropolitan has been described for decades, now (2019 not withstanding), and despite oozing with big names, the roster sheet needs to show actual development, cohesion and ability to work together before they get ranked higher than 3rd, which may be generous as it is.
4. Chicago Bears - Bears hovered around the top three or four spots all season long last campaign and Vic Fangio's outfit did well this offseason to add young talent to what is already one of the younger rosters in the PRA. How far can they go? As far as Scottish and Bears captain Jamie Ritchie can take them, which honestly could likely be to silverware.
5. New York Titans - Titans have, on the field at least, looked better than their more expensive rivals in Manhattan, even if one-and-done playoff appearances the last two years, each time to the eventual Finals champion, have created the impression of a squad that isn't built for May. Nonetheless, Julian Montoya and Chase Young remain two of the best players in the sport and the Titans window remains open, and they've brought in excellent international talent like Wales' Liam Williams or Ireland's James Ryan to fill out an otherwise domestic-heavy side
6. Detroit Panthers - Were Panthers for real as the surging force that nearly pipped a playoff spot from hated rivals Cleveland, or did we get the real Detroit in their messy, midtable sag in the Fall Season? Mitch Peterson burst onto the scene as the second-best scorer in the Championship last year and the club reloaded with the addition of Italian international Luca Morisi at inside center to support him out of the backfield. As of now, we think it's likelier than not that Panthers go to the Play-Off for the first time in eight years, where as Rams proved last season, anything is possible.
7. Eskimos RFC - No disrespect meant to what Eskimos have accomplished the past two seasons, joining the list of clubs that have earned all three trophies available in domestic rugby competition and following up their unprecedented Finals championship in 2022 with a Doritos Cup as the earner of the best regular season record the next year. But this club has been decimated by signings over the offseason, both by PRA rivals - Cardinals nabbing Damon Arnette comes to mind - and foreign clubs. Eskimos has done well to restock the cupboard with loans and signings from the lower two divisions, but as a small-market club they will always struggle to keep up financially with the powerhouses in bigger metropolitan areas. That being said, Eskimos did nearly return to a second straight Finals and their record the last two years speaks for itself - they belong in the hunt until proven otherwise.
8. Chicago Cardinals - Is this the year? A close call last season and the emergence of steady captain Charles Taylor suggests it may well be. Cardinals still haven't seemed to solve all of their problems in the ruck over the summer, choosing to focus more on the quality of defensive talent among their backs, so how often they are able to win scrums consistently may continue to be a problem, but the upside for the South Side is very high, even with their crosstown rivals looking like they are again on the upswing.
2. Cleveland Rams - This is the second time in as many years that we are handicapping the reigning Championship titleists, and that nearly backfired last season with Eskimos' Doritos Cup journey. Rams have earned their place near the top of the heap and will likely continue to prove why when they face Pittsburgh on August 31st to open the season; that being said, Nick Chubb's history of injury concerns opens the question of Rams in attack, and while Johnny Sexton seems ageless, the Ireland captain did just play a full summer schedule for his country while turning 38. This is an experienced team that has earned two trophies in as many seasons and thrilled on their Final run last spring, but they are in the second position purely as a courtesy to what they have achieved.
3. Metropolitan Rugby Club of New York - On paper, Metropolitan is the most talented club in the league, having only become more so with the addition of young Canadian phenom Jack Edwards to go with France's Antoine Dupont and Texas' Malcolm Brown in the back. "On paper" is how Metropolitan has been described for decades, now (2019 not withstanding), and despite oozing with big names, the roster sheet needs to show actual development, cohesion and ability to work together before they get ranked higher than 3rd, which may be generous as it is.
4. Chicago Bears - Bears hovered around the top three or four spots all season long last campaign and Vic Fangio's outfit did well this offseason to add young talent to what is already one of the younger rosters in the PRA. How far can they go? As far as Scottish and Bears captain Jamie Ritchie can take them, which honestly could likely be to silverware.
5. New York Titans - Titans have, on the field at least, looked better than their more expensive rivals in Manhattan, even if one-and-done playoff appearances the last two years, each time to the eventual Finals champion, have created the impression of a squad that isn't built for May. Nonetheless, Julian Montoya and Chase Young remain two of the best players in the sport and the Titans window remains open, and they've brought in excellent international talent like Wales' Liam Williams or Ireland's James Ryan to fill out an otherwise domestic-heavy side
6. Detroit Panthers - Were Panthers for real as the surging force that nearly pipped a playoff spot from hated rivals Cleveland, or did we get the real Detroit in their messy, midtable sag in the Fall Season? Mitch Peterson burst onto the scene as the second-best scorer in the Championship last year and the club reloaded with the addition of Italian international Luca Morisi at inside center to support him out of the backfield. As of now, we think it's likelier than not that Panthers go to the Play-Off for the first time in eight years, where as Rams proved last season, anything is possible.
7. Eskimos RFC - No disrespect meant to what Eskimos have accomplished the past two seasons, joining the list of clubs that have earned all three trophies available in domestic rugby competition and following up their unprecedented Finals championship in 2022 with a Doritos Cup as the earner of the best regular season record the next year. But this club has been decimated by signings over the offseason, both by PRA rivals - Cardinals nabbing Damon Arnette comes to mind - and foreign clubs. Eskimos has done well to restock the cupboard with loans and signings from the lower two divisions, but as a small-market club they will always struggle to keep up financially with the powerhouses in bigger metropolitan areas. That being said, Eskimos did nearly return to a second straight Finals and their record the last two years speaks for itself - they belong in the hunt until proven otherwise.
8. Chicago Cardinals - Is this the year? A close call last season and the emergence of steady captain Charles Taylor suggests it may well be. Cardinals still haven't seemed to solve all of their problems in the ruck over the summer, choosing to focus more on the quality of defensive talent among their backs, so how often they are able to win scrums consistently may continue to be a problem, but the upside for the South Side is very high, even with their crosstown rivals looking like they are again on the upswing.
Please tell me that in this timeline, Philadelphia fans are still the type of people to assault Santa Claus and have a courtroom in the basement of the stadium.
Philadelphia may be the nation’s capital and a much more important economic/political hub as a result - but Iggles fans are still Iggles fans 🙃
Cardinals don't move to STL (and then eventually AZ) here? Any particular reason you kept em in Chicago?
With a three-tiered rugby pyramid totaling 48 clubs, Chicagoland needed more than one club, and I cringed at the idea of having STL having *two* Cardinals teams. So, ChiCards (maybe another nickname in addition to the South Side/Dah Birds lol) it is!
I was stupidly proud of this one. As in, it’s stupid I’m proud of something so absurd and silly, but I stand behind it