Bring Back The Biff! 10 Ripper Sports Brawls
One of life’s great pleasures is watching elite athletes, disciplined by rigorous training, in peak physical condition…attacking each other like pit bulls. When a contest deviates from the script and erupts in a frenzy of fisticuffs Big Boys Club salute the passion.
In one of the seminal performances in Australian TV comedy the NRL Footy Show’s Reg Reagan (aka Matthew Johns) coined a phrase when he led a campaign to Bring Back The Biff in Rugby League. His running gag spawned t-shirt sales, a Bring Back The Biff pop song and an entry in the ‘urban dictionary’
Funny, sure but Johns also tapped a legitimate public thirst for sports brawls which is never really quenched. We’ll do our best to wet your whistle with this gallery of scuffles
Rugby League
It’s only fitting that we start with a blue featuring ‘Reg Reagan’ s brother – Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns. The NSW team had a pre-arranged signal for starting a punch on if the game wasn’t going their way..the word ‘Cattledog. ’ Johns gets a bit better than he gives in this 1997 State of Origin game against Queensland.
Lingerie Football League
Burly contact sport boys can hardly be blamed for dialing up the ‘contact’ occasionally. Perhaps more surprising and delightful is a female free-for-all such as this one from the ladies of the Lingerie Football League. Unsurprisingly the blokes are in no hurry to break up this catfight. At 41 seconds the big Atlanta Coach gets emasculated when he tries ..
Ice Hockey
Famously violent sport in which no game is complete without blood on the ice (US TV runs a ‘Tale of The Tape’ banner with fighting players’ weight and age). This Russian Ice Hockey game kicks off 6 seconds after it starts!
Badminton
You heard right! A running battle which begged to be included – Maneepong Jongjit and Bodin Issara fight at 2013 YONEX Canada Open
Celebrity Boxing
This one was included for a) laughs – watch Kim Kardashian hit like a girl in her pink boxing gloves b)the satisfaction of seeing Kim get punched..shame about the headguard!
Amateur Boxing
Some amateur boxing after man Aussie bout Nov ’08. Love the Fox Sport commentary..
“There is a theory about blokes who hang around with boxers who are not boxers..they think they’re tough…Disgraceful scenes off camera, we’re not going to show you on camera..”
the cameraman has other ideas and pulls back for a wide shot of this wild west style brawl involving some chair action..
Basketball
China/Brazil Basketball ‘friendly’ in Henan province. The coach lights the match, the big Chinese boys go the stomp – vicious!
Mixed Martial Arts
MMA fighter attacks ref and ref fights back – fireworks at 1m 43sec
Surf Rage
Tempers often fray out in the lineup – these surfers settle it in the shallows at Malibu
AFL
The Round 11 2004 match between Essendon and Hawthorn is known as the ‘Line in The Sand’ match. This is a reference to something Dermott Brereton said when revving up Hawthorn at half time. At the end of various on field scuffles and an all in 5 minute melee. 18 players were up on a record 26 charges at the end of the match and the tribunal fined them over $70,000. The extended version of this match’s fights here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNdGk4QZPS0
Big Boys Club Bring Back The Biff!
So much sports action going on, it’s hard to keep up! But we’re doing our best to bring you the best bits.
In the AFL, I think we were all impressed with Richmond’s efforts against the West Coast Eagles! I don’t think anyone really gave the Tigers much of a chance over there, but the Tigers came away with an impressive road win.
Last night we had another World Cup Qualifier over in Japan. It wasn’t the prettiest game to watch and we almost came away with a desperately needed win. In the end we had to settle for a draw, which still gives us a fighting chance to make it to Brazil.
Tonight is the night! It is time to Bring back the Biff! Tonight is one of the biggest nights in the NRL, The State of Origin! Can QLD win 8 series in a row? I hope not. I’m a bit over these smug Queenslanders thinking they are the best. Come the Roaches! It’s time to break this ridiculous streak.
In the NBA we now finally know who is in the NBA finals. The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Miami Heat. We could all kind of see that we were headed this way, but the Indiana Pacers put up one hell of a fight against the more favoured Miami Heat.
You really can smell it, can’t you? The Poms and their Lions have arrived in town. Here’s hoping they don’t dominate the tour and all the Aussie teams send them packing. At least their female supports go to some effort to get dressed up all-nice like to go too a game. God bless them!
Mike Hunt
