Anybody here play "roughhouse" football as a kid?

[horshack.sixpack]

Anybody here play roughhouse as a kid? I don't recall all the rules, but it was pretty much no holds barred, one on everybody else, tackle football, in the neighborhood with no pads. Tiny kids on up to the older ones. Many near death experiences. No parents ever in sight. Probably not too many parents who'd allow it these days. Pretty sure that's how I learned to run, fight and curse. I've pretty much given up fighting and cursing(unless I'm running...).

 

[coach66]

yes, I still have a chipped tooth to prove it.

nm

 

[RocketDawg]

Absolutely did. I grew up in a neighborhood in Meridian that had about a dozen of us boys ... and one girl. One of the guys parents had a large vacant lot that we used as a field. We'd play football, baseball, and basketball with the seasons. Most of the time in the winter there it was warm enough to play. Come late March we'd pull our shirts and shoes off and not put them back on until late fall. The shirtless days in the middle of the summer account for the occasional skin cancer now (I've had two squamous cells removed recently). And I'll never forget all the honeybee stings caused by stepping on them in the clover, and even one particularly memorable bumblebee sting. Those were the good old days ....

And no, I wouldn't let my son play choose-up tackle football with no helmet, short pants, and very few rules.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

nm

That's like a trophy! No telling how many concussions happened without anybody thinking it was anything other than a hard hit.

 

[GoToHellOleMiss.sixpack]

Roughhouse? It was "Smear the *****" or "Kill the Man with the Ball"

 

[Will James]

Roughhouse? It was "Smear the *****" or "Kill the Man with the Ball"

It was definitely Smear the *****. And in today's PC world I sit back and laugh at that.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Absolutely did. I grew up in a neighborhood in Meridian that had about a dozen of us boys ... and one girl. One of the guys parents had a large vacant lot that we used as a field. We'd play football, baseball, and basketball with the seasons. Most of the time in the winter there it was warm enough to play. Come late March we'd pull our shirts and shoes off and not put them back on until late fall. The shirtless days in the middle of the summer account for the occasional skin cancer now (I've had two squamous cells removed recently). And I'll never forget all the honeybee stings caused by stepping on them in the clover, and even one particularly memorable bumblebee sting. Those were the good old days ....

And no, I wouldn't let my son play choose-up tackle football with no helmet, short pants, and very few rules.

My boys have already had one chipped tooth, one head laceration and one broken wrist from playing something similar, although I didn't necessarily "allow" them to play. I will say that I think that I enjoy big hits in football because of it. I never played at a high level, but I bet I hit my head as hard as is possible and have it still stay intact, so I can "feel" it when those guys collide.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Roughhouse? It was "Smear the *****" or "Kill the Man with the Ball"

First time I played out of town with cousins, they called it "Smear the *****". Needless to say, I got a rules clarification before I agreed to play!

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Anybody here play roughhouse as a kid? I don't recall all the rules, but it was pretty much no holds barred, one on everybody else, tackle football, in the neighborhood with no pads. Tiny kids on up to the older ones. Many near death experiences. No parents ever in sight. Probably not too many parents who'd allow it these days. Pretty sure that's how I learned to run, fight and curse. I've pretty much given up fighting and cursing(unless I'm running...).

Follow-up question. If you did play, did you ever have a game that ended in any other way than a fight, or at a minimum, everybody mad? I can't recall any other way to end it. Possibly getting called in to eat.

 

[RocketDawg]

Yeah, but not very often ... no more than once a day ....

 

[PBRME]

Used to play it everyday in elementary school. Well, until my cousin busted his head open, and another kid broke his collarbone. Touch football sucked.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Called it smear the ***** and ironically played it after Wednesday night church every week.

 

[gtowndawg]

100% smear the ***** and to make it even better, we use to...

play it after church on Sunday nights. Literally just wad up a piece of paper and go at it. I've never been so excited and terrified all at the same time.

 

[gtowndawg]

Ha, just saw you played it after church as well

we must have gone to some crazy churches.

 

[gtowndawg]

Just thought of something funny. To this very day...

if I run when it's cold, and I get that burning feeling in my lungs, I ALWAYS think back to smear the ***** after church. It's from playing outside on cold Sunday nights and literally running for your life until your lungs were burning. And if you've played the game, you know what I mean by running as if your life depended on it.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

play it after church on Sunday nights. Literally just wad up a piece of paper and go at it. I've never been so excited and terrified all at the same time.

Yep. And now kids play organized sports in single year age groups. Where's the fear and trauma in that? I might not want to get tackled by Dennis, but I absolutely COULD NOT let myself get tackled by Alan! The fear probably upped my 40 time 50%. If I ever had to go to a combine to run a 40, I'd want Alan there chasing me!

 

[CadaverDawg]

It was definitely Smear the *****. And in today's PC world I sit back and laugh at that.

As soon as I read the OP in this thread, I was expecting to see someone upset that someone calls it "smear the *****". I'm expecting an upset post, and locked thread by about....say....8:15pm. Over/under?

 

[CadaverDawg]

Yep. And now kids play organized sports in single year age groups. Where's the fear and trauma in that? I might not want to get tackled by Dennis, but I absolutely COULD NOT let myself get tackled by Alan! The fear probably upped my 40 time 50%. If I ever had to go to a combine to run a 40, I'd want Alan there chasing me!

Haha, yep for some reason I can't ever remember being one of the older ones that got to smear the younger kids....I was always the idiot kid that was trying to show how tough I was by playing with older guys that could have probably killed me.

By the way, there is something really funny about reading your last post, thinking about what people called that game, and looking at your avatar, all at the same time. I can't imagine the guy in that avatar playing that game.

 

[PBRME]

I forgot about playing it at church. There was rarely enough kids my age to play, but there was always a football around just in case.

I used to be faster, and more physical than anyone I played against. Got humbled one day. Stayed with a friend in Southaven and we played against some guys older than us. I grabbed the ball, took off running, was in the middle of a juke and got blindsided. That's the last I remember until we were on the way back to my friend's house.

 

[gtowndawg]

For those that didn't have the pleasure of playing this wonderful game, here's

the official definition from urban dictionary:

Smear the *****" is a childhood game of tag involving an object that is held by the "it" kid until he is tackled and forced to give it up.
"Smear the *****" How it Works: The kid who has the ball (or stick, or balled up shirt, or whatever object is used) is "it" and therefore the "*****". The rest of the kids chase the "it" kid down until he is tackled (usually in a dog pile fashion). The caught kid then tosses the object away where the other kids gather around it and wait to see who has the guts to pick it up and start running. There is a big advantage to being quick on the pickup so as to get a better running start. There are no scores and no one "wins". It is a childhood game of bravado designed to blow off boyhood energy.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Haha, yep for some reason I can't ever remember being one of the older ones that got to smear the younger kids....I was always the idiot kid that was trying to show how tough I was by playing with older guys that could have probably killed me.

By the way, there is something really funny about reading your last post, thinking about what people called that game, and looking at your avatar, all at the same time. I can't imagine the guy in that avatar playing that game.

Me either. Anybody smaller than me trying to play with those giants would've been insane. Alan actually ended up playing offensive line in college. He wasn't just "looks big because I'm a little kid" big...

BTW, The guy in the avatar is Horshack. User name choice based solely on the fact that he looks funny and I could use him as an avatar to substitute for my complete lack of creativity. I doubt he ever played. Jury's probably out on whether he fit the namesake...

 

[horshack.sixpack]

if I run when it's cold, and I get that burning feeling in my lungs, I ALWAYS think back to smear the ***** after church. It's from playing outside on cold Sunday nights and literally running for your life until your lungs were burning. And if you've played the game, you know what I mean by running as if your life depended on it.

Same exact thing for me. When I get that cold lung feel I think of one of two things: roughhouse football or riding my bike like a madman trying to get home before the streetlights turned on and stay out of trouble. I still hate it when it gets dark at 5:00.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

the official definition from urban dictionary:

Smear the *****" is a childhood game of tag involving an object that is held by the "it" kid until he is tackled and forced to give it up.
"Smear the *****" How it Works: The kid who has the ball (or stick, or balled up shirt, or whatever object is used) is "it" and therefore the "*****". The rest of the kids chase the "it" kid down until he is tackled (usually in a dog pile fashion). The caught kid then tosses the object away where the other kids gather around it and wait to see who has the guts to pick it up and start running. There is a big advantage to being quick on the pickup so as to get a better running start. There are no scores and no one "wins". It is a childhood game of bravado designed to blow off boyhood energy.

We had an established goal line that was practically impossible to get to, but if you did....THE GLORY of getting to mock your pursuers, catch your breath and then kickoff to all those losers! Superbowls have been celebrated with less fanfare!

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

We played all the time back in my neighborhood. Lots of bruises and bruised feelings with only one bad injury. One drunk Uncle decided to run the ball once and broke his arm trying to break his fall when I tackled him. I wish it was that I was bad enough to break an arm, but he snapped that sucker right in two when he tried to catch himself on the way down. He was so drunk he just stood up and waved his arm laughing saying, "Look at this ****!"

 

[ckDOG]

Hell yeah! Don't forget "King of the Hill".

What a great game. Great lessons in picking your battles and paying attention. I still remember the moment I got clothes-lined in the throat. The guy that did it was a jerk, but I learned to pay more attention after that...

King of the Hill was great also. Pretty simple. Get to the top of a hill (usually a 6 foot tall dirt hill) and defend your throne. You lose it by getting your *** thrown off the hill. I remember playing this a lot after little league games. There was usually a suitable hill at any ball park. I was more fond of this one since I wasn't fast. You could use size and strength to your advantage. Wall ball was a good post-little league game also.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Why so you can go start a thread about it on elitedawgs?

 

[MaroonOldCrow]

Yes

Follow-up question. If you did play, did you ever have a game that ended in any other way than a fight, or at a minimum, everybody mad? I can't recall any other way to end it. Possibly getting called in to eat.

It usually ended for us when recess ended, no fights, no hard feelings. In elementary and grade school, the teachers would just take a chair outside and sit chatting while watching us basically kick the **** out of each other. I think their idea was, "Well, they'll be too tired to be disruptive in class."

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I held my own. I was bigger than everyone else. There was only one other kid (who happened to be my best friend growing up) that could take me down.

 

[CadaverDawg]

Why so you can go start a thread about it on elitedawgs?

Not sure what your obsession is with EliteDawgs or why you even said that.

I was referring to the PC police that come running to defend someone saying the Q word, then start an argument, and get what once was a good thread...locked.

You Do know it's okay to post on two message boards right? It doesn't make you cool or super loyal because you only post on SPS. Especially when you bring up that board more than anyone else ever has over here.

If you want to post over there sometime, it's okay. You don't have to go all Genespage and act like "that OTHER board is stupid!!1!1!"

Just sayin.

 

[MaroonOldCrow]

He wasn't from Arkansas and in the Navy was he?

I had a shipmate that happened to. For official injury reporting, though, he was allegedly sober and a kid's knee hit his arm.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

How many times have I brought it up over here other than the first day? That's right, never.

Answer this. Does it make you cool that you've been pm'ing a lot of people over here telling them to come over to elitedawgs and whatever else?

And don't start **** about saying the other board is "so stupid" because there's threads over there saying that.

 

[Will James]

Our church had one of these units in the grass. It was similar to "21" in that it was every man for himself and similar to smear the ***** because there were no rules.
You had to get the ball and Barry Sanders it to the hoop to score or make a jumpshot while getting laid out.

Lots of fun, some broken bones, lots of pain. Gladiator Basketball at it's finest.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

We never had one of those but it does look pretty fun.

 

[cowbell88]

Yes, our version usually ended when the buzzer blew on the high school football game, or someone's parents came cause little Johnny got feelings hurt or hurt physically. Pretty sure my parents ended a few matches we had.

 

[CadaverDawg]

How many times have I brought it up over here other than the first day? That's right, never.

Answer this. Does it make you cool that you've been pm'ing a lot of people over here telling them to come over to elitedawgs and whatever else?

And don't start **** about saying the other board is "so stupid" because there's threads over there saying that.

Umm, "PMing a lot of people"? Nope, not me. I have been an advocate of people posting on both boards since the board was created. I told 1 guy on here that we were having a discussion on elitedawgs about a certain topic that people like you were blasting him about over here. So if he wanted to talk about it over there without the bull ****, he could.

At the same time I am always posting on both, so acting like I have some agenda is beyond ridiculous. Ask DS, he and I had a discussion about it.

And if you want to know why that board was created? Look in the 17ing mirror. Quit being a douche and post something worthy of discussion, instead of your smartass "bbbbut EliteDawgs" ****. You said you have spoken about it twice, and like I said that is probably more than anyone else.

Get off my nuts and either post over there or quit reading it if it's going to make you post stupid **** over here about it.

Now back to the discussion at hand, since you 17ed up a good thread.

 

[missouridawg]

Called it smear the ***** and ironically played it after Wednesday night church every week.

I got chastised by my neighbor for playing "smear the *****" in a group of kids that included his son.... He was a Pentecostal preacher and did not approve of us calling the game "smear the *****".

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I got chastised by my neighbor for playing "smear the *****" in a group of kids that included his son.... He was a Pentecostal preacher and did not approve of us calling the game "smear the *****".

Well that's not a very inclusive name. What about the straight kids? They probably felt out of place...probably why we used the name roughhouse. PC when PC wasn't cool.

 

[SwampDawg]

Our official name was "grab it and growl", but "smear the *****" was an oft used alternate. Never got dirtier and more sweaty in my life. I was little but fast and I did as well as anybody else.

 

[downwarddawg]

Smear the *****!!!

Roughhouse? It was "Smear the *****" or "Kill the Man with the Ball"

I stayed beaten and bruised from that game. I was a little guy so I had to be quick and tough. One of my friends broke his arm playing one afternoon after school. Ahh the good ole days!

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I'm sure if our preacher heard us say it he wouldn't approve either. Ha. #backlotfootball