Sports�n�All � Which are better, American or British sports �let the debate begin�this week it�s American Football vs Rugby

Welcome to another Sports�n�All. I will be looking at the great debate mentioned in the title a bit later. But first it�s a couple of issues that have caught my eye.

David Beckham. Back in the England squad, just in time for him to travel thousands of miles to play in the equivalent of League 1. I just wonder if it�s really worth having him on the England team-sheet match after match. Yes he is a professional and earning millions for the privilege, but surely travelling thousands of miles to play for England as well as his day job for Galaxy is too much. He�s approaching the home-stretch of his career and it seems inevitable that it all will catch up with him eventually. The BBC summed it up nicely, �22 games, almost 80,000 air miles - across 128 time zones - and nearly a week in the air over the next three months�. That�s no joke and Galaxy must be tempted to veto Beckham�s England trips, after all they�ve paid handsomely for their investment. I know that Beckham is a dedicated footballer (or soccer player if you go that way) but there will be a point where his body can�t cope. It�s a difficult situation for England management and his American bosses to manage. I wouldn�t be surprised if this all comes to a head sometime soon and negotiations take place between the two sides.

People have been having a dig at Amir Khan after he got knocked down in his last fight against Willie Limond. Although he got back up and went on to win the fight, questions have been asked about his toughness. I�m still of the opinion that we need to give him as much encouragement as possible. I only hope it doesn�t end up like Tim Henman where a top class athlete is branded a loser by many simply because he doesn�t reach the unrealistic targets set by both press and public. Scott Lawton will be a tough customer but I don�t see any reason why Khan won�t come out as the victor. So let�s cheer him on and maybe he might just do the job.

Ok now for the American / British sports comparison I promised you. In the ring today are American Football and Rugby (I�m not going specify League or Union � they are united for the sake of this piece). American football is a highly technical game where fast flowing play is abandoned in favour of chess-like precision and tactical know-how. Rugby is a celebration of intensity and free flowing passing moves that occasionally get bogged down in a brawl of players. American football�s rules are tailored so that the game never gets bogged down, however it never really flows as a result. Rugby can be breathtaking with its speed and technical brilliance. However, catch it on a rainy evening when the pitch is boggy and you end up watching 80 minutes of grown men lying on top of each other in the middle of the pitch. American Football is, of course, the USA�s top sport with about 100 million people tuning in for the Super League every year. For similar viewing figures in Britain you have to turn to football (soccer). Rugby doesn�t even come close in popularity week in week out.

As for which sport is �better�: For periods in a match the American game can be utterly spellbinding, with speed, adrenaline and massive collisions all occurring simultaneously. It is all too brief however and I personally find the repeated breaks in play hugely frustrating. Rugby becomes tough to watch if games fall into a mass of brawls and kicks for touch (though League is admittedly less prone to this). When it hits its stride there are few sports that can challenge it for sheer enjoyment. It also says a lot about the game that it has never had to resort to the glitz and glamour tactics employed in America to keep fans amused. So, for me it�s rugby that comes out the winner. Not by as much as I thought it would, but it just pips the American game at the post. Sit me down in front of the TV with a beer in my hand and ask me which I want to watch and I choose rugby because, in my eyes, it offers a slightly more complete viewer experience.

That�s just about it for another week. My fantasy league team is lounging a lowly sixth in a league of nine, which isn�t where I�d want it to be. Getting rid of Torres in favour of Andy Johnson (for money reasons in a budget of �50 mill for the team) is looking like a huge mistake, but I�ve used up my transfers for the moment. If you have an idea of the team I should�ve picked with my money then please let me know on SAB. I need all the help I can get. See you next week.