Rusty's Rice Bowl Scouting Report

RustyBourneHorse

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,710
Reaction score
44,810
SuspectCorner said:
How much worse could the Cowboys do trying a Japanese kicker? I’m game.
Click to expand...

Exactly, what we've tried hasn't worked. Why not try something new?

SlammedZero said:
LOL! They're so quick and enthusiastic out there.

I am a bit surprised it's actually called The Rice Bowl though. :laugh:
Click to expand...
That's my favourite part about it. They play it for the love of the game. They don't get paid much and have second jobs. Sort of like how the NFL was before the mega deals came in. Yet, the fans that watch and the players are very much into it. And yes, it's funny that they call it that hehe.
 
Reverend Conehead

Reverend Conehead

Well-Known Member
Messages
9,938
Reaction score
11,824
jwitten82 said:
Grabbing a kicker from Japan, no NFL team would suspect it, that's kinda sneaky. Kinda like Pearl Harbor, that was a little sneaky, I think we can all be a little sneaky sometime.













Before anyone gets offended it was just a joke from South Park lol
Click to expand...
Hey, this team has had success with a foreign kicker before. Tony Fritsch was an Austrian soccer player and signed with the team barely able to speak any English. He's the kicker to kicked our successful onsides kick in the 1972 playoff victory over the 49ers.
 
RustyBourneHorse

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,710
Reaction score
44,810
Reverend Conehead said:
Hey, this team has had success with a foreign kicker before. Tony Fritsch was an Austrian soccer player and signed with the team barely able to speak any English. He's the kicker to kicked our successful onsides kick in the 1972 playoff victory over the 49ers.
Click to expand...

Yup, and he changed the dynamic of the Cowboys kicking. Why not try it again? Any of these 3 kickers I've mentioned could be the answer we've been looking for to find.
 
Cowpolk

Cowpolk

Landry Hat
Messages
18,902
Reaction score
28,867
RustyBourneHorse said:
As many of you know by now, I've been keeping an eye on things with the Japanese X-League for a while now. I have especially had a keen interest in their kickers as they are the most likely, along with the punters, to make an NFL roster at this time. I first want to say, after watching this highlight video of the Rice Bowl (), which is the Japanese version of the Super Bowl, they seem to be getting better and even more serious about American Football in Japan. Secondly, and most importantly for our discussion, I think we have some options at kicker from Japan if we wanted to have a tryout to see who is the best kicker between them and Maher. If you notice baseball field markings, the game was played in the Tokyo Dome, as is tradition for that League. It's not uncommon in Japan for stadiums to share sports, though, from what I've seen on Google Maps and highlights, they do have an American Football specific field near Haneda airport. Though, the Tokyo Dome is one of the largest stadiums in Japan, so they naturally get the big game in Japan. Anyway, back to my analysis.

The game was between the Fujitsu Frontiers and the Panasonic Impulse. Fujitsu won 29-21 over the Impulse. There was a spot where the game was 22-21, but I suspect that was due to Fujitsu trying a 2 point conversion to make it 24-21. From what I saw, it looks as though the kickers made the XPs. The kicker for Fujitsu also drilled a field goal that had a ton of room. From what I googled, his name is Koji Nasho wearing number 5 (https://sports.jp.fujitsu.com/frontiers/players). The other kicker is Shintaro Saeki (https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/japan-2022-x1-super-all-x-league-teams-announced/).

He apparently was the All Star kicker from this year in Japan. I think bringing in those two and Yamasaki, who you've seen me prop up here before, to compete with Maher would be a very good thing. It'd allow us a chance to try them out to find who the best kicker is. I definitely think that we will end up with quite the find at kicker. Bear in mind, the Cowboys once fixed a kicking issue by getting Toni Fritsch from Austria, so this wouldn't be the first time that we looked abroad for kicking talent. I think it's time we do it again.
Click to expand...

Do they have Sumo wrestlers for linemen
 

Hardline

Well-Known Member
Messages
21,128
Reaction score
36,905
Well.
I watch Japanese pitchers I hope the Texas Rangers can get.
Might as well start watching Japanese kickers for the Cowboys.
That #85 on the red team looks like he has some game.
 
Last edited:
RustyBourneHorse

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,710
Reaction score
44,810
Hardline said:
Well.
I watch Japanese pitchers I hope the Texas Rangers can get.
Might as well start watching Japanese kickers for the Cowboys.
That #85 on the red team looks like he has some game.
Click to expand...

He certainly does seem to be. That number 85 is 25 year old Riki Matsui (https://sports.jp.fujitsu.com/frontiers/players/riki-matsui) who looks like he could be an interesting receiver prospect or even TE prospect. He's quick, and he's about 185 cm or about 6'7 with ball skills like he showed, and he weighs 88 kg or 194 lbs. I could see him being a potential camp surprise for us. He's got great size and a nice weight. I'd like for us to have a look at him too.

As for the Japanese kickers, I think it'd be the same reason as the pitchers. When they hone their craft, they get damn good at what they do. I think the kickers that I've seen from the Japanese X-League already have cannon legs. Why not see if we can use that to our advantage? As has been mentioned, it worked well the last time we looked across an ocean for kicking talent. Japan seems to be a possible gem for kickers. I think we should try them out, and maybe even Matsui for a possible slot Wr spot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top