Nintendo tries to convince us that a slightly overweight plumber is actually an athlete, releasing a variety of games in which Mario and friends play Tennis, Golf, Baseball, Soccer or even compete in the Olympics. That's all harmless fictional fun, of course, but if you unleash the Bros. into the real world to play sports, the truth reveals itself.

Occasionally Nintendo of America likes to send out galleries of press shots promoting events or game releases, many of which are a little too dull to bother sharing. The following image caught our eye over the weekend, however, which shows the mascots making a right mess of kicking an American Football. Overlooking the over-sized shoes and the fact the poor souls in the outfits probably can't see a thing, Mario is gearing up to kick the ball with his left as Luigi holds the ball on the wrong side. It can't end well, and is proof that, actually, Mario probably sucks at sports.

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This was all in aid of the College Tailgate Tour, for reference, in which Nintendo's touring colleges and their respective football matches to promote Super Smash Bros for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Thankfully Mario & Luigi go for the safer approach of simply posing on the spot in these images.

Mario NFL2
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So there you have it, a Monday chuckle — well, we found it amusing. If Mario offers you a gentle game of football, politely decline.