A couple of things I didn't know

[sobrique]

In the UK, a game was invented that involved kicking a ball around with your feet. It was called 'football'.

In the US, a game was invented that had a ball that was a foot long. It was also called 'football'.


Edit: I stand corrected

The "World Series" isn't. It's actually "The World" Series. "The World" being a newspaper.

http://www.snopes.com/business/names/worldseries.asp

Comments

[xarrion.livejournal.com]

I wan't aware of that neither. I just always assumed it was arrogance. Watcha know.

[xarrion.livejournal.com]

oh no wait, it appears I was right after all.

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

One baseball myth that just won't die is that the "World Series" was named for the New York World newspaper, which supposedly sponsored the earliest contests. It didn't, and it wasn't. (http://roadsidephotos.com/baseball/name.htm)

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Does this mean that the whole joke about having a world series, but not inviting anyone else is actually accurate?

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

I guess at the time there weren't that many other baseballing countries.

[ool272.livejournal.com]

They invite Canadians. On this basis, I suspect that they would be open to expanding the league to Latin American baseball playing countries if it made financial sense to do so. A Wikipedia check shows that there are MLB-affiliated minor leagues in Mexico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.

And really, can't the reflexively anti-American contingent just get over this? The term dates back to the 1880s. It's just a name.

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

The OED doesn't seem to go with the "foot-length" version, nor does Wikipedia, which says that American football descends from rugby football in the 19th century rather than being invented afresh in the US.

[cbr-paul.livejournal.com]

I thought it came from the playground game of "British Bulldogs", except the participants also wanted to dress up as sofas for reasons unknown....

[kal-357.livejournal.com]

You beat me to it...