Interesting! Thanks. I do find it interesting the way sports can affect (or aflict) language as well as develop jargon of their own, though I do not understand the passionate loyalty to teams. They often identify so strongly with the teams that the success and failure can affect moods for weeks. American football jargon seems more prosaic, but possibly only because I have grown up hearing the terms, and the deadly boredom of American baseball is only superceded by tennis, though there it is not teams but individuals that people get excited about.

My parents moved us to a new town early in the 1950s, from a town that did not play American football at the school, to one that did (I was 7). My parents decided to attend a game, and the opposing supporters emptied their bleachers, ran across the field and invaded the bleachers of "our" teams and started punching and pushing and squalling, and I was separated from my parents, and terrified of the violence. I have never cared or team sports since that time, and avoid large groups of people as at most music concerts, and such. I dono' mind classical music in concert as it seem to be preferred by civilized people, or some that pretend to be for a time.

Hmmm, I seem to recall a detective series or at least a mystery book I read, oh, years ago, set on a train or at a resort, that seemed to have as kind of peripheral characters two gentlemen who spent their trip or holiday? amiably arguing or discussing cricket matches and teams and were often on their way to or from one. Of course, they turned out to be integral to solving the plot as they sort of observed everything from outside and sometimes brought it to an end. Maybe some kind of military types, retired, or something? Sound familiar to anyone? Were always talking about wickets and stuff, and teams with city names?

CaroL

I know little about Cricket, but I do recall seeing on the telly all the players carrying some clubs, and flailing away with them, and people being carried from a field. And since when is a substitute for international war a game for gentlemem? (tounge firmly in cheek Hils).

I also know very little about ice hockey, except that two people I know that played it as teens and college age have dental implants and scars from "war" wounds, and one a permanent limp from a smashed knee despite (protective" gear. I also know they use hockey sticks and pucks along with skates for the "game". Makes no more sense than boxing or American football to me.

Actually the Native American game of stickball is one of the most violent games I have ever seen, with deliberate use of the two sticks to take out an opponent to try to get the ball so they can strike a pole with it, as near the top as possible. Broken limbs seem rare, but lots of bruises, tooth loss, and occasional head wounds. Played by large masses of people armed with two "sticks" that are hand made, bent at the end into a closed oval by "sweating", with webbing woven across their openings to gather and throw the small leather ball, lots of gambling and high passions, and at one time was a substitute for conflict between towns and tribes. The "sport" of Lacrosse was developed from it.

CaroL