tags: Baseball versus Football, sports, social commentary, cultural observation, George Carlin, humor, comedy, fucking hilarious, streaming video
I despise baseball, but enjoy football (and futbol, too). My fellow NYCers were brainless drooling idiots when it came to the Yankees, and I reminded them of this as often as possible. The fact that I am still alive to talk about it means that all you religious wingnuts have yet another defensible "miracle" you can cite. (But that's another video). But here's George Carlin's commentary about baseball (which only serves to further elevate his status in my opinion).
Humanities & Social Science
Comments
I think Grrl means the sort of football played without applying the feet to the ball. A bit like handball, but with armour.
Posted by: Bob O'H | January 28, 2010 6:24 AM
I remember him doing that live many years ago when I was in college (in the 70s).
Lousy seats, great performance.
Posted by: pk1154 | January 28, 2010 8:25 AM
Hi Bob, I see, you mean the noble game of Rugby as corrupted by American big business money and television advertising. As for baseball it is infinitely more boring to watch than setting porridge. Awaiting the explosion of American fans in 5...4...3...!!!
Posted by: Adrian | January 28, 2010 9:33 AM
As 17 of my 21 years coincide with the 17 straight losing seasons of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, I couldn't agree more with St. Carlin.
Posted by: tsc | January 28, 2010 11:28 AM
Posted by: sparc | January 28, 2010 12:52 PM
Uhh ... it was the British Army that introduced a modified version of rugby to McGill University, which then invited Harvard to come up and play a match. Which led to McGill going to harvard to play a match. Harvard didn't have a regulation rugby field, though, and to this day Canadian and American football are played on different sized fields.
There are other differences, similar to the differences in, say, 13-man and 15-man rugby.
Posted by: dhogaza | January 28, 2010 1:46 PM
Although Rugby Union is my first love, I quite like American Football. There are some superficial similarities but a whole host of differences. Mainly the continuity of play and the fact that much more of the game is up to the players, rather than to the carefully choreographed plans of the coach.
I also have some appreciation for cricket, but despite that I find baseball incredibly dull. Sure: in cricket we can play for five days and still draw but at least we can't play an entire game and only score 1 run. Maybe people go for the picnic and festive atmosphere, but if I want a picnic I'll go out into the countryside and if I want a festive atmosphere I'll find a festival.
Posted by: SimonG | January 28, 2010 3:49 PM
Hmmm. We'll see what happens this summer. We'll either meet in the last 16 or the final.
Posted by: Bob O'H | January 28, 2010 5:08 PM
Posted by: sparc | January 28, 2010 11:15 PM
That's a great Carlin bit. My interpretation is that it is actually meant to put baseball in a better light than football.
Posted by: Comrade PhysioProf | January 30, 2010 5:22 PM