THERE MAY BE NO CRYING IN BASEBALL, but there’s plenty of prayer in football. What happened was that, many years ago, the Haines City Hillbillies were losing by five points in the final minute of the fourth quarter of their game with the rival Podunk Porkbellies. A time out was called and the team gathered at the sideline with their coach, the local parish priest. “We don’t have a prayer,” cried the disappointed quarterback. “Yes, we do,” the coach replied. “Yes, we do,” he repeated, “a Hail Mary.” Everyone knew that a Hail Mary was a prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession. “What good is that going to do?” spat a disgusted lineman, the dirt of the playing field smeared all over his grimy face. “Here’s the play,” announced the coach. “I want you linemen to keep any rushers off the QB; I want all you receivers to go full out for the endzone. The QB is going to heave the ball all the way into the endzone and, dear Lord, one of you is going to catch it. We’re going to call the play a Hail Mary.” And so it was that the Hillbilly QB threw that football for all he was worth, an arching parabola that came soaring down into the endzone fifty-five yards away, and into the sure-handed grip of wide receiver Johnny Grabowski for the winning score as time expired. The Virgin Mary had, through the power of prayer and last-ditch desperation, come through for the Hillbillies, adjudging in her everlasting omnipotence that the Hillbilly prayer should supersede the equally fervent Porkbelly prayer. The Hail Mary pass still lives in playbooks today.
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That is a football story, Bill. In the other football which is actually played with the foot, Saudi Arabia created world cup history by beating Argentina one of the most fancied teams. Qatar has spent 820 billion US dollars for the privilege of hosting the football world cup. A mind- boggling amount. They featured in the first match and lost to Ecuador. That sum spent on poverty reduction and general welfare in the area around Qatar would have achieved wonders. Their Shiek neighbours spend billions on horses and horse racing. A leader here who I know welland who is prominent in the latter field was once asked why he takes so much interest in horse racing and what about projects for the poor. His reply; " Horse racing is a sport of Kings, it has nothing to do with the poor!"
Hello Bowsprit.
Not wishing to take anything away from the validity of your post, but I think that baseball is a modification of the game we used to call 'rounders', which seems to be a much more accurately descriptive word for the way the game is played.
I have often wondered why they call American football 'football' when it has so little to do with the use of the foot.
I fully understand 'Rugby' as being invented in the midland's town of 'Rugby' and I just about understand the difference between 'union' and 'league'. But the origin of 'soccer' still eludes me.
As for the politics and the finances, these 'games' are focussed on 'winning', so it's little wonder that the wealthy, the dominant, the rulers, and the bullies are not interested in those whom they consider 'losers'.
I quite like Eric Byrne's description of 'games people play' in his book of the same title. He maintains that 'basically, game playing is dishonest and manipulative - the only effective defence is to expose the 'game' for what it is and refuse to participate in any way'. This becomes quite hard when living alongside rulers, politicians and wealthy folk who tend to control most of what goes on in society for their own benefit.
Best wishes
Bill
Henry - you crack me up !
Quiz:
Why does she have her head in the oven?
1. Checking Thanksgiving turkey
2. Looking for i-pad to Google some of Henry's vocab
3. Football season has started
Prolly expect a very fine Thanksgiving meal or come running in the kitchen shouting the favored team just made a touchdown!
I remember playing 'rounders' in elementary school!As I remember, the ball was quite a bit smaller, as was the bat, and I found it less intimidating having that ball hurling towards me.
Terry
As I know nothing about footfall, I was about to give your post a pass, but I'm glad I didn't!Good one Henry.
Terry
Yes, I remember playing 'Rounders" too. A fun game for boys and girls. It is amazing how many games owe their origin to the British. First and foremost is cricket as far as its more than a billion followers and I are concerned followed by football, hockey, lawn tennis, rugby, golf and some others not listed here. The most sporting crowds, at least in cricket also reside in that country. A good shot or a good innings by the opposition is cheered just like the ovation received by the home team. That doesn't happen as frequently at other cricketing venues.
Hello Bowsprit.
Thanks for your reply and your observation that the British seem to have 'invented' many games.
My take on this is similar to my last observation about 'games people play'. There may be a Machiavellian reason for the 'invention' of games:
If you are the first to invent and develop a 'game', then your chances of 'winning' (in the beginning) are exponentially higher than when other people develop the skills necessary to 'win'. Incidentally, the desire to 'win' is also directly connected to the desire to dominate and bully.
It is my belief that the British were influenced in this regard by the Roman conquest, where the Romans had already invented and developed some cruel and bullying 'games' - for their own 'entertainment'. This aspect infiltrated and influenced the British culture, but the 'games' subsequently invented by the British, were less cruel and fatal than the original 'Roman games', where they revelled in witnessing people being maimed and killed in their 'sporting' arenas.
Just as an aside, but equally important, was the influence of the Roman political system: Another 'game' which purported to be 'democratic', but included abhorrent aspects like slavery, cruelty, and dominance over anyone who was not of their race or culture. If this all sounds too familiar with regard to the 'games people play' today, then it might be worth noting that most of the human race does not appear to have the desire to appoint leaders who have values that don't include dominance and greed, but rather, they prefer the bully-type, who much prefer aggression and avarice.
I would like to see all these competitive, anti-social 'games' outlawed, in favour of new activities, with new values, which promote kindness, compassion, fairness and working together (rather than in opposition) towards a better future for everyone and everything.
Just an alternative thought!
Best wishes
Bill
Thanks for the historical analysis of why games are invented and played, but I don't think the good Doctor W.G. Grace had any ulterior motives for promoting the game of cricket. There was a certain snobbery attached to that game in the past, but it is all changing now. The Gentlemen vs Players matches were an obvious indication of it. The players even entered the ground from a different gate than the gentlemen and stayed in different hotels. The top cricketers now earn more money than baseball players and big money is bringing in drastic changes. How long will the expression 'That's not cricket' be synonymous with something unfair is anybody's guess but may the game itself flourish, brings a lot of joy to numerous people.
Best wishes.
