Why is American (and Canadian) Football called "Football"?
Why is American (and Canadian) Football called "Football"?
Because of the lockdown, which is now being eased, I've been watching a lot of the World Cup games, and although I've often thought about it, I decided to try to get to the bottom of why American (and Canadian) football is called "football" when the rest of the world applies that name to a game where the players using their feet most of the time to advance the ball and shoot it into a goal the name makes so much more sense.
I did find this, but although it's the historical explanation, it no longer makes sense now, and it's confusing when the rest of the world applies the name to a totally different popular game.
Because of its origin
American football is called football because of its origin . Its like soccer, can be traced back to rugby football where you use your feet to kick a ball at a goal or successfully carry a ball over a goal line.
Basketball is called basketball because you throw the ball to fall into a basket to score. Baseball is called baseball because you have to touch the bases on your way to score. Handball is called handball because to use you hands. With other sports there is no confusion because the game is unique as is its name, such as hockey, because there is no other game called hockey, and there is no other game called tennis, or golf, or polo, because there is no other game with those names. Sure the ball is kicked in American football, but nowhere near as much as in the international game.
So in America and Canada a different name is applied to the name elsewhere known a s football, and is called soccer. So to add to the confusion the game has one name here and another name there. Makes no sense. In my opinion, because international football is revered all over the world in countless countries, it is the American and Canadian football that should change its name. If it is called something relevant to how the game is played it should be called Passball, or Takleball, or Goalball, or Downsball, or kickball or whatever else anybody can suggest. Now that the game of international football is being taken up in America and Canada, I think it's time to make such a change.
Maybe in America since it's the favourite sport of Americans, it should be called Ameriball. I guess that idea wouldn't work in Canada where it would be called Caniball. LOL
So what's your opinion?
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Guess I must be getting a bit bored, thinking about things like this.
Tell you what, how about a compromise, Americans and Canadians can keep it football and soccer can be renamed to say foosball.
Just think. To get even, Americans should rename baseball "cricket". After all, there are similarities. A person on one team pitches a small hard ball to a person on another team who hits the ball with a wooden bat and can run having done so as a way to score. Seems like baseball, and even though Americans call football "soccer" in order to not cause confusion, the game presently being played in Doha, Qatar, is almost universally called "football"
Nah, “Football” works just fine.
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“You talkin to me?”
- Taxi Driver
Maybe American football should be called "Collision Ball" or "Concussion Ball".
I have a buddy who was a center in college. He said soccer should be called "Gay Football".
He's not homophobic, he's got "dain bramage" from NCAA football and he hates soccer.
I watched some of the World Cup. Maybe they should call it "Boring Ball"
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LOL. It's not boring to the people in most of the nations of the world. Personally, I've been watching some of the games, and Morocco has made history by being the first African and the first Arab nation team to make it to the semi-finals. Since I don't really care about any of the other teams who made it to that point I'm going to watch and cheer for Morocco to win.
I learned how much a World Cup win means to the people of other nations when Italy won many years ago. There is a large Italian community in Toronto, the whole area being called "Little Italy". The city closed the streets and there was such jubilation there a 24 hour street party, and cars driving all over the city honking horns with flags of Italy waving. That was back whwn the World Cup was held earlier in the year.
Yeah, all of that scoring makes it exciting.
Hockey's not much different on that account. To me basketball is boring, back and forth, back and forth, and the only time it's exciting is in the last few minutes of a close-score game. Sure, when you count 7 points for a touchdown the score can soar. But I'm sure you wouldn't be happier if soccer did that as well.