Saturday 26 February 2011

Short List

Today's short list:

Sports traditionally played by girls in England which have been adopted as national sports in the USA and which, for some bizarre reason, are considered 'manly' over there.

1. Rounders (known as 'baseball' in the USA).
2. Netball (known as 'basketball' in the USA).

Next week's list: Singers who wrote a completely new song for their solo career which had exactly the same title as one they'd written and performed with their old band.

9 comments:

dearieme said...

My daughter once went to a week of Sports Camp, where she got to play lots of different sports. Afterwards I asked which she'd enjoyed most. "American football". "Why?". "You get such a lovely uniform and helmet." Only then did I realise how camp the Gridirorn game is.

Mark Wadsworth said...

D, it is high camp, see also cheerleaders. But then again, Rugby Union is also quite gay, whereas Rugby League is quite manly.

Anonymous said...

Netball is based on basketball and it is distinctly less manly, being even less of a contact sport than Italian football.

Stephen Allison said...

Could it be all the public school "gentlemen" who play Rugby Union that make it quite gay, whereas Rugby League is mostly played by those without the advantage of private education and the "horny handed sons of toil" have to be more manly just to earn a living.

Mark Wadsworth said...

The23, the Americans have re-written history as if they invented basketball first, that's all.

JH, why should be be, it's the same game as baseball.

SA, that is probably the reason for the distinction.

The Hickory Wind said...

MW and SA: Have you ever played rugby? League is for girlies who don't like fighting in the mud and getting their frocks dirty. Union is the man's game.

Anomaly UK said...

Never mind them, apparently _lacrosse_, the game played in upper-class girls' schools in Enid Blyton novels, in the US is played by men. And is considered manly. I discovered that some years ago, but I still haven't really come to grips with it.

Mark Wadsworth said...

CI, yes, Rubgy Union at school. Totally gay, rounded off with a communal naked bath. Rugby League involves 'being able to count while doing difficult physical stuff' which is fighter-pilot territory.

AMcG, the short list is becoming embarrasingly long! I wasn't aware of that. See also 'hockey' in Enid Blyton novels and hurling in ireland (which they think is manly).

Shiney said...

>>Rugby League involves 'being able to count while doing difficult physical stuff'<<
Uh no - in League the ref calls the tackle count!

I'd like to see you tell Martin Johnson and the the England pack that they are gay ...in person ...from the bottom of a ruck.

Anyway either is better than football.