See how I'm not punching him? I think I've grown.

Mal ,'Shindig'


Natter 54: Right here, dammit.  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Jesse - Oct 02, 2007 10:25:27 am PDT #4464 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Wikipedia includes this tidbit:

In the early part of the 20th century, when most teams employed the 2-3-5 formation, the row of three players were called halfbacks.

So, in soccer, the halfback is halfway back on the field and the fullbacks are all the way back? And I don't know where a quarterback would start, but if it's a little back from the centerfield line, that would make logical sense?


Sue - Oct 02, 2007 10:26:43 am PDT #4465 of 10001
hip deep in pie

The wikipedia entry on Quarterback says this on the origin of the term.

The term quarterback has its origin in Scottish Rugby, wherein backfield players, according to their customary distance behind the forwards, were designated "quarter back" (i.e. ¼ of the way back), "halfback", and "fullback".[citation needed] Eventually in rugby the English-Irish nomenclature prevailed, with halfback, three-quarters back, and fullback; in some places, notably New Zealand, the term "five-eighths back" is used as well.


Jesse - Oct 02, 2007 10:30:11 am PDT #4466 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Why didn't I think to actually look up quarterback? That's hilarious. I think it's because halfback and fullback made sense to me already but I wanted to doublecheck.


Toddson - Oct 02, 2007 10:33:21 am PDT #4467 of 10001
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"

Why look it up? ask and you'll get a definition - possibly several - with added snark.


Jesse - Oct 02, 2007 10:33:43 am PDT #4468 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

But still, why is that one guy in American Football called quarterback? It's still odd to me.

Although not as odd as when my friend was the hooker on the rugby team!


§ ita § - Oct 02, 2007 10:34:03 am PDT #4469 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

That goes with the hockey stuff I was not able to actually type.

∀ ita ∃ pain. ∴ ita ≠ happy.


sumi - Oct 02, 2007 10:37:32 am PDT #4470 of 10001
Art Crawl!!!

5/8s back. That's HILARIOUS.


Frankenbuddha - Oct 02, 2007 10:38:09 am PDT #4471 of 10001
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"

I always wanted there to be a player called a Doubleback.


DavidS - Oct 02, 2007 10:50:11 am PDT #4472 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

I always wanted there to be a player called a Doubleback.

Heh. And I was worried about the lack of a Three-Quarter Back.


Kat - Oct 02, 2007 10:51:05 am PDT #4473 of 10001
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo

I figured that was what it was, but it didn't gel with where they actually are on the field.

Thanks y'all!