Everything in Sports Explained

[BobInMadison]

This thread is so we can explain all the weird terminology in sports. Feel free to join in.

The Player to be Named Later:

Notice in so many trades, there is a Player to be Named Later?

At one point I thought that was the unnamed left fielder on the St. Louis Wolves, sharing the outfield with Why and Because. (Who's on first, etc.)

Then, I wondered if a player was really going to be named "Later". As in:

MANAGER: Hey, Carlos Uribe! You've been traded to the Brewers!

CU: No! Not the Brewers! Anywhere but Wisconsin!

MANAGER: Oh, and you're the Player to be Named Later.

CU: What's that mean?

MANAGER: Your new name is C.U. Later!


Then, I finally figured it out. The REAL Player to be Named Later was... Lew Alcindor!

COACH: Hey, Lew! Welcome to the Lakers!

LEW: Great to be here! I couldn't stand another winter in Wisconsin. Oh, but what's this about me being the Player to be Named Later?

COACH: Sorry, but this is a cool team in a cool city. Lew Alcindor won't cut it with the Lakers. Your new name is Kareem Abdul-Jabar

LEW/KAREEM: Cool! Love it! I can't wait to start using it!

COACH: One thing. For some weird reason you can't use that name if you ever pilot a commercial airline.

 

[BobInMadison]

Dead Money:

Strange but true, recently I was looking at a 200 year old science book and it referred to a classic albedo experiment by "Dr. Franklin", I presume Ben Franklin of Philadelphia. (You can try this at home in the winter, just put a white sheet, a blue sheet, a brown sheet and a black sheet on top of some snow on a sunny day, and see which melts the fastest).

Anyway, people talk about money as being Dead Presidents, but Franklin was never a president. Nor was Alexander Hamilton, who was shot in a duel by Vice President Aaron Burr.

What about Dead Patriots? Sounds like Bellachick is putting zombies out on the field.

Dead White Men? Ah, what about Susan B. Anthony, who was on the dollar coin for a while?

Dead Americans? Nope. Sacajawea was an Indian, and members of her tribe didn't get US citizenship until 1924, with the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act (which, strange as it sounds, had nothing to do with the Cleveland Indians)

So, we are left with Dead Money.

Which somehow weighs very heavily in NFL salary caps.

 

[Greenmonsters]

A ball that hits the foul pole or comes to rest on the foul line is considered fair. Intuitively logical only in an alternate universe.

 

[Sparky Guy]

When the wife wins at the casino we just call them Dead Ben's.

 

[guero_gordo]

Boxing takes place in an enclosed area known as a ring, which is naturally square in shape.
Sometimes these events take place at Madison Square Garden, which is of course, round..

 

[Cowdogz]

"Who" is actually the first baseman's last name.

 

[BobInMadison]

"Who" is actually the first baseman's last name.

Naturally.

 

[quincy]

Please explain to me where you need to look in the Look Back Rule?

 

[BobInMadison]

Please explain to me where you need to look in the Look Back Rule?

That is great for owls, who can rotate their heads to look back.

 

[Eric F]

"Who" is actually the first baseman's last name.

You're spelling it wrong.