What back?

[Buffy]

Okay, my mind works strangely sometimes, but this one has stumped several of my football-fanatic friends:

 

So, exactly *why* is the *quarterback* more important than a *halfback* or a *fullback*?

 

The natural habitat of the tongue is the left cheek. ;)

Buffy

[Buffy]

But that sounds so....politically correct! :)

 

General not more important than the Seargeant? How come he gets to fly in a jet, while the grunts get to sit in the back of a truck.

 

When was the last time you saw them interview the guy who hikes the ball after the game? Hmmmmm?

 

But don't let me hem you in, there are lots of interesting angles on this question! :)

 

And no, you're not the only chav--, er, macho dude on Hypography, so I'd expect a few others to chime in... ;)

 

And while we're at it, why "Hut"? Are they gonna build a teepee on the 50-yard line?

 

More equal than others,

Buffy

[Buffy]

Baaaaaa, um, Rac, you don't seem to be the kind to think that everything's about you, so I'll assume you're, ah, distracted.

 

So not completely facetious here, really, what's with these names? And you guys wonder why we don't much care for football: its not that its boring, its that knowing some of this stuff is like being a member of a secret society!

 

Gee whiz! Humor me!

 

Get Rid Of Slimy Girls club minutes: (9:30) Meeting called to order. Dictator For Life Calvin proposed resolution condemning the existence of girls. (9:35) First Tiger Hobbes abstains from vote. Motion fails. (9:36) Patriotism of First Tiger called into question. (9:37) Philosophical discussion. (10:15) Bandages administered. Dictator For Life rebuked for biting, :rolleyes:

Buffy

[Buffy]

I am curious now..:rolleyes: :naughty:

Yay! I knew I could do it!

 

Really not trying to razz you here! These questions happened to drive an interesting discussion at Mother's Day dinner, where we mom's get a little freedom to question male taboos. But the facinating thing was that the *guys* were stumped!

 

Think about this one! Its not a Slimy Girl question!

 

Nascar's not better, just different! :shrug:

 

Illegal procedure,

Buffy

[Buffy]

You could give a rats ***, So, Don't flatter yourself dear. :naughty:

I could but I never do! Its impolite! :love: And I've heard they're really gross too... :rolleyes:

What was the whole point again?

Part of it is Etymology! Most of the guesses the guys came up with were just the ordering of the positions "backward" or "in the back field" but where those are are confused, along with no clue as to why fractions, why there's no "three-quartersback" or since there seem to be three why not (from a Neal Cassady fan) a "First Third"... Then we also got off on a discussion of the use of metaphors in football and sports in general and it went off in wild directions that aren't necessarily relevant, but it would be interesting if this thread followed some of them...but I won't poison the sample population with assisted answers...

 

Its silly *and* amazing! Seriously! *Think* about it! :shrug:

 

And I'm *more* than happy to grant the great god of NFL his due! (although I admit I only ever really watch college games, but don't hold that against me either please! :hihi: ) All hail the great Rozelle and support Condi for NFL commish! :)

 

Less Filling!

Buffy

[Buffy]

:hyper: :hyper: :beer: See? Lots of interesting stuff to investigate here!

There are lots of women who like Football. :)

But its one of those *Guy* things...

(testosterone,BBQ, beer, ***-slapping, high-fiving, sh*t-talking, cheerleader-watching, male-bonding ; you know....:eek_big: )

All true! You all just look so cute when you're doing it! :shrug:

Advice: Never date a woman who knows more about football than you do! :eek_big: You're just asking for it! :D

That depends on the woman. I usually know more about Nascar than the guys I date, but I don't hold that against them!

 

Ew, a puppy dog tail,

Buffy

[Buffy]

Football is one of the last bastions of untainted, uninfiltrated Manhood! Men know this, even on a subconscious level. :shade:

We'll let you keep it Rac (although I'll have to say my senior year in high school our place kicker was a girl, and she *never missed* inside of 30 yards: it was the first winning season we'd had in years...sacrelige I know, but true...).

 

So more on backs! C'mon guys! Don't be shy!

 

Take me out to the,

Buffy

[InfiniteNow]

So more on backs! C'mon guys! Don't be shy!

 

Have I mentioned my dirty mind...

 

 

Kidding aside, I am thinking about this. I don't dare step into the ring with you until I'm at my fighting weight.

 

 

<ding>

 

:shade:

[InfiniteNow]

So, exactly *why* is the *quarterback* more important than a *halfback* or a *fullback*?

 

Part of it is Etymology! Most of the guesses the guys came up with were just the ordering of the positions "backward" or "in the back field" but where those are are confused, along with no clue as to why fractions, why there's no "three-quartersback" or since there seem to be three why not (from a Neal Cassady fan) a "First Third"...

 

Okay, I haven't actually researched this, but after some personal reflection on the subject, here's what I've come up with. This may or may not be the case, but it's at least possible.

 

The line is considered the zero position. Anyone behind the line is a "back." The fractions are the result of each player's position relative to the maximum distance from which each will tend to start behind the line.

 

The quarter back is 1/4 of that maximum distance (unless, of course, he is a specific formation called "shotgun," however, this formation was not an issue when the terms for football were created, as back then the forward pass did not yet exist).

 

The half back is generally lined up (yep, you guessed it) one half of that maximum distance, making the elapsed time between snap, hand-off, and reaching the line (zero position) a bit shorter than the full-back (who is generally a bit larger, setup to run more like a bull than an antelope).

 

[EDIT]: I forgot to add that the full back will be farther behind the line than anyone else (with the exception of those rare "trick" plays like the reverse or end around, which also did not exist when the terms were first introduced). Hence, that player is "fully back," and nobody will be behind them. [/EDIT]

 

My guess as to the preference for fractions in quarters rather than thirds is that these are football players, and thirds are simply harder to contemplate and understand than quarters. (Even if that's not the case...)The players are also used to quarters, as this is how the sections of any given game are divided. Four quarters... They're used to that math, so they can spend less time thinking and more time doing. Thirds... maybe that would work if they were playing hockey, but, in football, quarters give a certain continuity.

 

The quarter back is only more important in some respects. Rac is right that they couldn't do what they do without all the others, but it is the quarterback who gives everyone their direction. The right tackle knows to block, but it is the quarterback running the play who tells him which way to block. The quarterback is an organizer of forces. He helps people understand what they must do in order for a given play to be successful.

 

The quarterback also has a broader view of the field. He can see what everyone is doing, both on his team and the other. However, runners and linemen are pretty limited to the big brutish fellows directly in front of them. An analogy might be that the linement is like a person driving surrounded by traffic, and they cannot see what's going on too far ahead. The quarterback is not immersed in the thick of the action (that is, of course, if his line is successful with their blocks), so can have a greater perspective of the whole field. He then tries to deal with any unpredicted variables and allow his forces to continue forward, thus pushing the zero line closer and closer to the endzone.

 

It is a team sport, so he's not more important, but he does do more in the way of giving direction. He's like one of those directors who also is an actor...

 

Standing 1/3 front, shutgunned, and ready to build a teepee hut, :P

[niviene]

No,

NASCAR is number 4

Behind Baseball, Basketball, and WAY behind Football. :P

 

 

......thou hast cleft mine heart in twain. NASCAR? That's not even a sport. I can't believe you rank that crap higher than hockey. I rank professional fishing higher than Nascar! :) Being from Detroit, of course, hockey is THE #1 sport. But, I do know that football is the most favored sport to watch in the country, by far, over basketball and then baseball. I saw a recent poll which showed this, ranking the three sports. It didn't include opinions of NASCAR or hockey, though, so I guess it's left for me to personally defend. :)

 

There are no backs in hockey! only... centers and forwards and defense! But, I won't hide the truth -

 

hockey is about the fighting!

/forums/images/smilies/devilsign.gif

 

well, sometimes. ;)