Sports terms & rules I've NEVER learned

[resolvent]

I apologize ahead of time for being a brand new member yet flooding this forum with new posts. But, I've waited a lifetime to vent to the right people. I'll soon get it all out of my system.

I speak from an American perspective. But, feel free to respond to me,
no matter where you're from (except from a stadium full of football-watching yahoos).

Can somebody tell me:
what F the word VARSITY means??!!

What the F distinguishes the two "conferences" or categories of football teams
that play in the Superbowl?

And, why are sports people even ALLOWED to use the word "conference" for their silly loosely-based associations of teams?

Now that I'm on a roll here - what about all these crazy sports rules.

I played soccer when I was 10 and 11. I loved PLAYING soccer, but hated the competish.
I preferred it to football, because of the relative simplicity of its rules.
I NEVER could understand the rules of foot-in-balls. And, I NEVER made any attempt to learn them, either. So, don't worry. I am NOT going to ask you, in this forum, to explain American foot-in-mouth-ball to me.

However, even soccer has some annoying and needless rules, such as "offsides".
I have NEVER understood WTF "offsides" meant and, most importantly, WHY it was penalized.
Something about having 2 or more of one's teammates further towards the goal of the opposing team and none from the opposing team, except the goalie. WHY should that be penalized, no coach nor soccer enthusiast EVER explained to me.

I hope to post another thread soon on the subject of games and game theory.

The subject of games and game theory overlap with this thread
insofar as I have ALWAYS HATED worrying and thinking about the stupid,
totally ARBITRARY, rules of a sports game while I am trying to play it.

For example, I LOVE to play ping-pong (table tennis).
But, I could play it all day off a wall by myself. It's just more tedious that way,
since I have no one with whom I can share the chore of picking up the ball.

But, when I play with someone, I want that someone NOT to keep score,
because I HATE keeping score while I play table tennis. It is too much to think about
while I am physically exercising.

My brother, unfortunately, always insists on keeping score.
But, whenever we play TT (or PP ), neither of us EVER correctly remembers the score
by the end of the game. We'll make the error of forgetting which of us served,
and that stupid arbitrary rule that only the server can score a point
has succeeded in spoiling my fun.

My brother likes games - whether physical or mental - but he hates watching OTHER people
play games - whether mental (chess) or physical (sports) (I mentioned the Olympics as
an exception for him. I've matured. He hasn't. I've grown out of the Olympics.) I COMMEND my brother for wanting to be a participant rather than a spectator. I feel the same way, too.
He is that way in life, too, such as in politics.

[Ray]

I apologize ahead of time for being a brand new member yet flooding this forum with new posts. But, I've waited a lifetime to vent to the right people. I'll soon get it all out of my system.

I speak from an American perspective. But, feel free to respond to me,
no matter where you're from (except from a stadium full of football-watching yahoos).

Can somebody tell me:
what F the word VARSITY means??!!

What the F distinguishes the two "conferences" or categories of football teams
that play in the Superbowl?

And, why are sports people even ALLOWED to use the word "conference" for their silly loosely-based associations of teams?

Now that I'm on a roll here - what about all these crazy sports rules.

I played soccer when I was 10 and 11. I loved PLAYING soccer, but hated the competish.
I preferred it to football, because of the relative simplicity of its rules.
I NEVER could understand the rules of foot-in-balls. And, I NEVER made any attempt to learn them, either. So, don't worry. I am NOT going to ask you, in this forum, to explain American foot-in-mouth-ball to me.

However, even soccer has some annoying and needless rules, such as "offsides".
I have NEVER understood WTF "offsides" meant and, most importantly, WHY it was penalized.
Something about having 2 or more of one's teammates further towards the goal of the opposing team and none from the opposing team, except the goalie. WHY should that be penalized, no coach nor soccer enthusiast EVER explained to me.

I hope to post another thread soon on the subject of games and game theory.

The subject of games and game theory overlap with this thread
insofar as I have ALWAYS HATED worrying and thinking about the stupid,
totally ARBITRARY, rules of a sports game while I am trying to play it.

For example, I LOVE to play ping-pong (table tennis).
But, I could play it all day off a wall by myself. It's just more tedious that way,
since I have no one with whom I can share the chore of picking up the ball.

But, when I play with someone, I want that someone NOT to keep score,
because I HATE keeping score while I play table tennis. It is too much to think about
while I am physically exercising.

My brother, unfortunately, always insists on keeping score.
But, whenever we play TT (or PP ), neither of us EVER correctly remembers the score
by the end of the game. We'll make the error of forgetting which of us served,
and that stupid arbitrary rule that only the server can score a point
has succeeded in spoiling my fun.

My brother likes games - whether physical or mental - but he hates watching OTHER people
play games - whether mental (chess) or physical (sports) (I mentioned the Olympics as
an exception for him. I've matured. He hasn't. I've grown out of the Olympics.) I COMMEND my brother for wanting to be a participant rather than a spectator. I feel the same way, too.
He is that way in life, too, such as in politics.

That's OK, brother. You can post as much as you want! Get it out of your system! This is the place to do it!
I don't know what varsity means either. I haven't known what it meant for so long I forgot that it even had a meaning --it's just a word associated with high school sports (I think).

ARE THERE two conferences that play in the superbowl?? I didn't know --I know about next to nothing about football or most sports. I DO know that there's two general divisions of football (I think) like NFL and something else PLUS college? I don't know and, like you, I DON'T CARE! All those fancy words just dress up an otherwise ugly and boring spectacle and make a inconsequential thing seem important.

I think it's funny that they use the word conference too. It suggests gravity and seriousness --as if it actually mattered! But I suppose they have to say SOMETHING to make it even vaguely interesting to the TV audience. I'd hate to be a sports announcer and have to describe a game so that it seems interesting. What a challenge THAT would be. If a person is talented enough to make football seem interesting, he can probably do ANYTHING!

[abitagirl]

It is kind of funny. They use the word "conference," describe the NFL as a "business," and all it is is a bunch of muscleheads playing a silly little kid's game!

[Indurrago]

Here's something I found out awhile back. Shape of a football(American): A prolate spheroid is a spheroid in which the polar diameter is longer than the equatorial diameter(wiki). This is actually something most ppl probably wouldn't know but go up to any sports fan and ask to name an object that is an a shape a prolate spheroid is. I'll be fun to see their faces that they don't even know what shape a football really is(something they should know cuz their fans).

[Ray]

oh, you know it! I bet not 1 out of a 1000 could tell you! I know I didn't know.