When football reached America, I often wondered how it got twisted into a genetically inflated bitter melon, popularly called Kerela in India.
The word “soccer” itself never made much sense.
American football neither looks like a ball nor is it mostly kicked by the foot.
The game should honestly be called “carry-ball,” “crash-ball,” or perhaps under-arm-ball.”
Ironically, the players throw the ball by hand, yet they don’t call it handball.
Meanwhile, authentic football, the beautiful game played with actual feet, got renamed “soccer.”
And like its old habit of exporting everything from burgers to world order, Uncle Sam hoped the rest of the planet would also swallow the name change.
The world refused.
Canada stayed politely confused.
Why not let American “football” switch to the name soccer instead?
By the way, I never fully understood American football when the ball disappears under a pyramid of human bodies.
At that point, it no longer looks like a sport, instead a missing-person investigation for an overgrown bitter melon.
-Promodpur
Promod Puri.com 