Dickens: America sucks

[Razgovory]

That's a grim and weighty sentence. I don't FEEL very disappointed, though. It's a beautiful and transient life, with fluffy things in it.

Also a poorly written sentence.

[LaCroix]

so, in his first visit, he came as a celebrity and was revolted by being treated like a celebrity? 

[Razgovory]

So much attention for a writer?  Didn't they have sports back then?

No football, no basketball, no baseball...it just doesn't seem like America.

I think they had Baseball.  Probably something like Rugby that was turning into football.  The preferred sports were shooting, racing and punching people.

[Valmy]

I think they had Baseball.  Probably something like Rugby that was turning into football.  The preferred sports were shooting, racing and punching people.

Baseball was invented in the 1850s but good call on shooting, racing, and punching.  Also dogfighting, bear baiting, and cock fighting was still popular.  And duels.

[Ed Anger]

The Irish. 

[PDH]

There was the Catholic Beating Leagues.  Both the North and the South had their own.  They met for the championship each February in Baltimore.

[Ed Anger]

You fuckers are gonna make me watch Gangs of New York again.

[katmai]

Always unwilling to take blame aren't you Ed, sheesh.

[CountDeMoney]

There was the Catholic Beating Leagues.  Both the North and the South had their own.  They met for the championship each February in Baltimore.

We're not called Mobtown because of la cosa nostra.

[Ed Anger]

Always unwilling to take blame aren't you Ed, sheesh.

Watching racist poors being run over by Union regiments:

Cameron Diaz: 

[CountDeMoney]

You fuckers are gonna make me watch Gangs of New York again.

Never turn your back on a native.

[Razgovory]

I think they had Baseball.  Probably something like Rugby that was turning into football.  The preferred sports were shooting, racing and punching people.

Baseball was invented in the 1850s but good call on shooting, racing, and punching.  Also dogfighting, bear baiting, and cock fighting was still popular.  And duels.

I don't think Baseball was actually "invented".  It sort of evolved.  People were playing something very similar to it in the US probably since the country was founded. 

I know wagering on shooting matches and horse racing were extremely popular at the time.  Horse racing only lost popularity in the 20th century.

[Razgovory]

Always unwilling to take blame aren't you Ed, sheesh.

Watching racist poors being run over by Union regiments:

Cameron Diaz: 

I did like that movie.  Daniel Day Lewis stole the show.  Really it should have focused on him and the decline of the Nativists.

[Valmy]

I don't think Baseball was actually "invented".  It sort of evolved.  People were playing something very similar to it in the US probably since the country was founded. 

Obviously nobody sat down and invented it out of whole cloth but the game that was created in the 1850s had very important evolutionary differences (like the pitcher going from the least important to the most important person on the field, the number of players capped at 9 and so forth) that made it pretty different from the similar games we played previous.

[Syt]

I think re: the origins of baseball there's much in the dark, but the only clear thing is that it wasn't invented by Abner Doubleday (who was nowhere near the supposed "invention" but rather at West Point, IIRC).

It indeed evolved from some sort of "Rounders" and similar games, before becoming codified around the 1850-60s. There's actually pictures of ACW soldiers playing some form of base ball.  It's funny that it has a bit of a pastoral flair these days when it mostly originated in the bustling cities of the 19th century.

I found this book rather enlightening:
http://www.amazon.com/Diamonds-Rough-Untold-History-Baseball/dp/0809232340

(If a bit dated, it was written in the late 80s)