Azzuri (edit: and soccer, too)

I was just contemplating my avatar, the good ol' "Irish" Red Sox hat (there's a shamrock on the back). It occurred to me that the green-white-red color scheme also "represents" for Boston's large Italian (and for that matter, Portuguese) populations.

Then it occurred to me that Italian national teams wear blue, despite the flag's being green-white-red. So why blue? I know Italy unified fairly late, so I'm guessing that the blue tradition might have something to do with a pre-unification tradition. So who out there knows? Why are Italian teams the "Azzuri?"

 

Re: Azzuri

Why do we call soccer soccer instead of the name that it actually makes sense to call it?

 

Re: Azzuri

That, too.

 

Re: Azzuri

Good question. I've yet to hear a worthwhile answer.

 

hi, i'm wikipedia, have we met? ;D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azzuri#Notes

 

Ok, blue's the color of the House of Savoy. I guess that explains "Stompin' at the Savoy," as well.

 

And what's the deal with airline food?

Waiting for someone to blame soccer for something in 3 .... 2 ....

 

The term was invented in the UK around the time the game was catching on in the US. Much like our use of the word "fall" instead of "autumn," it's a term that was originally used in the UK, but fell out of favor there, leading some to believe it's a sloppy Americanism, when it's really not.

Football was a fairly generic term at the time soccer found its footing (so to speak) in the United States. Soccer is derived from "Association Football" which is the most precise name for what much of the world calls football. At the time the term "soccer" began being used, the term "football" also included rugby, Gaelic football, Australian football and American/Canadian football.

 

Thanks, Claude Bailey. Gunners rule ok!

 

Gunners are a bunch of wankers! GO REDS!

 

That will work.

FWIW, I also strongly prefer "Autumn" over "Fall."