Sports terms that have fallen out of favor in the last 60 years

One I have discovered is "marker" as a frequently-used synonym to a touchdown in the quite quaint sport of American football. Nobody uses it anymore.

"Aerial" was also oft-used by typewriter-pounding scribes to describe the revolutionary practice of the forward pass. And teams would typically "try" each other in hedlines.

Anyone else ever notice olden terms and/or intentionally incorporate them? Grantland Rice is obviously irreproducible in commonplace terms because of the times and the changes in language and culture. But sometimes old shit turns up a good phrasing.

 

Harriers, cagers, gridders. We use 'em all. Frequently.

 

What about Keglers? That's one of my favorite.

 

Both SIDs at the school I cover use "markers" at least once in every basketball release they do. I don't remember seeing it much for other sports, but you can guarantee in a basketball release someone will "add a dozen markers on the night."

 

Write a high school basketball or baseball roundup with 8-9 results that covers 25-30 column inches, and you will pull every term out of your ass. At least I used to.

 

Tried using "wapolos" in a headline once ... day desk changed it on me.

And when I the agate page, I try using "Knickerbockers" instead of "Knicks."

 

Local note: Yannigans.

 

Yeah, I see markers a lot. That's still widely in use. Not just a football term.

 

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Fem (representing women's sports).

 

"Pick six." Oh wait, that's one that's abused now.

 

About six years ago I had an older sportswriter working for me who would use the term "second sacker" to describe the second baseman. That never made it to print.