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        the Gridiron >> the Sidelines >>  Pigskin... I just learned something interesting!
        
(Message started by: StegRock on Nov 18^th, 2002, 11:54pm)

Title: Pigskin... I just learned something interesting!
Post by StegRock on Nov 18^th, 2002, 11:54pm

Guys,

While listening to tonight's game on NFL.com, I just learned something very interesting that I did not know. Interestingly enough, I just had a conversation recently about a football's being made of leather... cowhide. So, why do we call it the pigskin? [smiley=pig.gif] Assuming what they said tonight is true, it is very interesting. Before I reveal why we call it a pigskin [smiley=pig.gif] according to the St. Louis commentators, does anybody out there know? ??? [smiley=hmmmm.gif]

Title: Re: Pigskin... I just learned something interestin
Post by Walker_Boh on Nov 19^th, 2002, 2:07am

Not sure if it's true, but I read that the original football was an inflated and dried cow bladder. Problem was, the bladders were too frail, so they wrapped them in pig skin to make them tougher. Is that what you heard?

Funny, I've always know the name, but I never thought about where it came from...

Title: Re: Pigskin... I just learned something interestin
Post by Walker_Boh on Dec 17^th, 2002, 12:45am

Yo Steg! You gonna wait till Christmas? [smiley=santa.gif]

Title: Re: Pigskin... I just learned something interestin
Post by StegRock on Dec 20^th, 2002, 5:51pm

I am little embarrassed here. I had completely forgotten about this thread. On top of that, what those commentators said is totally fleeting me at this point. I think they said that a football is called a "pigskin" because the original ball that was used was made out of a pig's stomach (or bladder, but that would be too small, right?). I really think that your answer, Walker_Boh, sounds more correct/makes more sense, particularly since the dictionary definition of pigskin is "the leather made from the skin of a pig," i.e., they wrapped the inflated cow bladder, literally, with "pigskin." I guess the precise answer remains a mystery. ??? Anybody else want to have at it?