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About this quote

What does it mean?
He questions the historical claim by pointing out the logical impossibility of being the first team without anyone to play against.
In plain terms
You can't be the first team if there was no one to play.
What can you take from it?
Historical firsts often ignore the context of what came before.

Where it applies

  • discussing sports history
  • debating origins

Putting it to work

  • challenging historical claims
  • examining definitions

Questions to consider

  • What defines a league?
  • When does history officially start?

Another view

They might have played informal games before official leagues existed.

More from George Carlin

  1. Hockey is not a sport. Hockey is three activities going on at the same time: ice skating, playing with a puck, and beating the shit out of somebody.

    Permalink to quote #113
  2. It's never just a game when you're winning.

    Permalink to quote #115
  3. Gymnastics is not a sport because Romanians are good at it! Took me a long time to come up with that one, but by God, I thought of one.

    Permalink to quote #112

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