Did they really rename the football in football?

[cgannon64]

My English teacher mentioned that the NFL officially named the football "the Duke," in some throwback to the 60s. Soon after, I saw a poster for the NFL with a tagline like, "New Name, Same Game."

Is this really true? Are they going to, like, require announcers to call it "the Duke" rather than the football?

 

[willemvanoranje]

i assume you are talking about the american sport that is much like rugby, has players with heavy protection and is stopped every 10 seconds?

 

[Azale]

of course its a freaking soccer fan going at the NFL first...answer the man's question without being a jerk please?

To answer your question, Im not entirely sure. I havnt seen that, and I consider myself pretty caught up with anything in the NFL. It would be kind of amusing though...

 

[tombeef]

I also am a big NFL fan, have seen nothing about this on ESPN, CBS.sportsline.com, ESPN.com, or Sports Illustrated.

And American Football is one of the greatest inventions ever.

 

[GinandTonic]

Would end confusion...

 

[Quasimodo]

Yes they did. See article below:



NFL RENAMES OFFICIAL WILSON GAME BALL
IN HONOR OF WELLINGTON MARA

ORLANDO -- March 27, 2006 -- NFL clubs today unanimously endorsed a recommendation to return the name of the official game ball to “The Duke” in honor of the late New York Giants owner WELLINGTON MARA, one of the most beloved and respected figures in professional sports history. Mara died last October.

Mara, who spent 81 years with the New York Giants and made numerous contributions to the NFL, was named Wellington by his father after the Duke of Wellington. He was given the nickname “The Duke” as a youngster by Giants players.

The NFL game ball was known as “The Duke” from 1941-69.

The NFL first used a ball in honor of Mara called “The Duke” in 1941 at the suggestion of Chicago Bears owner George Halas, who had helped arrange with Giants owner Tim Mara (Wellington’s father) for Wilson to become the league’s official supplier of game balls.

“The Duke” ball was used through 1969 but was discontinued prior to the 1970 season, the first to be played in the NFL-American Football League merger. The NFL and AFL continued using a Wilson football, but with a new design.

The official NFL Wilson football will continue to be manufactured in Ada, Ohio. Wilson recently extended its NFL contract through 2011, which will mark the 70th year of partnership, believed to be one of the longest agreements in sports history.

 

[willemvanoranje]

of course its a freaking soccer fan going at the NFL first...answer the man's question without being a jerk please?

Ok, ok, ok.. but don't call it soccer.

Anyway, if it's true, I still think people won't actually call it the Duke. People are used to calling it the football.