ECAC Round 1: Post-series Thread

[jtwcornell91]

[quote ansky629]Only one place to go for the answer to this epic quandry...Wikipedia.  They say it's bush league.

Wikipedia: Bush League[/quote]

But the article has no references, and the discussion page is mostly comments that things have been removed for lack of references, so it's hardly authoritative.

I've always been under the impression it was spelled "bush", but I don't think my assumption was grounded on anything in particular, although this is the first time I've seen anyone assert the "Busch" spelling.

[Chris '03]

[quote KeithK][quote calgARI '07][quote ugarte][quote calgARI '07]
Busch league cheapshot [/quote]
This metaphor did not come from NASCAR.

Thanks for the weekend analysis, though.[/quote]

The term came from the baseball busch leagues of the 1920's I believe which spells b-u-s-c-h.[/quote]
Source?  You might be right, but I've never heard that story and never seen it spelled that way.  Wouldn't be the first time the true origins of something were lost.[/quote]

A quick search of the NYT archive produces over 300 hits for "bush league" from 1851-1980 and exactly zero for "busch league."

It also confirms that the term pre-dates the 1920s. See for example this 1917 piece: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9807EFDF1E3BE03ABC4F52DFB467838C609EDE&scp=1&sq=%22bush+league%22&st=p

The term first appeared in the attached funny 1910 game summary.

I've never seen the word for shrubbery spelled with a c and I'm fairly certain that's the basis for the term.

[RichH]

[quote ansky629]Only one place to go for the answer to this epic quandry...Wikipedia.[/url][/quote]

Ick, really?  Maybe if you want a thesis-length discussion of episode 4 of the 6th season of "Buffy."  For academic-ish questions, I go elsewhere.  A search for "Bush League etymology" turns up this (see 3rd question on the page):

http://www.takeourword.com/TOW200/page2.html

Now on to the etymology.  Why bush?  This arose, apparently first in Australia (later turning up in South Africa and New Zealand), from Dutch bosch "wood(s)", and first appears in written English in the late 18th century, referring to woods but also, and then later more exclusively, to uncleared, untamed lands, especially in the interior.  It also came to mean "country" versus "city".  By extension, bush came to refer, by the middle of the 19th century, to anything crude or roughly made, or a person practicing a craft for which he had received no formal training, like a "bush carpenter".  That sense was picked up in America and applied to the minor baseball leagues, which often played in small towns and were not as skilful as the major league players.  Bush league is first recorded in that sense in 1906, as is bush leaguer.  By 1943 it was being used beyond baseball.

[Josh '99]

[quote Chris '03]The term first appeared in the attached funny 1910 game summary.[/quote]That summary should be read with an olde-timey radio tone of voice for maximum effect.  I particularly liked "He had unerring control of his damp toss [which I take to mean a spitball], which broke and jumped over the plate in all sorts of angles."

[andyw2100]

I apologize in advance for this post which might move this discussion back on-topic, knowing that some may consider it busch...errr, bush-league. Anyway...

Does anyone know why the fans were not invited on to the ice after the win last night? I'm pretty sure the last several times we have advanced in the playoffs with a home win there has been a big celebration on the ice. Back in the 80's and 90's, when the glass was a good deal shorter, these celebrations started with fans climbing over the glass. In past years the doors at the West end of the rink were opened. So anyone know why that didn't happen last night?

[Jordan 04]

Wait, there were no fans on the ice after the game?

!???

[Jim Hyla]

[quote andyw2100]I apologize in advance for this post which might move this discussion back on-topic, knowing that some may consider it busch...errr, bush-league. Anyway...

Does anyone know why the fans were not invited on to the ice after the win last night? I'm pretty sure the last several times we have advanced in the playoffs with a home win there has been a big celebration on the ice. Back in the 80's and 90's, when the glass was a good deal shorter, these celebrations started with fans climbing over the glass. In past years the doors at the West end of the rink were opened. So anyone know why that didn't happen last night?[/quote]

No, I was wondering that myself. I was standing at the top of section E waiting for them to open the Zamboni door, but they didn't.:`-( Not that I planned to go down, but it is (was?) a nice tradition.

[Beeeej]

[quote Josh '99][quote Chris '03]The term first appeared in the attached funny 1910 game summary.[/quote]That summary should be read with an olde-timey radio tone of voice for maximum effect.  I particularly liked "He had unerring control of his damp toss [which I take to mean a spitball], which broke and jumped over the plate in all sorts of angles."[/quote]

Reminds me of the recurring "mild doses of physic" bit from the Marquis of Queensbury rules on an episode of "Sports Night."

[CM cWo 44]

I saw a MLB game from the 70's on ESPN Classic once, and one of the announcers called a high slide a "Busch League" play. When asked by his partner what he meant, he explained that when he played, players would call something unprofessional on the field a "Busch League" play, and that stuff should only happen in leagues where players are drinking Busch in the dugouts.

It didn't sound like he was joking, so at the least there's evidence that this term has been confused and been spelled differently for decades.

[CowbellGuy]

Not to belittle last weekend's achievement, but those other years, the team was celebrating a trip to the ECAC Championship Tournament. This year, they're celebrating(?) a trip to Schenectady. Not quite the same.

[slh10]

MURPHY!!!::asshole::

[ugarte]

[quote CowbellGuy]Not to belittle last weekend's achievement, but those other years, the team was celebrating a trip to the ECAC Championship Tournament. This year, they're celebrating(?) a trip to Schenectady. Not quite the same.[/quote]
Beat me to it. Beating the 12 seed in three games is not a storm-the-ice moment.

[Jordan 04]

[quote CowbellGuy]Not to belittle last weekend's achievement, but those other years, the team was celebrating a trip to the ECAC Championship Tournament. This year, they're celebrating(?) a trip to Schenectady. Not quite the same.[/quote]

I always viewed it as celebrating a successful ending to the hockey season at Lynah rink and a victory in a playoff series, and a great way for the Faithful to "see the team off" to greater successes down the road. I didn't think it was a coronation for being in the top 33% of the ECAC.

[Jordan 04]

[quote ugarte][quote CowbellGuy]Not to belittle last weekend's achievement, but those other years, the team was celebrating a trip to the ECAC Championship Tournament. This year, they're celebrating(?) a trip to Schenectady. Not quite the same.[/quote]
Beat me to it. Beating the 12 seed in three games is not a storm-the-ice moment.[/quote]

But beating the #8 team is?

[beejj]

[quote calgARI '07]My source is a very reliable sports historian so I'll hunt him down and get back to you.[/quote]
Oh what a bunch of shit!  Can't this guy ever admit he's wrong?  PM me for details...