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Message: [QUOTE="UcMiami, post: 2164641, member: 199"] It is interesting to note that most of the competitions that turned into 'sports' started as training for military forces - the obvious ones being archery and javelin and the various combats boxing, wrestling, and martial arts, but war chariots and horsemanship turned into chariot races turned into horse/car racing and polo. And many of the team sports were generated out of military sports and received a boost or development within their ranks. And the original Olympic sports all had military significance - speed, hurdling, endurance. The marathon distance being designated by an approximation of a military courier's run to announce the defeat of the Persians. And of course the famous line 'The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.' So perhaps the language is also a hold over of the more serious origins. I personally am very tired of our various 'wars': on poverty, on drugs, etc. [/QUOTE]