Sports - War minus the Shooting

The title of this episode comes from the following George Orwell quote: “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard for all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting." This is meant to be a fun episode on the similarities between football, chess, and war. Please take each analogy with a grain of salt.

Football (two armies fighting to reach the opposing camp/end zone):

• Kick-off Team: Skirmishers
• Quarterback: Tactical Commander
• Head Coach: Strategic Commander
• Halfback: Light Infantry Reserves
• Fullback: Heavy Infantry Reserves
• Tight End: Heavy Cavalry
• Linemen (offensive and defensive): Heavy Infantry
• Wide Receivers: Light Cavalry
• Cornerbacks: Light Cavalry
• Linebackers: Light Infantry
• Safeties: Heavy Cavalry
• Kicker: Artillery

Chess (two armies fighting to defeat the opposing commander):

• Pawns: Heavy Infantry
• Rooks: Artillery
• Knights: Light Cavalry
• Bishops: Light Infantry
• Queen: Heavy Cavalry
• King: Tactical Commander

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine