A football is a ball inflated with air that is used to play one of the various sports known as football.
The first balls were made of natural materials, such as an inflated pig bladder, later put inside a leather cover, which has given rise to the United States slang-term "pigskin".
Modern footballs have never been anywhere near a pig:
The oldest football still in existence, which is thought to have been made circa 1550, was discovered in the roof of Stirling Castle, Scotland, in 1981.The ball is made of leather (possibly from a deer) and a pig's bladder. It has a diameter of between 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in), weighs 125 g (4.4 oz) and is currently on display at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling.
Today there's an important game: Ohio State Buckeyes v Oregon Ducks.
May the best team win, it's all I can say on the subject...
The piggies may have a few things to say, though.
Not all pigs are earmarked for big sporting events. Some will have a different fate:
Football and fashion are not necessarily the first things that springs to mind. When I was little, I may have thought of characters like these:
These days, my approach to pigs is purely gastronomic and I wear the appropriate apparel to deal with the activity:
I think that apart from vegetarians (and pigs), both football fans and sports avoiders would enjoy these:
I'll let a clever pig have the last word on the subject:
