Today's Tidbit... Goofy Equipment Used Outside of Football

Sometimes, when your favorite college football team suffers a beatdown on Saturday, Sunday becomes a day of rest, allowing one to focus on sports other than football. Yesterday was one of those Saturdays, so this is one of those Sundays.

Craftsmen made early sporting goods. The local tailor, cobbler, or harness maker produced one-off items that fit a need, and if they were well made and popular, they began specializing in those items. As the cottage industry shifted to manufacturers that sold nationwide, even globally, they took advantage of catalogs and general merchandise stores to market their wares.

For example, Lillywhite, one of the top makers of rugby balls in the United Kingdom, partnered with the Spalding brothers to sell Lillywhite balls in the U.S. The Spaldings soon on-shored the manufacturing of balls sold under their name, selling by catalog ten years before the birth of Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Sporting goods manufacturers have come and gone over the years, but many have left a trail of catalogs displaying their football and other sporting wares. Since I often make light of football equipment and training devices that never gained popularity, looking at goofy ideas from other sports seemed fun.

Whether due to weather conditions, time, or the neighborhood, we all occasionally find ourselves on a treadmill. The boys in 1891 faced similar conditions, so they used the running machine to work their legs and lungs with varying weights.

(1891 Spalding Gymnasium Catalog)