Yes! I think George Carlin is a genius and while I’ve heard baseball vs football at least 1000 times, I still find it amusing. Every now and then NBC shows the first episode of SNL and George delivers it on that show.
Admittedly, George Carlin reading a phone book would have been funny in the 1970s.
Still like it.
I saw him do it live once; it was the final bit of his act. He cleverly used the “I’m going home” line as the perfect place to leave the stage.
It’s not laugh-out-loud funny to me, but I still appreciate how clever it is. I smile when I hear it.
I wouldn’t be so sure. I remember Carlin appearing on some 70’s variety show like Flip Wilson or something. He was introduced, then stood on stage without speaking for 3 minutes. It was excruciatingly unfunny. Even a genius misses once in a while.
There must have been a Existential Minimalist infection during the 70s. A friend was excited to see The Mothers of Invention live, but the curtain went up on them eating and playing cards. And they drank. And they ate. And they argued over cards. And they burped. And they laughed. And they ate some more.
Finally after 45 minutes, Frank Zappa walked up to the microphone and said “Annoying, isn’t it?” They then got around to playing…
Very Sam Beckett… “Waiting for George or Frank”.
I’ve somehow never heard this routine before. I love George Carlin. Listening to it now, for the first time, it’s not one of his better routines.
Thought it was hysterical the first time I heard it. I may have been stoned.
Yeesh. The “This sport uses words funny!” comedy routine bores me to death. Hey, isn’t it hilarious that it’s called a boxing ring, even though it’s square? Yeah, uh, no, because in the early days of boxing they fought inside a circular space, and the term just carried over to the dawn of quadrilateral fighting structures due to tradition and convenience even though it’s “wrong”, just like nobody wants to say “photovoltaic cells” every time the remote goes dead. Dammit, this man was a groundbreaker. We don’t have to idolize his D- material.
(I know, I know, even my quickie blowoffs go on too long. It’s just me.)
If I ever see a George Carlin routine that is genuinely funny, it will be the first one.
I’ve always liked the routine. Of course, I hate football, and like baseball, so I may not be an unbiased observer.