A roundup of recent posts on the FSB News page.

– Count former Texas and Arizona football coach John Mackovic among the fantasy-weary.

– UltimateFootballNetwork.com wants you to channel all your football teams through it. (Click over to the news page for a video demo.)

– The Sports Network has rolled out a mobile subscription service for Chinese fans of English Premier league soccer.

– So, if your town were ravaged by hurricanes, and you were busy helping with the rebuilding effort, would you find time to keep from letting your fantasy leaguemates down?

Back when I was at Ithaca College and working on my Sport Studies minor, one of the first questions my History of Sport professor asked us was, “Who invented baseball?”

“Abner Doubleday,” some responded.

“Alexander Cartwright,” I chimed in, matter-of-factly.

Dr. Stephen Mosher, however, assured us in his “no, you fools” manor that baseball wasn’t invented by anyone. It was a game we adapted from earlier British sports such as Rounders and Town Ball. Well, recent devlopments indicate that Americans aren’t even responsible for the adaptation.

A British diary entry dated 1755 that references “Base Ball” was authenticated this week by Julian Pooley, manager of the Surrey History Centre in London. The entry, from the diary of William Bray, reads:

“Easter Monday 31 March 1755

“Went to Stoke Ch. This morning. After Dinner Went to Miss Jeale’s to play at Base Ball with her, the 3 Miss Whiteheads, Miss Billinghurst, Miss Molly Flutter, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Ford & H. Parsons & Jelly. Drank Tea and stayed till 8.”

(Looks like not only were the British playing baseball before we were, but women played nearly two centuries before the All-American Girls Professional League that was characterized in “A League of Their Own.”)

The first documented game of baseball in the United States didn’t occur until 1846, 14 years after Bray had died.

Mark this down as another check against baseball as our national pastime. At least we’re still responsible for bringing the world basketball and American football … as far as we know.