1507: Metaball

2015-04-03T17:33:38Z

Yeshaya: Corrected reference to comic #1408 to #1480 (Superbowl). 1408 is about killing penguins, and is at most loosely connected to sports.

{{comic
| number = 1507
| date = April 3, 2015
| title = Metaball
| image = metaball.png
| titletext = Shoot, it landed in the golf course. Gonna be hard to get it down the--oh, never mind, it rolled onto the ice hazard. Face-off!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete | Explanation is unfinished.}}
The name "Metaball" is the combination of the prefix "{{w|meta|meta-}}" and the word "{{w|ball}}".

The gang is playing a {{w|ball game}} that incorporates the rules of many {{w|List of ball games|games that use a ball}}. Similar to [http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/05/27 Calvinball] from the comic strip ''{{w|Calvin and Hobbes}}'', the rules seem to be based on the location of the players and the {{w|ball}}. [[Ponytail]] is holding a map which divides the area into zones. Each time the ball enters a new zone, the rules change to the become the rules of the ball game represented in that zone.

[[Cueball]] is out according to the rules of {{w|baseball}}, because the ball (initially in the {{w|Association football|soccer}} zone where [[Megan]] made a {{w|Shooting (association football)|shot}}), en route to the {{w|basketball}} hoop, clipped the corner of the baseball zone and [[Ponytail]] (presumably the adjudicator of this game) invoked the {{w|infield fly rule}}. In baseball the infield fly rule can be invoked by the {{w|umpire}}, Ponytail in this case, to prevent an {{w|infielder}} from intentionally dropping a fair ball when runners are on multiple bases, forcing the runners on base to advance and allowing the infielder's team to quickly perform a double or triple play by throwing the ball to where the runners are trying to get and performing force out on their base. The infield fly rule, once called out by the umpire, forces the batter to be out whether the infielder tries to get the batter out.

The title text presumably happens sometime later in the game. It is implied that the ball enters the {{w|golf}} section of the game, meaning that the players would have to try to hit a ball into a hole. Given that the ball is much larger than a standard golf ball, this would prove difficult. However before this situation occurs the ball rolls into a separate portion of the field, an ice {{w|Hazard (golf)|hazard}} section. This area in the field is where {{w|broomball}} is played (a game similar to {{w|ice hockey}} played with a ball and brooms rather than a puck and sticks), switching the rules to broomball rules and causing there to be a {{w|face-off}} (a skirmish between two players of opposing teams to restart the game).

If the intent was to incorporate hockey rather than broomball, it would imply that it is more than "Metaball", but "Metasport", as hockey uses a {{w|Hockey puck|puck}}, not a ball in the game, so badminton, frisbee golf, etc., could have their zones also. There is a varation of hockey, {{w|ball hockey}}, that uses a ball instead of a puck, but is not played on ice. It can be argued that ice hockey is a ball sport, since it has evolved, and is a variation of older stick-and-ball games.

Randall has previously given an opinion on sports ([[904]], [[1107]], [[1480]]). Given the timing of this comic with {{w|NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|the US collegiate basketball tournament}}, we may assume he is writing as a response to that.

==Transcript==
:[Megan kicks a soccer ball. Cueball leaps to dunk the ball through (or block it from going in) a basketball hoop.]

:[Ponytail (Offscreen):] Out!

:[Cueball (Offscreen):] What do you ''mean'', out?!
:[Ponytail, consulting the rules/a map:] The ball clipped the corner of the baseball zone. Infield fly rule.
:[Cueball (Offscreen):] Aw, ''maaan''...
{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

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1507: Metaball