Football Wagering Was Prevalent in the Roman League

The Roman League

Mr. Peabody: "Welcome again to another episode of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, with our very special guest - Mark II. Sherman, set the WAY BACK MACHINE to the year 200 A.D."

Way Back Machine: "WWWWHHHHIIIIZZZZ, WWWWHHHHIIIIRRRRLLLL, ZZZZAAAAPPPP, ZZZZOOOOIIIINNNNKKKK!!"

Mr. Peabody: "Folks, we are here in ancient Rome at the Coliseum, site of football play in the Roman League."

Mark II: "Thanks, Mr. Peabody. The Roman League was divided into three divisions: the Citizens, the Christians and the Barbarians. As you can see from the packed stands here in the Coliseum, football has now become a true spectator sport. And again, by this time the sport has embraced all three basic elements of play - kicking, rushing and passing. But the truly unique characteristic of Roman football was the players' use of chariots."

Sherman: "Wow, Mark II! Chariots? What an innovation!"

Mark II: "Yes, Sherman, and the importance of a great chariot must not be underestimated. The Roman leagues had great parity in terms of raw talent, so the speed and maneuverability of the chariots became of critical importance. Herein the tale of Mohandas Torsinavedi."

Mr. Peabody: "I've never heard of him, Mark II. Plus, this doesn't even sound like a Roman name."

Mark II: "An astute observation, Mr. Peabody. Mohandas Torsinavedi was a mysterious traveller from the east. Not much is known of his origin. But this strange, short man with a funny accent was quite a skilled chariot maker. Indeed, over time he became the most legendary chariot maker in Roman history. The Romans had considerable trouble pronouncing his name, so he adopted a shortened version - Mo-Tors. The Senate was so grateful for his contribution to the sport that it first granted him citizenship and later made him a general in the Roman army. He then became known as General Mo-Tors, and his teams swept through the Citizens Division like a swarm of locusts. The rest is well documented history. General Mo-Tors and his family dominated chariot and other vehicle manufacturing for nearly 2,000 years, and eventually settled in Michigan."

Mr. Peabody: "Fascinating, Mark II, but isn't this a rather tenuous Michigan connection?"

Mark II: "Well, let's not forget the great quarterback of the Citizens Division - Leachius Caesar."

Quarterback Leachius Caesar

Mr. Peabody: "Ancestor of Rick Leach? Well, that does make a difference. Mark II, tell us about play in the Christians Division."

Mark II: "Glad you asked, Mr. Peabody. As we all know the Lions thoroughly dominated the Christians Division. They had, in fact, some of the great teams in all the Roman League. But the Roman League had no playoff system; the league champion was determined by Senate vote. Despite their dominance, the Lions were awarded the title only twice. The Senate's slighting of the Lions remains one of the great mysteries of Roman football."

The Lions Dominated the Christians Division

Sherman: "And what about the Barbarians Division?, Mark II?"

Mark II: "Sherman, the Barbarians Division saw the rise of Okla Khan, ancestor of Genghis Khan. Okla Khan and his invaders swept down from the steppes of central Asia, conquering everyone in their path. Although Okla Khan's invaders were primarily a nomadic tribe, they eventually established tent cities in what is now modern day Turkey. At the time the land was known as Okla-Homa, or home of the Okla barbarians."

Mr. Peabody: "Mark II, weren't Okla-Homa's football teams widely known for their cruelty and arrogance?"

Mark II: "Yes, Mr. Peabody. But Okla-Homa was later obliterated and absorbed by descendants of the Egyptian Neb-Ra-Ska dynasty. Their teams disappeared completely from the face of world football."

Sherman: "Wow, Mark II, with not even a trace?"

Mark II: "None, Sherman."

Mr. Peabody: "So, Mark II, what's the count of RETROACTIVE MICHIGAN TITLES now?"

Mark II: "I count 600 during Roman League play. The cumulative total is now 6,400."

Sherman: "Wow!!"