We use this term, BLUE BLOODS, to describe college teams in football and basketball that have been dominant. It is pretty easy to guess that the original term made reference to royalty. So 'royalty' in the sports programs of top 10-20 schools ON A CONSISTENT BASIS would be considered.
If you are satisfied with this, DO NOT READ ON.. If you are like me and like history or etymology of terms, keep reading.
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The term 'BLUE BLOOD' really was coined early with an observation more than science.. In the turn of the century(19th to 20th), Karl Landsteiner who was an Austrian scientist, put blood into groups and types.. WIthout going into the deep science of antigens(there are a tremendous amount), it was found that royalty in all European countries had primarily an RH- grouping. One of the traits of RH- blood is that there is a lot of copper in the blood that can give the veins a BLUEish hue to them.. This blood group represented less than 1 out of 1000 people but a MAJORITY of those in royalty, ironically, throughout Europe
Silver was discovered to have anti-bacterial properties and that is why the tradition up to today is that people eat using SILVERware.. That started with the royalty.. Silver plating was not developed well in those times and a fair amount of silver would be infused in the food that was used by these utensils.. Those who had TOO MUCH got a condition called Argyria, where the skin turns BLUE then purple. Constant exposure to silver in the blood stream led to more than a few contracting this.
Of course, in those days, it wasn't attractive for the rich to get a tan because that meant they were peasant workers in the fields outside. So royalty had very pale skin to demonstrate their rich heritage. The contrast with their blood vessels made those vessels look BLUE.
Also, these lineages of royalty wanted to keep an oligarchy so there was probably what we would consider in-breeding.. Maybe cousins would marry that were far enough removed to where there wasn't the danger of retardation with off spring. So those blood types with RH- became the dominant blood group among royalty.
INTERESTING THAT MOST SCHOOLS CONSIDERED "BLUE BLOODS" IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL, have the color BLUE as one of their school colors.... UCLA, Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Duke, UCONN, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse ALL have BLUE as a main color(though it takes a back seat to Orange in the case of Syracuse).. Yes you have the exceptions of the RED like in Louisville or GREEN at Michigan State.. But MOST BLUE BLOODS have the color, BLUE, in their school colors so in basketball, it is pretty easy to remember.
If you are satisfied with this, DO NOT READ ON.. If you are like me and like history or etymology of terms, keep reading.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The term 'BLUE BLOOD' really was coined early with an observation more than science.. In the turn of the century(19th to 20th), Karl Landsteiner who was an Austrian scientist, put blood into groups and types.. WIthout going into the deep science of antigens(there are a tremendous amount), it was found that royalty in all European countries had primarily an RH- grouping. One of the traits of RH- blood is that there is a lot of copper in the blood that can give the veins a BLUEish hue to them.. This blood group represented less than 1 out of 1000 people but a MAJORITY of those in royalty, ironically, throughout Europe
Silver was discovered to have anti-bacterial properties and that is why the tradition up to today is that people eat using SILVERware.. That started with the royalty.. Silver plating was not developed well in those times and a fair amount of silver would be infused in the food that was used by these utensils.. Those who had TOO MUCH got a condition called Argyria, where the skin turns BLUE then purple. Constant exposure to silver in the blood stream led to more than a few contracting this.
Of course, in those days, it wasn't attractive for the rich to get a tan because that meant they were peasant workers in the fields outside. So royalty had very pale skin to demonstrate their rich heritage. The contrast with their blood vessels made those vessels look BLUE.
Also, these lineages of royalty wanted to keep an oligarchy so there was probably what we would consider in-breeding.. Maybe cousins would marry that were far enough removed to where there wasn't the danger of retardation with off spring. So those blood types with RH- became the dominant blood group among royalty.
INTERESTING THAT MOST SCHOOLS CONSIDERED "BLUE BLOODS" IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL, have the color BLUE as one of their school colors.... UCLA, Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Duke, UCONN, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse ALL have BLUE as a main color(though it takes a back seat to Orange in the case of Syracuse).. Yes you have the exceptions of the RED like in Louisville or GREEN at Michigan State.. But MOST BLUE BLOODS have the color, BLUE, in their school colors so in basketball, it is pretty easy to remember.
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