England!

[JonA]

Sorry for the majority of you who reside in North America but I really don't care (after all, Americans are only interested in sports they excel in - oddly these sports are played exclusively in US/Canada and they created) - I want a place to scream this at the top of my lungs with a complete disregard for people's sensibilities and this is first place I thought of.

WE WON THE WORLD CUP!

England 20 - Australia 17 (after extra time, 14-14 at Full Time).

I had about three heart attacks during the 100 minutes and I have no fingernails left.

Runs off singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot!" very proudly.

[Phantom]

Ok, considering the number of Brits and Aussies we have around here this Canadian is going to find a nice fox hole to stay in, until the fireworks stop.

I know how emotional you football (soccer) holligans can get.

[JonA]

Originally posted by Phantom
I know how emotional you football (soccer) holligans can get.

Wrong sport.

This is the Rugby World Cup. You get absolutely no hooliganism at Rugby games ever! All the violence happens on the pitch!

Football (or soccer) has all the hooliganism - and is a sport I detest.

I find it very upsetting that everyone outside of my country just thinks of us as a nation of "football hooligans".

[REG]

FWIW, the European "hooliganism" is rubbing off on American sports fan who now have the urge to start a victory riot (or ranting riot) in local and major sporting events.

Trust me, the media is universal when it comes to reporting sensationalism, it knows no border (unless said news organization is government-controlled).

OBTW, Aussies, we still luv ya. Maybe next year.

[JonA]

Originally posted by REG
OBTW, Aussies, we still luv ya. Maybe next year.

Sadly not - next World Cup is in 2007.

So they've got at least 4 years of me slating them.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by JonA
Wrong sport.

This is the Rugby World Cup. You get absolutely no hooliganism at Rugby games ever! All the violence happens on the pitch!

Football (or soccer) has all the hooliganism - and is a sport I detest.

I find it very upsetting that everyone outside of my country just thinks of us as a nation of "football hooligans".

Whoops, sorry.

[Ezri's Toy]

Originally posted by JonA
Sorry for the majority of you who reside in North America but I really don't care (after all, Americans are only interested in sports they excel in - oddly these sports are played exclusively in US/Canada and they created)

Golf: Invented in Scotland; Quite popular in America.

The most successful golfer in history: Tiger Woods, an American.


I'm glad you have something to crow about; However, its quite possible to do that without making incorrect generalizations about Americans.

[JonA]

Originally posted by Ezri's Toy
Golf: Invented in Scotland; Quite popular in America.

The most successful golfer in history: Tiger Woods, an American.


I'm glad you have something to crow about; However, its quite possible to do that without making incorrect generalizations about Americans.

Ok - name some other sports that are played outside of your continent that US individuals/teams excel in?

I mean Basketball, Baseball, Hockey and American Football are not played internationally to any mass appeal. Ever see The London Falcons being accepted into the NFL/AFL? Baseball - why does it have a World Series that is played exclusively by US only teams. Logic would suggest it should be called American Series.

I'll give you Golf. Although it's not as if we're so poor at that sport either.

And you normally do well in Athletics - as do we.

Now lets take England/Britain.

Rugby (League and Union)
Football (or Soccer)
Cricket
Motor Racing (IRL and NASCAR are predominantly US only - I'm talking F1, Touring Car, GT racing, Rallying etc)
Equestrian
Snooker

I can go on.

Besides - you've identified one man as an international sporting superstar. What team sports does the USA participate in on an international level that it actually does well in?

[Ramage]

Personally, I had been rooting for Scotland, so if the Sassanach take it... well ... I'll just accept

[JonA]

Originally posted by Ramage
Personally, I had been rooting for Scotland, so if the Sassanach take it... well ... I'll just accept

*Bows to Ramage*

Actually - to be fair. All the home nations did well (Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England). Although Scotland's performance was the most lacklustre of the four. Wales almost knocked us out though and Ireland did their usual quality performance.

The important thing is:

The last 4 World Cups (and there have only been World Cups prior to this one) have been won by a Southern Hemisphere team (Australia twice, New Zealand and South Africa). Now, for the first time, its with the country where the sport was created.

[Ezri's Toy]

Originally posted by JonA
Ok - name some other sports that are played outside of your continent that US individuals/teams excel in?

Well, I've never seen a British gymnast take a medal in the Olympics in my lifetime whereas Americans tend to be medalists consistently.

Then there's Sailing (a team sport): After all, they named the America's Cup after us because we've won it so many times.

In any case, before this becomes a pissing contest, my original assertions stand: It is quite possible to have pride in your country without berating others with incorrect generalizations.

[JonA]

Okay - maybe I was being too generalistic.

But be honest. The USA predominantly excels in popular sports that are exclusive to North America.

Basketball,
American Football,
Baseball.

But I agree. A pissing contest was not my intent and if anyone was offended by my observation upon the USA approach to towards sport then I apologize.

And a colleague of mine who likes Football/Soccer has informed that the USA National Squad isn't to bad and did make it quite a distance in the Football World Cup last year (to the shock of many countries teams that are considered to be rather excellent).

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by JonA
Okay - maybe I was being too generalistic.

But be honest. The USA predominantly excels in popular sports that are exclusive to North America.

Basketball,
American Football,
Baseball.

Of course, two of those sports are adaptations of the original... American football comes predominatly from rugby, and baseball is an adaptation of rounders, which evolved from cricket. Basketball is really the only true American invention.

And don't forget we're pretty good at hockey, too. ...last I remember, Lord Stanley was the progenitor of that sport...

Soccer (football) in this nation is a sport that gets a lot of participation (especially at the youth level), but is not a popular spectator sport. While hordes of kids play soccer, few actually want to grow up to be soccer stars. I think MLS is work hard to change that perception, but it's still probably the 7th most popular spectator sport in the nation at the major league level. And with families having to carefully spend their sports entertainment dollars, it will be a difficult climb to get past hockey, baseball, college and pro football, and college and pro basketball, especially when its also competing against popular regional sports, like Lacrosse and the still growing Arena Football League (which has partnered with the NFL to become a sort of minor league farm setup similar to NFL-Europe). That doesn't even count motor sports, as NASCAR is wildly popular in the mainstream (not just with redneck witches and Jedis ).

It's not that we didn't invent soccer, it's because soccer isn't wildly popular, and can't make the kind of money in the US that it needs to draw the best players of the world into the leagues (like Beckham [sp?]); further, many stars on the national team are playing in Britain and Europe, rather than staying stateside. Until that changes, the US will never be a major power in World Cup Soccer.

But, that treatise aside. Woohoo! Glad to see England get the cup.

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by StyroFoam Man
This is why we don't follow team sports. Aside from following the Bills, who have now gone 4 weeks without a touchdown.

No, the Bills scored a touchdown Sunday. I actually witnessed it.