American Sports.

Does anyyone have an opinion why american sports, (the big 4) have never really taken off worldwide like soccer?

Because the top 2 are blatant rip offs.
Basketball is becoming more worldy. Hockey as well.

Hockey, in my opinion, is highly internationalized, not only as an Olympic Sport but in the NHL too. Hockey's limitation of course is that it can only be played in cold weather countries, whereas soccer can be played virtually in any climate. Once only canadians played in the NHL but now lots of americans and players from every part of Scandinavia and Europe play in the NHL.

eaglezoners said:

Hockey's limitation of course is that it can only be played in cold weather countries

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why is that? CA has a hockey team. It's not a cold place

Baseball is international especially in asian countries though i think its rather dull.

Basketball is international especially in europe, south america and some asian countries

Hockey is very popular in cold weather climates. (Russian, Canada, Northern Europe.

American Football can never be international because of the name and no one likes hitting each other like Americans do.

WSOP13 said:

why is that? CA has a hockey team. It's not a cold place

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In LA no less. Not at all cold by any measure.

football will never be international.

hockey is pretty widely spread as well as basketball which is growing bigger and bigger each year.

^^^kowboys hit it now as im reading his post.

i agree too that i think baseball is very dull...its worldwide but id almost say its more world wide for little league than the big league (MLB)

kowboys4 said:

Baseball is international especially in asian countries though i think its rather dull.

American Football can never be international because of the name and no one likes hitting each other like Americans do.

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What about rugby?

I think baseball is terribly boring as well. Couldn't even sit through watching an entire inning of the World Series.

Rugby is much more fast paced and more manly than AF so there is no way that it will ever catch up.

i think they should change americas past time to basketball or football

i don't think you can just change a past time

no..u cant...and wont...ever....but still think they should...seems like football definately has a bigger following

I wish Rugby was bigger here in the States.. I would have played that over football growing up if it was offered.

I grew up taking Martial Arts, wrestling, and playing some football, basketball, and track (long jump, high jump, hurdles, and 100m sprint) in school.

Because most people grew up with soccer elsewhere (outside the USA). For years and years they've had soccer games plus soccer players are smaller in stature in gen'l than our sports people here. As long as you have these games here soccer probably won't ever take off as a popular sport. I've played soccer since I was 7 years old love it!

Equipment costs...

American sports always seem to have too many breaks, stoppages etc - (although i am a fan of baseball).

If you look at global sports the biggest seem to be able to play easily and fluidly without having to stop every 5-10 minutes.

Just a thought

WSOP13 said:

why is that? CA has a hockey team. It's not a cold place

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juiceeQ said:

In LA no less. Not at all cold by any measure.

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I think hockey thrives more in the colder countries because kids can play it with minimal equipment just by playing outdoors. Kids in warmer places would need to have a nearby icerink to practice in.

I think that's what Eaglezoners meant.

In answer to the OP, football or soccer as you put it, needs only a ball and can be played almost anywhere.

Swear Engine said:

In answer to the OP, football or soccer as you put it, needs only a ball and can be played almost anywhere.

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Or just a stone or a tin can and a made up goal (jumpers for goalposts )

beardyian said:

Or just a stone or a tin can and a made up goal (jumpers for goalposts )

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For sure. My junior school banned balls on the playground so we used to use stones. (Quite how that was better for the windows i'm not sure!)

Swear Engine said:

For sure. My junior school banned balls on the playground so we used to use stones. (Quite how that was better for the windows i'm not sure!)

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We used to use crushed coke cans

Ok gotta say...if you think Baseball is boring, what about International Football {soccer}. I used to play Soccer growing up and playing it and watching it are two different animals. Baseball can be super boring, if you don't know the game, as well as any sport.

Football may have a bigger following, but has been around really since the late 60's when the AFL/NFL merged. { the American Pro football Association started in 1920}
They trace Baseball back to 1744 or even earlier in some form of the game. Football plays 19 games, if your lucky. Baseball 182. Football starts in September and ends for most, by January {5 Months}. Baseball starts in April and runs into the first few days of October. {7 months}

Basketball needs to raise the rim about 2 feet

Hockey is probably the toughest sport on the body, because of the lack of stoppages. You dont see many fat hockey players. LOL.


This taken from Yahoo ! Answers
The National Athletic Health Institute in Inglewood, California tested several professional motocross racers in September 1979 as part of a comparative study of the cardio-vascular, muscle endurance, and flexibility fitness of athletes from various disciplines. Athletes from track, American football, pro basketball and soccer were tested, among others. As a group, the motocross riders tested to a higher overall fitness level than any group tested. Motocross racers get their heart rate up to around 180 to 190 beats per minute and hold it there for about 35 minutes. These riders do this twice per day (original article appeared in Cycle magazine in early 1980). A subsequent study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Performance Complex in 2002 reconfirmed the result with more recent motocross racers. The intense physical demand of motocross derives from the fact that the racer of the bike must keep complete control of a 200 lb (91 kg) or heavier bike, while also maintaining their top speed throughout the race.

beardyian said:

American sports always seem to have too many breaks, stoppages etc - (although i am a fan of baseball).

If you look at global sports the biggest seem to be able to play easily and fluidly without having to stop every 5-10 minutes.

Just a thought

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Our fat asses need those breaks.

soccer goal posts: 2 big stones on each side played on streets when you fell stones got embedded in your skin - played for a case of beer

Mortis said:

I wish Rugby was bigger here in the States.. I would have played that over football growing up if it was offered.

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I played both in high school....way more hitting in rugby but the hits in football are much harder. Very different games.

kcanuck said:

I played both in high school....way more hitting in rugby but the hits in football are much harder. Very different games.

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My high school didn't even have a baseball program. It was just football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and track.