American Sporting Events
[Moozik: The Smiths - That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore]
America loves its sporting events. No, really it does and the fans are really quite passionate in their support. Having lived here for, blimey, goodness knows how long now, I see this all the time year after year. Sometimes though I must admit that every once in a while there is a little overstating of the size and importance of the occasion.
Take the upcoming Super Bowl for example. Adam points to Dave Barry's quote:
It's here, South Florida -- Super Bowl Roman Numeral 41, the biggest sporting event in the world, unless you include other parts of the world.You'll hear that a lot, the "biggest sporting event in the world" part I mean. I heard it on CNN this morning and I always have to grin when I hear something like that especially considering that American Football is not even close to being the most popular sport on the planet. That title belongs to a sport known in the rest of the world as Football.
That reminds me of something that happened here locally a few years back. In 2001 the local baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, won the world series and were crowned "world champions". I remember thinking that world champions was perhaps just a little exaggeration because of that whole rest of the world not actually participating thing. American champions certainly, but world champions? Not so much.
I always thought the term 'world champions' was going a little bit over the top. But then I've never liked baseball. Would prefer to watch grass grow in fact. Give me Football - yes proper Football not that soccer crap you Brits play :-)
Hehe.. well, that's why they did the world baseball classic - so it could be world champions :P
I guess the only sport that's popular almost universal is Soccer, except for in the United States. I have no idea why the most popular kid sport is not more popular for adults here.
Amy - I've never really understood why Football seems to be more popular with kids - and girls in particular over here. USA are playing Mexico this coming Wednesday in my neck of the woods. Will be interesting to see how many empty seats there are in the Stadium.
Yeah, it's a bit strange. I guess they don't make money like Football/Basketball/Baseball. Hmm, maybe it's because it's a sport we can get into that's physical and more universal than softball? I'm not sure.. don't quote me on that.
I think that's why LA paid so much money for Beckham to come over and play...