American sports

jymufc20

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After reading the Hank Aaron thread it got me thinking, how shit are American sports ?

Baseball is basically a posh game of rounders basketball is a terrible game and American football, what the hell is that ?

And most yanks don't even know what football is what is wrong with you people ?
 

WI_Red

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You had me intrigued from you Hank Aaron post.

My response would be that any culture that thinks cricket is remotely interesting has shit standing to criticize anyone else’s sports.
 

jymufc20

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You had me intrigued from you Hank Aaron post.

My response would be that any culture that thinks cricket is remotely interesting has shit standing to criticize anyone else’s sports.
I'll give you that 100% I have never understood that either.

To be honest I'm not a big fan of rugby either. :lol:
 

jymufc20

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I guess the point I am trying to make is how can anyone watch a game of baseball, basketball or American football and say it is a better sport than football ? I mean pretty much every other country in the world's favourite sport is football.

Why are Americans any different ?
 

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Not sure why we are different but I love football (soccer) in part because it doesn't have the commercial breaks built in. It's like American sports are designed to have 5-10 minutes of action then 2 minutes of commercial (repeat for 3 to 4 hours). I have a friend who moved from Africa and was complaining about the commercials thinking he was missing the game. I told him they stop the game for the commercials and he was stunned. He wondered what people in the stands did and I said they just wait around for the game to start again. He was dumbfounded. :lol:
 

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Yeah as @MarylandMUFan says, American sports are heavily influenced by television advertising. The games are designed and managed around regular commercial breaks, making them less action packed compared to footy. It even takes some of the edge off of ice hockey, which is a generally a furiously paced game.
 

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I think they're great tbh, I don't really follow them because I designate all my tv time to watching football and Lorraine Kelly, but I respect them all as a spectacle. The only world sport I don't get on with is golf, if you enjoy watching golf I don't want you speaking to me or my family
 

Man of Leisure

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I guess the point I am trying to make is how can anyone watch a game of baseball, basketball or American football and say it is a better sport than football ? I mean pretty much every other country in the world's favourite sport is football.

Why are Americans any different ?
As an American, I didn't discover football until hitting my 30s (besides watching the odd World Cup). American football, baseball and basketball were what I grew up on. I love them all.
 

WI_Red

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After reading the Hank Aaron thread it got me thinking, how shit are American sports ?

Baseball is basically a posh game of rounders basketball is a terrible game and American football, what the hell is that ?

And most yanks don't even know what football is what is wrong with you people ?
Do you like only one food?
Do you like only one beer?

Football is great, my favorite sport, but I also love basketball and baseball. Baseball, if you are into it, is amazing. The subtle strategies and pitch selection is awesoms. However, baseball is 100000x better in person. The smell of the grass and clay. Of popcorn and hot for and stale beer. Heaven.
 

edcunited1878

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WTF is netball?

Baseball is played around the world. Basketball is played around the world. American football is overrated but the hype is unreal and it's a sport that brings together a lot of communities, especially in Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Southeast.

Another thing is that in most countries, there's only one sport, maybe two, that will produce millionaire athletes. America has 3 sports in baseball, basketball, and American football. This doesn't include hockey.

And you get an greater sense of appreciation if you play and understand a little bit either of the sports aforementioned. Same thing with golf. Golf is fecking hard so seeing even the average Tour pro doing what they do, it's damn impressive.

Plus, attending game in person is so fun...and for guys, you'll have plenty to notice in the stands while you take in the game with whatever food or drink.
 

WI_Red

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WTF is netball?

Baseball is played around the world. Basketball is played around the world. American football is overrated but the hype is unreal and it's a sport that brings together a lot of communities, especially in Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Southeast.

Another thing is that in most countries, there's only one sport, maybe two, that will produce millionaire athletes. America has 3 sports in baseball, basketball, and American football. This doesn't include hockey.

And you get an greater sense of appreciation if you play and understand a little bit either of the sports aforementioned. Same thing with golf. Golf is fecking hard so seeing even the average Tour pro doing what they do, it's damn impressive.

Plus, attending game in person is so fun...and for guys, you'll have plenty to notice in the stands while you take in the game with whatever food or drink.
Beach. Volleyball. Tournament.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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After reading the Hank Aaron thread it got me thinking, how shit are American sports ?

Baseball is basically a posh game of rounders basketball is a terrible game and American football, what the hell is that ?

And most yanks don't even know what football is what is wrong with you people ?
They're certainly not for me. I used to make a thing of watching the Super Bowl with my brother and friends as it's always near my birthday, but taking the event and occasion aside I don't think much of the game itself. I've tried baseball and basketball too; it must be a cultural thing and/or not having been lucky enough to watch alongside someone who has passion for the games.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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You had me intrigued from you Hank Aaron post.

My response would be that any culture that thinks cricket is remotely interesting has shit standing to criticize anyone else’s sports.
For me cricket has the potential to be the most compelling sport of all. The levels of intricacy to the game, particularly Tests (the long, boring ones ;)), are truly byzantine and once you're in you're in deep. It's also quirky, ridiculous and downright infuriating at times and I'm certainly not proselytising here; I couldn't agree more that as soon as you start criticising other people's games from afar you're on tenuous ground once someone has a bone to pick with your stuff.
 

Man of Leisure

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Do you like only one food?
Do you like only one beer?

Football is great, my favorite sport, but I also love basketball and baseball. Baseball, if you are into it, is amazing. The subtle strategies and pitch selection is awesoms. However, baseball is 100000x better in person. The smell of the grass and clay. Of popcorn and hot for and stale beer. Heaven.
100% agree with this. Variety is the spice of life.

And while some say baseball is boring and it’s certainly losing younger fans to other sports like basketball, I personally love it. A sport for the thinking man. Been to 21 MLB stadiums and 100% better live in-person. But also enjoyable watching on TV in the background with a brew in hand while doing other shit.
 

Shane88

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Imagine the yanks created football?

Throw-in? "We'll be right back."

Free-kick? "A short message from our sponsors."

Penalty? "This penalty is brought to you Geico."

With that said, I like American football but I can only watch it on Redzone.
 

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American sports are entertaining in highlights form but full games are a chore with the stoppages. I went to a Knicks game in New York two years ago and it was a great experience but there were constant free throws and that was incredibly dull to sit through.
 

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I am feeling a bit nostalgic with the passing of Hank, so let me wax lyrical for a minute.

As @Man of Leisure and the brilliant and handsome @WI_Red stated, baseball is the best. It is hard to explain to non-fans, as I get why it can seem boring. For me though, it is the ultimate sensory experience. The smell of fresh cut grass and the infield clay, of hot dogs and beer. The quiet murmur of fans shattered by the crack of the bat, the building crescendo of anticipation, and roar of the crowd. The feel of the nighttime breeze or afternoon sun on your skin. The sights that surround you. I miss that sporting experience more than any other in these COVID times. There is something almost religious about being at a baseball stadium. I miss debating what pitch is coming next with my dad. I miss arguing balls and strikes with my friends. I miss dollar beer night at the local minor league stadium. Baseball delivers moments that no other sport can, because it’s silent parts are not truly silent.

Anyways, baseball in person is the best, and if you don’t believe me go to a game with a true believer.
 

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If you want to understand baseball fandom or American football fandom, you have to go to games in person. You’re not really going to “get it” by seeing it on TV.
 

Cheimoon

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Hockey and basketball are high-speed sports. I don't know how they aren't fun. There's not that many commercial breaks either. American football I don't really care about; too slow, too many breaks. It'd be a lot of fun if they just got on with it, down after down, but as long as that's not happening, I don't have the patience for it. (And I did see a Canadian football game live. It's mostly the same, apart from having only three downs.) As for baseball:
I am feeling a bit nostalgic with the passing of Hank, so let me wax lyrical for a minute.

As @Man of Leisure and the brilliant and handsome @WI_Red stated, baseball is the best. It is hard to explain to non-fans, as I get why it can seem boring. For me though, it is the ultimate sensory experience. The smell of fresh cut grass and the infield clay, of hot dogs and beer. The quiet murmur of fans shattered by the crack of the bat, the building crescendo of anticipation, and roar of the crowd. The feel of the nighttime breeze or afternoon sun on your skin. The sights that surround you. I miss that sporting experience more than any other in these COVID times. There is something almost religious about being at a baseball stadium. I miss debating what pitch is coming next with my dad. I miss arguing balls and strikes with my friends. I miss dollar beer night at the local minor league stadium. Baseball delivers moments that no other sport can, because it’s silent parts are not truly silent.

Anyways, baseball in person is the best, and if you don’t believe me go to a game with a true believer.
I went to a White Sox game in Chicago with a friend once. I liked the rowdy picnic side of it (as an audience, I mean), but the game itself was intensely boring. It's like the club knows it as well, because any time there's a second's break from the action, there is some kind of entertainment - of the kind I don't care about. Also, after the final pitch (3 out, game over), immediately the field lights went out and there were fireworks - even though the White Sox had just lost. I suppose this is different if you grew up with or somehow heavily got into baseball, but I feel you have a hard sell on your hands here...

I'll admit, though, that I find a lot of football/soccer boring as well. If it's not an attacking game, I'm out.
 

WI_Red

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Hockey and basketball are high-speed sports. I don't know how they aren't fun. There's not that many commercial breaks either. American football I don't really care about; too slow, too many breaks. It'd be a lot of fun if they just got on with it, down after down, but as long as that's not happening, I don't have the patience for it. (And I did see a Canadian football game live. It's mostly the same, apart from having only three downs.) As for baseball:

I went to a White Sox game in Chicago with a friend once. I liked the rowdy picnic side of it (as an audience, I mean), but the game itself was intensely boring. It's like the club knows it as well, because any time there's a second's break from the action, there is some kind of entertainment - of the kind I don't care about. Also, after the final pitch (3 out, game over), immediately the field lights went out and there were fireworks - even though the White Sox had just lost. I suppose this is different if you grew up with or somehow heavily got into baseball, but I feel you have a hard sell on your hands here...

I'll admit, though, that I find a lot of football/soccer boring as well. If it's not an attacking game, I'm out.
Like I said above, I get it for non fans. So much of baseball is not about the game but about just being there, or debating the pitch selection of the next pitch, or any other of the thousand discussion points all of the downtime brings. I think this is why baseball is fading with the younger generations, because they are not comfortable or accustomed to the silence and inactivity.
 

WI_Red

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I mean, to be fair, you really shouldn’t have had high expectations from them. You went to the West Brom of the MLB.
I would say that Chicago is the Liverpool of cities. Two teams, one with a distant history of success who refuses to acknowledge they are no longer relevant (one title each notwithstanding) and the other with even more distant history and modern day sadness.
 

Cheimoon

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I mean, to be fair, you really shouldn’t have had high expectations from them. You went to the West Brom of the MLB.
Would the Cubs have been any better? I would have preferred them (I thought they were the bigger club, or more history anyway - plus the stadium is downtown), but they were on the road so no choice. I should go again eventually; maybe in Toronto (don't expect to be in the US any year soon). Ottawa has a lower-league team as well, with a decent stadium even (for the level), but from what I understand there's like a handful of people there each game, so that probably wouldn't be the greatest experience for someone who isn't into the spot itself. :)

Price is definitely one advantage btw. I still haven't gone to see a hockey game here in Canada, despite having been in the Montreal and Ottawa areas. I'd love to, but I think ticket prices are idiotic and I want no part of that. (But apparently cheap tickets are available if you pay attention to specials. I should pay attention I guess.)

Like I said above, I get it for non fans. So much of baseball is not about the game but about just being there, or debating the pitch selection of the next pitch, or any other of the thousand discussion points all of the downtime brings. I think this is why baseball is fading with the younger generations, because they are not comfortable or accustomed to the silence and inactivity.
Kinda sounds like a round of moving trivial pursuit with cheerleaders, hotdogs, and beer. :lol: (And I like trivial pursuit! Also hotdogs and beer. I guess I'm saying it's got potential. :D )
 

WI_Red

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Would the Cubs have been any better? I would have preferred them (I thought they were the bigger club, or more history anyway - plus the stadium is downtown), but they were on the road so no choice. I should go again eventually; maybe in Toronto (don't expect to be in the US any year soon). Ottawa has a lower-league team as well, with a decent stadium even (for the level), but from what I understand there's like a handful of people there each game, so that probably wouldn't be the greatest experience for someone who isn't into the spot itself. :)

Price is definitely one advantage btw. I still haven't gone to see a hockey game here in Canada, despite having been in the Montreal and Ottawa areas. I'd love to, but I think ticket prices are idiotic and I want no part of that. (But apparently cheap tickets are available if you pay attention to specials. I should pay attention I guess.)


Kinda sounds like a round of moving trivial pursuit with cheerleaders, hotdogs, and beer. :lol: (And I like trivial pursuit! Also hotdogs and beer. I guess I'm saying it's got potential. :D )
So what I am taking away from this is you don't like cheerleaders. Shame. They're purty.

I also love me some trivial pursuit as I have an insane amount of useless knowledge in my head. All family and friends have banned me suggesting a game of trivial pursuit.
 

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I am feeling a bit nostalgic with the passing of Hank, so let me wax lyrical for a minute.

As @Man of Leisure and the brilliant and handsome @WI_Red stated, baseball is the best. It is hard to explain to non-fans, as I get why it can seem boring. For me though, it is the ultimate sensory experience. The smell of fresh cut grass and the infield clay, of hot dogs and beer. The quiet murmur of fans shattered by the crack of the bat, the building crescendo of anticipation, and roar of the crowd. The feel of the nighttime breeze or afternoon sun on your skin. The sights that surround you. I miss that sporting experience more than any other in these COVID times. There is something almost religious about being at a baseball stadium. I miss debating what pitch is coming next with my dad. I miss arguing balls and strikes with my friends. I miss dollar beer night at the local minor league stadium. Baseball delivers moments that no other sport can, because it’s silent parts are not truly silent.

Anyways, baseball in person is the best, and if you don’t believe me go to a game with a true believer.
I think you'd enjoy cricket more than you'd guess
 

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So what I am taking away from this is you don't like cheerleaders. Shame. They're purty.

I also love me some trivial pursuit as I have an insane amount of useless knowledge in my head. All family and friends have banned me suggesting a game of trivial pursuit.
Same here. We should form a team together!

I don't mind cheerleaders (a euphemism in a way I guess!), but I feel very awkward looking at them. It doesn't exist in the Netherlands, so I didn't grew up with the concept and maybe I'm getting it wrong; but the whole thing seems too sexualized to me and I just don't feel comfortable watching them. (If I'm supposed to watch them for the moves/patterns/dancing: I'm not into that stuff, don't like gymnastics or figure skating either.)
 

Stack

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Lots of Europeans love to trash American sports but are also blissfully unaware that much of the sports sciene innovations and systems now used in football found their origins in US sport, especially in the college scene.
 

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Same here. We should form a team together!

I don't mind cheerleaders (a euphemism in a way I guess!), but I feel very awkward looking at them. It doesn't exist in the Netherlands, so I didn't grew up with the concept and maybe I'm getting it wrong; but the whole thing seems too sexualized to me and I just don't feel comfortable watching them. (If I'm supposed to watch them for the moves/patterns/dancing: I'm not into that stuff, don't like gymnastics or figure skating either.)
Need to find out if their is an online version. We can do a Caf league!

And yeah, cheerleaders are pretty much there to look at. To be fair my interest in cheerleaders began when I was in high school and ended when I went back to teach high school. I definitely got very uncomfortable watching the dads/uncles/moms/aunts in the crowd leering at my students (both boys and girls) when they were cheering and I was coaching or chaperoning games. But that is a whole different thread.
 

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The thing I dislike most about some American sports is how much emphasis is put on strength, pace and other physical characteristics. If someone is not gifted physically, they have no chance in succeeding at Basketball for example.

The sports I watch on the other hand like Football, Cricket reward players with abundance of skill and technique deservedly. David Silva for example. Even cricket which is often made fun of on this forum is the ultimate test of skill, technique and perservance(Especially test cricket). Doesnt matter if you are short, slow and have an unremarkable physique, if you are good enough you get to play.
 

WI_Red

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The thing I dislike most about some American sports is how much emphasis is put on strength, pace and other physical characteristics. If someone is not gifted physically, they have no chance in succeeding at Basketball for example.

The sports I watch on the other hand like Football, Cricket reward players with abundance of skill and technique deservedly. David Silva for example. Even cricket which is often made fun of on this forum is the ultimate test of skill, technique and perservance(Especially test cricket). Doesnt matter if you are short, slow and have an unremarkable physique, if you are good enough you get to play.
This is a myth. Steve Nash, mark jackson and John Stockton were as gifted compared to their peers as Silva was to his. Most baseball players are not physical specimens. Football QB’s have great arms, but often their best attribute is their brain and speed of processing information. Besides, I bet you Silva is still in the top 1% of humans in terms of athleticism. Name one elite footballer who was also not an elite athlete.
 

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I love the NFL.

But I wouldn't watch baseball, basketball or ice hockey if you paid me
 

Terminator

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This is a myth. Steve Nash, mark jackson and John Stockton were as gifted compared to their peers as Silva was to his. Most baseball players are not physical specimens. Football QB’s have great arms, but often their best attribute is their brain and speed of processing information. Besides, I bet you Silva is still in the top 1% of humans in terms of athleticism. Name one elite footballer who was also not an elite athlete.
I dont much about Baseball tbf and am talking about NFL and basketball. Aren't those three guys you named fecking huge and much taller than the average human? I never seem to find shorter players like Silva, Mata, Xavi, Iniesta in etc.. in either of those sports. I understand these guys still are very fit but they do not have any outstanding attributes physically and they thrive mainly on technique and skill. Cricket is also full of players like this btw, Sachin Tendulkar arguably the best batsman in the modern era, is barely 5'5 and has average speed/strength/explosiveness.

Just my observation btw, I might be completely wrong haha.
 

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I dont much about Baseball tbf and am talking about NFL and basketball. Aren't those three guys you named fecking huge and much taller than the average human? I never seem to find shorter players like Silva, Mata, Xavi, Iniesta in etc.. in either of those sports. I understand these guys still are very fit but they do not have any outstanding attributes physically and they thrive mainly on technique and skill. Cricket is also full of players like this btw, Sachin Tendulkar arguably the best batsman in the modern era, is barely 5'5 and has average speed/strength/explosiveness.

Just my observation btw, I might be completely wrong haha.
No, not by American standards at least.

Tom Brady is like the Pele of the NFL, and there are people here in this forum that could best him in a 40-yard dash and/or bench press.
 

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American sports are shit. And the commercials, holy cow.
 

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The OP doesn't like Rugby so why should we care about his opinion on things?