American Sports: rubbish the lot of them!
By IsisGreen
@IsisGreen (554)
September 17, 2008 7:18pm CST
I speak as a Brit. Here's the substance to my claim:
Baseball - A glove to catch the ball? It's not hard- (see cricket). The keeper can have gloves if he wants to, but the rest of you, man-up!
Indycar racing/Nascar - A bit like F1, but you only ever turn left.
American football - padding the Michelin man would be jealous of, and breaks every 7 seconds to catch your breath.
[Ice] Hockey - Seemingly too dull for American audiences. The obvious solution: add padding (duh!) and put it on ice. Actually, fair enough. But just a note that what you call 'field hockey' is actually a brilliant sport played by men too.
Recurring themes: padding, stoppages, excessive statistics, padding, padding.
3 responses
@nicholejade (2430)
• Canada
18 Sep 08
Before you start bashing American Sports you should get your facts straight.
Ice Hockey was not founded in the States. It was founded in 1917 In Montreal CANADA. Yes Canada is part of North America but is not considered American it is Canadian.
Baseball - although the roots of baseball are English similar games have also been played in other parts of the world. Oina is a Romanian ball sport similar in some ways to baseball. Russia had a bat and ball game called Lapta since the 1300's. Germans played a game called Schlagball which was similar to rounders. A bowler threw a ball to a striker who hit with a club and then triced to run around the circuit of bases whithout getting hit with the ball by a defender. Americans played a version of the English game rounder in the early 1800's which they called Town Ball.
Football - regardless of the type of football you are talking about (football/soccer, rugby, American football, Aussie rules etc) the concept evolved in England.
@IsisGreen (554)
•
18 Sep 08
Thanks for the history lesson. I knew of course that Canada is the origin of Ice Hockey, and I'm also quite aware of the territorial borders of North America, but thanks nonetheless. What I didn't know though was the other origins you mention. These are interesting.
But by "American Sports" I don't mean sports (the United States of) America invented, but the sports which they play the most. I hope this makes more sense, now I've clarified. I'm sorry for the ambiguity.
@nicholejade (2430)
• Canada
18 Sep 08
Canada plays these sports as well. Mind you we have different rules and regulations. Like for instance the distance of a football field is different to the States. As well we don't have no Indy 500 (but a small one here in Montreal or Toronto I beleive) and no Nascar. However baseball and of course hockey is the same as the Americans.
@IsisGreen (554)
•
18 Sep 08
OK, I confess, I left 'Canada' out of the headline because "American and Canadian sports: rubbish the lot of them!" didn't have quite the same impact effect.
All Canadians please note: For "America(n)" please read "United States of America and Canadian" in all places above (barring the 'American' before football). Ta very much.
@urbandekay (18278)
•
25 Sep 10
Well, baseball is not even American but a British invention and played predominantly by small girls here
all the best urban
@IsisGreen (554)
•
26 Sep 10
Good hustle...
If I do say so myself, I thought this was quite a good thread. Maybe it'll kick off again.
@IsisGreen (554)
•
26 Sep 10
Maybe a greasy chilli-dog stand is the answer to getting more fathers to come watch their daughters play cr*p sport? I would argue for cheerleaders and an over-zealous, probably drunk announcer too but let's not get greedy.
@codezebra (94)
• United States
18 Sep 08
You are right. I do think along those lines as well, but I also think that even the "lesser" american sports are very, very intensive, and I could never do them. I have great respect for the men and women involved in American sports as well as world-wide sports.
