Ask a 26 year old American male about sports.

[almaty 19]

As we were watching the baseball the other night (GO TIGERS!) my dear husband said matter-of-factly "don't the fielders get an advantage because they wear mitts"

I told him that the Yankees were hateworthy because they were a combination of Man U and Chelsea -- that he could get his head around.

Taking those two games in Oakland was unexpected, but then again so was the trouncing of the Yanks. I am a firm believer in playing terrible ball down the stretch to get it out of your system so once the playoffs come around you can get it going. ( see White Sox last year and Tigers this year)

I definitely think the Tigers have a good chance to win the World Series due to the fact that they have outstanding power pitching, an experienced manager and professional veteran hitters.

I think a Mets Tigers matchup is most appealing at this point seeing as for most of the season they were the two best teams in their respective leagues.

you mean you advocate sand-bagging it?

Daniel

:energetic:

that is better than tea bagging ...

[rclouse 0]

Why does Major League Baseball insist on calling their premier championship the World Series when the entire competition takes place inside the USA and consists almost entirely of US teams ? Does the involvement of The Blue Jays from Toronto make it international enough that they can call it the World Series ?

Mark

Because the US teams are, by far, the world's best. MLB is the strongest baseball league in the world, and since we invented it, we get to call it a world championship.

Anyway, US teams are international. Most teams have many players from all over the world.

Not true. Soccer is actually reasonably popular in the United States, it is just overshadowed by more popular sports with more money and more marketing.

BORING!

--Homer J. Simpson

[Caladan 19]

I must say I am not impressed. I wanted to know why it's called Soccer here and you failed to answer that already.

I'm 27, and female, but here's the answer . So, way back in the way back machine, both soccer and rugby were 'football.' One was 'asSOCiation football', and the other was 'regulation (i think) football', variations on the same game played with slightly different rules. Nicknamed in the lovely British fashion as 'soccer' and 'rugger', and for some reason, the U.S. and Canada hung onto calling it soccer well after the rest of the Anglophone world called it football.

Soccer's popular here, but it's the sport that kids play. If they're talented athletes, they play baseball or basketball or football, and soccer doesn't have the money or the exposure here to draw the top talent. One of my UK friends has remarked that he hopes that the U.S. never develops a soccer tradition, because 'you've got too much money and talent and then you'll dominate the world cup, too.'

[pedroh 21]

Soccer in the US is a kid's sport and wealthy family sports lol..

probly yes, if hte companies invested in Soccer US would have a great change of doing something important.. but I still doubt the americans could watch 2 45 min halves withouth commercial pauses, overtimes, or actually getting excited for an uber game that ended 1-1

[Heracles 417]

NASCAR or Indy Car.. Which is best to watch??

[Mirorgate 0]

I haven't seen to many threads dedicated to discussing male interests ( most of visa journey is composed of women I believe. So I have decided to create a thread where women or men not familar with the great american sports can ask questions or start discussions based on these sports. If you have ever been confused as to why men like these things, or puzzled about American sports this thread is for you. If you don't care that is ok too, just don't troll the thread

So ask away. I consider myself reasonably well versed on this subject matter so hopefully I can provide some insight.

So if you have the ball placement at halfcourt with your outfielder in far left. when the ball is spiked to the center post and skims the net on the rebound... can the halfback truely ground the ball without offside penalty for 15 yards at third base? Or must the forward guard pivot off the goal post to get the corner pick? Could not maybe not the fullback feint back past the blue line with the puck and bounce the ball off of the goal tender to make the 6ball corner pocket?

I've always wondered about that. Sports were so foncusing as a child.

[sarah and hicham 3]

Soccer in the US is a kid's sport and wealthy family sports lol..

probly yes, if hte companies invested in Soccer US would have a great change of doing something important.. but I still doubt the americans could watch 2 45 min halves withouth commercial pauses, overtimes, or actually getting excited for an uber game that ended 1-1

Not soccer, golf.

[luv2teach77 41]

Because the US teams are, by far, the world's best. MLB is the strongest baseball league in the world, and since we invented it, we get to call it a world championship.

Anyway, US teams are international. Most teams have many players from all over the world.

I found this on Wikipedia and have highlighted the interesting sections...

The "World" appellation has stuck despite the fact that only teams in the two major leagues, which happen to cover only the United States and Toronto, Canada, actually participate. At the time the term was first used, baseball at the major league level was played only in the United States. While some would contend that there is no reason to believe that the World Series winner is a significantly better team than any club team outside Major League Baseball, no challenges have been made by other leagues in the last ninety years. Moreover, virtually all the best international players — from the Pacific Rim, Latin America, the Caribbean, and elsewhere — play on Major League rosters, with the notable exception of Cuban nationals, due to the political situation between the USA and Cuba (and even despite this barrier, many of Cuba's finest ballplayers have defected to the United States to play in the American professional leagues).

The World Series winners have occasionally played winter exhibition series against the best players of other leagues around the world, such as Japan. Sometimes the Japanese have gained the upper hand in those series; but since they are only exhibitions, their results cannot be regarded as conclusive. Attempts to pit the North American champions meaningfully against champions in the Japanese or Latin American leagues have not succeeded yet.

A persistent myth is that the "World" in "World Series" came about because the New York World newspaper sponsored it. Baseball researcher Doug Pappas refutes that claim, demonstrating a linear progression from the phrase "World's Championship Series" (used to describe the 1903 series as well as some of the 19th-century postseason series) to "World's Series" (a term first used in the 1880s and which persisted for decades) to "World Series". Furthermore, investigation of the New York World for the relevant years revealed no evidence of the supposed sponsorship. (For details, see Mr. Pappas' web page on the subject.)

In deference to any controversy, more and more the term "World Series Championship" is being used, the subtlety being that it is merely a title and not a political statement.

Baseball tournaments between international teams do occur, notably at the world championships and at the Olympic Games. The United States sends a team of minor league players to the Summer Olympics, as it takes place during the regular Major League season. At the 2004 Summer Olympics the United States was not represented at all, since its team of minor league players did not survive the qualifying rounds. The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) has lobbied MLB to suspend play during the Summer Olympics, so that MLB players might compete for their respective national teams, and has agreed to shorten the Olympic tournament if MLB agrees to free its players. According to the IBAF chairman, such a move would do more to popularize baseball around the world than any amount of money spent by the MLB for its current worldwide marketing.

Early in 2006, Major League Baseball conducted the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Given that the International Olympic Committee recently voted to drop baseball from the Summer Games as a medal sport, WBC supporters hope that this competition will show the IOC that baseball is truly an international game. 16 countries competed in the WBC, including baseball hotbeds Japan, United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Korea, along with China, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Panama. In the final, Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6. The United States, favored by most to make the last stages of the tournament, at least, was eliminated in the second round. MLB plans to hold the WBC again in 2009 and every four years after.

Mark

[CarolineM 0]

Because the US teams are, by far, the world's best. MLB is the strongest baseball league in the world, and since we invented it, we get to call it a world championship.

The US teams are only the best because of the all the foreigners on teams....

[almaty 19]

Because the US teams are, by far, the world's best. MLB is the strongest baseball league in the world, and since we invented it, we get to call it a world championship.

The US teams are only the best because of the all the foreigners on teams....

very true

[Libersolis 0]

Because the US teams are, by far, the world's best. MLB is the strongest baseball league in the world, and since we invented it, we get to call it a world championship.

The US teams are only the best because of the all the foreigners on teams....

very true

I agree. I think baseball in general has declined in popularity among America's youth as there has been an increase in popularity of other sports and generally more things for young kids to do than go outside and play.

Also baseball holds particular appeal for those players in Latin Amerca ( probably the best players in the game today) because of the opportunity it provides for people living in these poor countries to suddenly become millionares and take care of their families for the rest of their lives.

[rclouse 0]

Early in 2006, Major League Baseball conducted the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Given that the International Olympic Committee recently voted to drop baseball from the Summer Games as a medal sport, WBC supporters hope that this competition will show the IOC that baseball is truly an international game. 16 countries competed in the WBC, including baseball hotbeds Japan, United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Korea, along with China, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Panama. In the final, Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6. The United States, favored by most to make the last stages of the tournament, at least, was eliminated in the second round. MLB plans to hold the WBC again in 2009 and every four years after.

Mark

I'm sorry, I'm not going to allow your "facts" to get in the way of my truth. You're wrong.

/edit: fix quote

Edited October 13, 2006 by rclouse

[Libersolis 0]

Early in 2006, Major League Baseball conducted the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Given that the International Olympic Committee recently voted to drop baseball from the Summer Games as a medal sport, WBC supporters hope that this competition will show the IOC that baseball is truly an international game. 16 countries competed in the WBC, including baseball hotbeds Japan, United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Korea, along with China, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Panama. In the final, Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6. The United States, favored by most to make the last stages of the tournament, at least, was eliminated in the second round. MLB plans to hold the WBC again in 2009 and every four years after.

Mark

I'm sorry, I'm not going to allow your "facts" to get in the way of my truth. You're wrong.

/edit: fix quote

To be fair, the U.S. wasn't trotting it's best players out there. AL ###### LEITER started a game and he hasn't been worth a damn in half a decade. Unfortunately not too many of the American players were interested in honoring their country, while you could tell the Latin Teams and Japan were out there to prove something.

Edited October 13, 2006 by Libersolis

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

I'm a 23 American woman and I love sports.

I don't need to ask no stinkin' questions.....

And the answer is INDYCAR. (spoken from a true Hoosier)

Cass (bebop the great)

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

As an American male I have never cared about sports. I played american football when young but rarely watch sports. Give me the History channel.