[NTLK] FW: [ot][soccer][or football][whatever]

From: Tony Kan (tony.kan_at_clear.net.nz)
Date: Thu Jun 13 2002 - 18:06:31 EDT


You might be surprised to hear that there are over 300 cricket teams in
several competitions throughout the US! While in New York I was talking to
a pakistani taxi driver who was a member of one. Apparently at one time
before WW1, cricket was actually much stronger than baseball and the fellow
who invented baseball was also a cricket player of great skill. WW1 meant
that many of the cricket players died giving their lives for their country
and that broke the back of cricket in the States.
Tony.

-----Original Message-----
From: newtontalk-bounce_at_newtontalk.net
[mailto:newtontalk-bounce_at_newtontalk.net]On Behalf Of Jon Glass
Sent: Thursday, 13 June 2002 5:39 p.m.
To: Newtontalk
Subject: Re: [NTLK] [ot][soccer][or football][whatever]

on 6/12/02 10:18 PM, Stephen Jendraszak at stevehj_at_mac.com wrote:

> I was just speculating about
> why international sports like soccer and hockey don't do real well in
> the US. I think Americans savor the SITUATION, and the STRATEGY of
> sport.

And basketball??? And I beg to differ on your assessment of hockey. Believe
me, in Pensacola, _Florida_, my onetime and sometimes home, several minor
league teams have come in gone in several different sports, but the one that
has survived and thrived are the P'cola Ice Pirates--ice hockey! It is a
happening game down south! I grew up in Pittsburgh, and the Pens are in my
blood. Hockey is quite popular. I think it has more to do with the fact that
baseball and US football came first, and developed through time. Not only
that, but you have the entrenched farm system, starting with early
childhood. There is also the fact that the US is not one country, but 50
states, and hundreds of cities. Many of those cities host their own major
league, professional teams--most with teams in all the major US
sports--baseball, football, basketball and/or hockey. What with this all
built up over the past 100 years or so (in the case of baseball) there just
isn't any room left for soccer. Other countries have their sports--Britain
has their Union game, Rugby and Cricket (I love Douglas Adam's assessment of
_that_ sport) :-) for an example. I think you need look no further than the
above to explain it. Not, mind you, that soccer is unpopular. It just
doesn't have any room left for it to develop (I suppose, unless or until
baseball or basketball lose their fans due to labor disputes, etc...) :-)

--
Jon Glass
Krakow, Poland
<jonglass_at_usa.net>
<glasshaus5_at_aol.com>"The man who does not read good books has no advantage
over the man who can't read them."
--Mark Twain

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