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-- Read the List FAQ/Etiquette: http://www.newtontalk.net/faq.html Read the Newton FAQ: http://www.guns-media.com/mirrors/newton/faq/ This is the NewtonTalk mailing list - http://www.newtontalk.net
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