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• Let's Face It (Score:1)

  by pudge (1)

  The four American (yes, I know the NHL is largely Canadian, but primarily American; basketball and baseball aren't Canadian despite there existing Canadian teams, though) sports leagues are the premiere leagues of their respective sports. The NFL, baseball, hockey, and basketball champions are the world champions. This may not have been the case always in hockey, but it is now. It's always been the case with football and basketball.
  
  In baseball it may no longer be a clear case, I'll grant, with Japan ha
  • Re:Let's Face It (Score:1)

    by jmm (276)

    Baseball has an excuse - the "World Series" winner wins a trophy names after the New York World (a newspaper which ceased to exist long ago). It's an embarassing excuse, since unless you know the real meaning of "World" it just sounds arrogant.
    
    There is a World Cup for football. However that is for a game that applies feet to a ball; and where touching the ball with your hands is a foul unless you are a goalkeeper. America doesn't participate in any significant extent in this event, but claiming that ti
    • Re:Let's Face It (Score:1)

      by pudge (1)

      America does participate significantly in the World Cup. I went to a U.S.-Colombia game that rocked, and the U.S. went on to pose a serious threat to Brazil in the next round.
      
      Anyway, I don't see how you can't call the Patriots the world champions of football. "American" football is implied, and no other team in any other country could possibly beat them. Yes, it is US-centric, but so is American football.
      
      And no, the other countries are not irrelevant, but they only have so many hours in the day to sh
      • Re:Let's Face It (Score:1)

        by jmm (276) <johnNO@SPAMperlwolf.com> on 2002.02.04 15:44 (#4081) Journal

        And no, the other countries are not irrelevant, but they only have so many hours in the day to show the American athletes, and on American networks, American athletes are usually more important. It's not like there's a thing wrong with that, that is how it *should be*. And it is.
        
        No, that is not how it should be. When the third place American gets most of the coverage and the first and second place non-Americans get no coverage at all, it shows a drastically skewed priorities.
        
        Highlighting the performance of a country's own athletes is important, but it is not the only important thing to be covered. It is not even the most important, unless the target audience is incredibly self-centered.

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        • Re:Let's Face It (Score:1)

          by pudge (1)

          Americans want to watch Americans, whether they are in third place, or don't place at all. American TV is for Americans. This isn't rocket science, and it is not in any way wrong. It's the way it is and should be.
          
          I suppose you can keep asserting it's wrong, but that doesn't make it so. Perhaps *you* don't want to see primarily Americans. So what? I don't want to see any figure skating. I don't expect the networks to care what I want and don't want.
          • Re:Let's Face It (Score:1)

            by TorgoX (1933)

            Americans want to watch Americans, whether they are in third place, or don't place at all. American TV is for Americans.
            Speak for yourself, bucko! I'm an American, and all I want to watch is hot amateur Russian action. Athletic action, that is. Mostly.