Quote:
Originally posted by Roger Lee
There's actually a fairly solid reason for this. First off, most of the rest of the world doesn't play the same games we do when we proclaim ourselves world champions.
You'll notice that the Stanley Cup isn't considered the "World championship", mainly because perhaps 75% of the Russian teams out there would wipe the rink with the best American team and we know it. 1980 was a fluke. Same with Canada, if they'd ever get their act together.
Roger -Dot- Lee, pontificating to the choir again
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OK, lots of corrections here (I am a big sports fan) -
The only game we play that the rest of the world does not play is what we call football. Every other game I can think of is world played.
This is what I am saying - Players, media, almost everyone says "World champs". It's offensive. It gives the U.S. a black eye.
Even the seven team indoor soccer league the Baltimore Blast has won twice in a row - they say it! Although the teams have players from all over the world, they are not "world champions".
Your knowledge of hockey is not correct. The Hockey World Championships are much more prestigious than the Olympics. Canada has won it twice in a row. Most NHL hockey players are Canadian, but Europeans make up over 1/4 of the rosters (a close second). Same with baseball - 1/3 of players are from Latin America.
The Russians are not that good anymore since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their teams are diluted, and countries like the Czech Republic are dominant.
Of course this year, no one is playing NHL hockey
The Stanley Cup is so named because of the history of the sport. All of the major awards for teams and players are named after founding members. That's the only reason for it. Trust me - they call themselves world champs too.
Any finally, my youngest plays soccer - it's because the leagues are well organized. He only playes 12 games and then forgets about it the rest of the year. It's contact, believe me. And it's riddled with the same crap other youth sports have - overbearing parents, obnoxious kids, and a winning at any cost mentality. But I don't see the soccer mom thing. I take offense to the whole soccer view - he just likes to run around, that's all. And look at lacrosse (huge in these parts). Tons of contact, often brutal - but played by preppies and snobby kids mostly. It's not what it seems.
I too, love billiards - would like a match....but no betting please.