The World should be Thankful..

[5fish]

Before I discuss the title of this thread, the Beijing Olympic will be here soon so I thought a poll of Olympic Sports(Disciplines) would be interesting to do. It would it interesting to see which Olympic sports(Disciplines) people on our board like to follow.

The title: The World should be Thankful.. for America developing the sports of Football, Baseball, and Basketball, especially Football. If we had not developed these sports I mentioned, we would dominated all the other sports played around the world, like World Cup, Olympics and so forth....

In our nation the sports of Football, Baseball, and Basketball receive our best athletes while the sports that the world follow more closely then us get our second teared athletes.

If it were not for those three sports I have mentioned, I believe American players would dominate Soccer leagues around the world and the World Cup.

If it were not for those three sports I have mentioned, I know we would more then dominate the Olympics we would own the Olympic games.....

My friends outside the borders of our great nation be Thankful, we developed Football, Baseball and Basketball for if not the athletics you would be watching would be Americans athletics dominating the world sporting events.

So be Thankful....

 

[ole]

No volleyball?

ole

 

[5fish]

Ole!

No volleyball?

ole

Sorry Ole,

What was I thinking!! You can vote for it under other and to let you and all others know you can vote multiple times on this poll..

So everyone vote away...

 

[Blockaderunner]

Be thankful there are no Brazilians posting on the forum. They may have something to say about the World Cup.

 

[5fish]

Note..

Be thankful there are no Brazilians posting on the forum. They may have something to say about the World Cup.

Blockderunner,

I am trying to point out if we had not developed those other sports here in America. American would have totally dominated international sporting events during the 20th century. Brazilians would have been 2nd best at best....

 

[timewalker]

5fish:

A little arrogant, wouldn't you say, when a team made up of our professional basketball players can still lose in the Olympics.

 

[matthew mckeon]

No fencing?

 

[5fish]

Time..

5fish:

A little arrogant, wouldn't you say, when a team made up of our professional basketball players can still lose in the Olympics.

Yes,

I may be playing the ugly American in this thread but looked at the facts our best athletes gravitate to our money sports which are ones the world do not play.

Just think about my point....

I do not do ugly well..... I am more of the Greek God type(LOL)

 

[mt155]

Athletes are sport specific. T.O. may be in great shape and a HOF (hall of famer) but just in football only. He couldn't compete in soccer, the decathlon, ping pong or whatever. Look at Deion Sanders, he was an outstanding corner back but just an average baseball player. The baseball was all "prime time" hype. The only exception may have been Bo Jackson

Mike T.

 

[mt155]

Don't forget BMX makes its Olympics debut.

Mike T.

 

[cw1865]

Athleticism

Athletes are sport specific. T.O. may be in great shape and a HOF (hall of famer) but just in football only. He couldn't compete in soccer, the decathlon, ping pong or whatever. Look at Deion Sanders, he was an outstanding corner back but just an average baseball player. The baseball was all "prime time" hype. The only exception may have been Bo Jackson

Mike T.

First off, TO is actually a pretty good basketball player. Yes, he's pro talent at football. But he's good enough to play D1 basketball which while not quite as impressive as the NBA is pretty impressive in its own right.

Deion Sanders, check out his baseball stats. I just looked them up. Over 97 games in 1992 (which is all he played), he hit .304. Yes, he's better known as a football player, but he clearly chose to focus first on football and then on baseball. Frankly, I don't think he would've been as good as say Rickey Henderson, but definitely COULD have been as good as Tim Raines.

 

[5fish]

Mt155..

Athletes are sport specific. T.O. may be in great shape and a HOF (hall of famer) but just in football only. He couldn't compete in soccer, the decathlon, ping pong or whatever. Look at Deion Sanders, he was an outstanding corner back but just an average baseball player. The baseball was all "prime time" hype. The only exception may have been Bo MtJackson

Mike T.

Here's a thought many High School records for track and field and weightlifting are held back High School football players. These duel athletics in the High School go to college and focus on football not track and field or weightlifting.

Here's another thought, if Barry Sanders, Randy Moss and others football greats had focus on Soccer from the time they were six. Do not think they would have been world class soccer players?

Again, the world should be Thankful....

 

[ole]

All these top athletes share common traits: superb conditioning, singlemindedness, dedication, etc. However the swimmer develops different muscles than the runner; the weightlifter trains a different set than the shot-putter. There are examples of decathlon, pentathlon and other superior sportsmen (Jim Thorpe comes to mind), but in today's competitive environment, one can simply not afford to spread out.

ole

 

[cw1865]

Statistics

Blockderunner,

I am trying to point out if we had not developed those other sports here in America. American would have totally dominated international sporting events during the 20th century. Brazilians would have been 2nd best at best....

Statistically a truism, because you would be drawing talent from a larger base....there are always those times when the smaller population base gets 'lucky' and you have some countries that have such a love for a game that statistically 'pro caliber' talent is going to come from them (think Canada:hockey, Dominican Republic:baseball) on a higher per capita basis.

 

[mt155]

I would agree that the us should,not necessarily dominate, but be consistently at the top of the sporting world due to our large and diverse population to draw athletes from. Its like 5A vs 2A in high school sports. Following that logic, China should show better in more than gymnastics and diving.

Mike T.

 

[timewalker]

You also have to factor in money. One reaason the US does well is that it invests money for traning, facilities and trainers. Natural ability is great, but to excel one needs a competant coach and training regimine. That takes money.

 

[samgrant]

I'm interested in how the Chinese will handle the crowds, etc.

 

[5fish]

mt155

I would agree that the us should,not necessarily dominate, but be consistently at the top of the sporting world due to our large and diverse population to draw athletes from. Its like 5A vs 2A in high school sports. Following that logic, China should show better in more than gymnastics and diving.

Mike T.

Do worry China has been planning these Olympic games for a while. They plan on being competitive across a wide range of sports during these Olympic games, National Pride thing.

A note many of the East German "Roid" doctors in the 90's left German for China. I have read that doctors have learned that large percentage of Asians do not show positive on "Roid" test., due to a missing gene...

 

[cw1865]

Come-Uppance

I think China is beyond the 'Communism is great' therefore our athletes must win gold mentality.

To the Chinese these games are symbolic of China's 'come uppance' in the world....This is not the 'Munich' games!

 

[ole]

China is struggling mightily to demonstrate that it is indeed a nation equal to the rest of this plantet's nations. As shallow as it seems, we are as jingoistic as they are. And the Nazi's in 1937. So far, with few exceptions, the Olympics have remained demonstrations of friendly competitiveness on common ground with usually understood rules.

Fortunately, our football, baseball, basketball and soccer fans have not yet stormed the other side's bleachers in a murderous riot. I'm not convinced that it can't happen here.

ole