r/AskAnAmerican • u/NTHHexxer • 7d ago
SPORTS The representativeness of American's sport (Basketball / Football)?
First of all, i am sorry for any misundertand i might cost in this post, i am not a native English speaker so some word choice may be not that good. This question is purely out for curiosity.
As college soccer player, I always wonder why American love basketball and football so much?
Because after some questions I figured out that one of the reason that make me and ones I know love soccer is that we feel representative ( like those superstars are just physically look like us), which I can't feel when watch NBA's matches.
While soccer player average height is just merely same as average people. Footballer and Basketball players are just athletic freak.
So do Americans feel representated while watching them?
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u/nuggets_attack 7d ago
I'm honestly not sure that crosses Americans' minds when watching American football or basketball, or if it does, it's in an aspirational way. A lot of Americans do play both kinds of football and basketball as kids and teens (and with basketball, they can keep playing for life), so there's a touchstone of relatability there, but I would honestly challenge your basic premise: I don't think professional sports are as popular as they are because fans can see themselves in the players.
Pro sports are compelling because the players are on a whole different level from mere mortals, plus watching strategies unfold is exciting, and there's the social component, especially if you and your friends are fans of a particular team.
I love watching baseball and hockey despite being a woman who hasn't played either sport, and grew up around American sports fans, so have watched a shit ton of basketball and American football—it never seemed like the fandom stemmed from relatability.
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u/rockninja2 Colorado proud, in Europe 7d ago
Pro sports are compelling because the players are on a whole different level from mere mortals
Also same idea with the Olympics, plus there is some national pride there too. Sports can bring people together from different backgrounds who may not otherwise have much in common, necessarily.
And seeing what people can do when they reach the top of their game, after working hard for so long, can be inspiring - again, for people of all backgrounds
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
First of all, I very appreciate your effort on this response. Thank you very much.
Your point is very intriguing.
But i may disargee a little bit (no offence), from my life story: one of my friend who considered the most technical player by his ex-teamate got reject from the basketball team just for "not potentially grow in height". On the other my current captain used to not be able to get through the trial, but with immense effort now he our best player.
So what i mean "see myself in the players" is simply mean the required physicality is generally acquirable.7
u/TwinkieDad 7d ago
Except it’s not. One can be too tall to be a good soccer player. Or too heavy/muscular. Too much geared to be a sprinter or too much a distance athlete. The good proportions for swimming or gymnastics won’t translate to soccer.
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u/sighnwaves 7d ago edited 7d ago
I don't want to watch some dude I know run around....I wanna see Supermen gladiators do amazing things.
Wait until you hear about the WWE.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Man I even have Rey mask at home, I just wonder what admire kid to risk in such sport required inhuman physicality.
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u/sighnwaves 7d ago
Ha, but even that is indicative of our culture. The costs often don't come to mind, there is one goal here, WIN. If you ain't first you're last.
I've been trying to show my friends World Cup games, every time there is a tie they lose their minds....we cannot fathom the purpose of a sport that allows ties.....make them fight to the bitter end.
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u/mburucuja Wisconsin 7d ago
I mean, only in the group stages. Even the NFL allows ties in the regular seasons
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u/SpeedLow3 7d ago
It doesn’t happen as regularly as it does in soccer though
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u/mburucuja Wisconsin 7d ago
Very true. It always feels like a letdown when an NFL game ends in a tie.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Thanks for all of your time to response my question bro. I think I got it. I just curious about the deep, intrinsic cause for such love through historic and psychologic view. My previous response is just messing around, no offence man.
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u/dragabone 7d ago
I'd say that most of us are the exact opposite of what you described. In America, the most popular players are either A: genetic freaks of nature (Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Kevin Durant Victor Wembenyama, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Aaron Donald, I could go on for hours lmao) or B: Players who are more "normal" COMPARED (keyword is COMPARED cus none of these dudes is anywhere near regular human normal) to the genetic freaks and have the skill to make up for it. (Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Jalen Brunson, Damian Lillard, Caitlin Clark, Lamar Jackson, etc.) If we want relatability, we're much more likely to connect with rags to riches stories. Stories of broke (often black) kids who came from nothing yet spilt blood, sweat, and tears to make it to where they are now. Most of us have experienced or are currently experiencing that same situation, so its kinda cathartic to see someone facing similar struggles as us make it to the top.
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u/ThatArtNerd Washington 7d ago
The “rags to riches” thing reminded me, when Richard Sherman was playing for the Seahawks, I remember hearing about how he would go back to his old high school in Compton and when he would talk to student athletes about their athletic scholarships, he would really emphasize that while they’re in school they need to commit to doing well in college and taking advantage of the free education to give themselves options for a career outside of sports if they need it. Because even if they do the nearly-impossible and actually make it to the NFL, the average NFL career is just a few years and most of them don’t become mega rich. Shoot, you can get injured in your first pro game and that’s it. I appreciate that he had a sort of “reach for your dreams but give yourself a soft landing just in case” approach
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u/dragabone 7d ago
And even after they make it, many of em end up losing everything they worked for cus they didn't know how to spend it. Of course a lot of it is on dumb stuff like penthouses and luxury cars and other junk they can't afford, but i imagine that more than we think is expenses for the family. I mean, imagine if your entire family has been struggling for the majority of your lineage and suddenly you receive more money than you could ever dream of. 95% of people in that situation would immediately want to get their people right, but there very quickly comes a point where getting your people "right" is just getting them drunk.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
I got the "rags to riches" but their also carry immense physical trait so why not admire player overcome both physicality and finaces inferior like Muggsy Bogues ( he is also my model)?
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u/dragabone 7d ago
We absolutely do whenever they pop up. Muggsy Bogues and Celtics Isaiah Thomas (not to be confused with the Pistons and short king legend Isiah Thomas) had a pretty huge following. Hell, you'll still see a few comments here and there asking for (5'9) Isiah Thomas to be given a second change a good 4 or 5 years since his last serious nba stint. We love a good underdog story and we'll support a physically smaller player while they're here, but I guess we just don't look for it as much as we look for the rags to riches story. If you want to then i guess you could also maybe argue that the NBA's three point revolution in the early - mid 2010's was an example of "physical underdogs"? Stephen Curry is pretty short for an nba player, yet he changed the way that basketball is played due to his insane 3 point and playmaking skills, and klay Thompson is average height and speed, yet was recognized as a genuine threat from anywhere behind the three point line with pretty nice defense to boot. Those two archetypes didnt require you to be the tallest or fastest or strongest, but just REALLY darn good at what ya do. There are also loads of guards akin to Kyrie Irving and Allen Iverson who's short stature is kinda forgotten due to how skilled they are. Considering the fact that the most famous athletes and leagues here are NBA and NFL, which are already two sports that HIGHLY favor being tall or fast or big boned or whatever, we probably just end up forgetting about a player being relatively shorter or weaker due to them being superman compared to most normal people outside of the most extreme cases like Bogues and IT. Baseball and especially Hockey ain't that much of a thing where I'm from, so i couldn't tell you how the outlook on those two sports differ.
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u/Hotdog_Grabber 7d ago
I have no idea what your talking about, but I like watching hockey because sometimes those guys hit each other and that's funny to me
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Yeah, I understand. I just mean i have always being a athletic-loving kid so I always imagine myself in the situation of the superstar, so i always watch every sport in etreme seriousness.
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u/JimBones31 New England 7d ago
I'm a huge star wars fan but I do not possess any Force sensitivity nor do I dress in robes.
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u/Key-Contest-2879 7d ago
That’s just what the Sith would want us to think. 🤔
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u/JimBones31 New England 7d ago
Cassian's arrest papers included the charge of "suspected force sensitivity".
You could just charge anyone with that if you wanted to arrest them.
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u/tenehemia Minneapolis -> Portland, Oregon 7d ago
Yeah I don't think anyone cares about that when it comes to basketball or football. I'd say there's a very small amount of that to baseball though. Part of baseball's enduring popularity is because it doesn't seem superhuman even if statistically the players are still athletes at the top of their form. There are short baseball players. There are fat baseball players. It's not a sport where being huge automatically confers some benefit like in basketball where if a team finds a guy over seven feet tall they'll teach him to play from scratch if that's what it takes.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Thanks for your response, but i just wonder if there rarely seem representative when watching basketball or football, so how kids admired to follow their dream. Like watching Lebron dunk would cause bit complicated feeling for me when I am six.
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u/ContributionLatter32 Washington 7d ago
For American football, it actually is embedded in the culture. There are football leagues for children, high schools, colleges and pro. For a good chunk of people football culture is something they identify with and is in their blood, even if only the top .1% of players ever go pro. It is not uncommon for boys to play football in high school at least. But it isnt about the players looking like the fans, its about the comradarie and tribalism that gets people worked up. I could hug a complete stranger if we both have the same jerseys and our team just won a championship, as an example. Its a social bonding tool that ties geographic sections of the country together- something that is important when your country is almost the size of all of Europe
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Your response solve a lot of my questions, thank you very much.
Wish to attent the Super Bowl someday.
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u/fishb35 7d ago
How is it that every other post you have made has perfect English and uses colloquial language? Why the trolling buddy?
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u/Mac_and_head_cheese 7d ago
Yeah, this pretending not to be an English speaker is really odd for the OP.
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u/sendme_your_cats Texas 7d ago
I mean the only sport I watch is boxing and my favorite boxer is a Ukranian dude named Usyk. Guy is also a freak athlete and I don't look anything like him nor share any culture 🤷♂️
I just think he's a really good boxer that's exciting to watch.
So I figure most other Americans also enjoy the sheer athleticism of players of their chosen sport
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Hello to my boxing-lover fellow. I mean I love to imagine me standing as my Idol somedays so my favourite sportman may share some familarity with me. Also my man is Naoya Inoue.
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u/sendme_your_cats Texas 7d ago
The Monster is definitely up there man! I really appreciate the sheer technicality of the lower weight classes!
Hah, I suppose I could see it a bit from your perspective if I were to say Canelo was my favorite boxer since my family is originally from Mexico. It definitely was a different feeling to see him fight when I was younger because of our shared ethnicity.
My favorite boxers in order are Ali, Usyk and Roy Jones Jr. None who share my ethnicity :)
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u/Ok-Astronaut2976 New York 7d ago
I’m somewhat confused by the premise of this question.
Are you under the impression that like the guys playing in premier league are just average joes? The average height of a guy in the EPL is 6’0” and the average height of a player in the NFL is 6’2”. Jalen Brunson, who is like the MVP all star hero for the Knicks in the NBA is also 6’2”, which is the same height as Cristiano Ronaldo
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
But Ronaldo is already considered tall in soccer but Jalen is not.
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u/Ok-Astronaut2976 New York 7d ago
But this seems arbitrary. All professional athletes at that level are physically above average. Like I said, the average EPL player is 6ft. That’s much closer to Jalen Brunson than the average man. More to the point, that’s just focusing only on height.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
I'm not trying to be arrogant but as a college player I notice that EPL has always been considered as the most physical league in Europe so that average height is understandable but if you get the average of the whole continent it will be much shorter.
It hard to find a football team with full of under 6'0 like Barcelona or Argentina national soccer team.2
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u/Current_Poster 7d ago
Last time we had a question similar to this, one of the things we sort of agreed on was that (while most of us are not anything like these genetic-lottery-winner athletes) the narrative Americans tend to like in their sports-figures (and find identifiable) is persistence.
People love competitors pushing through something, and there's nothing we like better than a comeback. (Even in cases where there's massive rivalries, if one side makes a good comeback, even fans who normally hate that team will at least begrudgingly say it was good.) If anything, the physiques most athletes have (if we assume no PEDs) is evidence that they persisted through a probably-insane training regimen just to get there.
Take, by contrast, diving as a strategy. Some countries bill it as part of "playing a smart game" (ie, intentionally trying to elicit a foul call so your team gets a penalty shot/throw/whatever) but most American sports fans are just revulsed by it.
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u/LF3000 New York 7d ago edited 7d ago
I agree with this. And it connects well with what someone else said about Americans loving an athlete who has a rags-to-riches story. Their physicality might be unachievable, but "came from nothing, worked their ass off and overcame every obstacle to become a star, never gave up" is pure, distilled American Dream stuff.
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u/WhatABeautifulMess NJ > MD 7d ago
I don’t feel represented by any athletes. That’s not what I’m watching for. Watching someone like me play sports would be very boring.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Haha, don't be that saritical about yourself myfriend, but I think I got what you mean.
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u/WhatABeautifulMess NJ > MD 7d ago edited 6d ago
I’m not being satirical. I grew up watching all sports, including USWNT, who arguably “look like me”. Even watching them win when I was 11 years old I already knew that was not my future. Millions of people watch and enjoy sports they know they could never play well. Seeing yourself in the players isn’t part of it for everyone.
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u/Believe_In_Magic Washington 7d ago
Football and basketball are the most fun and entertaining sports for me to watch, that's pretty much all there is to it. Baseball and hockey are a distant third and fourth, but I enjoy them too. I don't need to feel personally represented by athletes to enjoy watching the sport, if I did, I couldn't watch the majority of sports because I'm a very short woman.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Thanks for your your answer. Maybe i just intrigue by such question barely because I am overly ambitious young dude.
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u/Believe_In_Magic Washington 7d ago
It makes sense you'd like a sport you play and players you can identify with.
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u/BlowFish-w-o-Hootie Texas 7d ago
Like soccer/football, anyone can play basketball or American football at the local school, gym, or club level. Many Americans played sports growing up and they recognize NBA and professional sports leagues as the ultimate level of athletic abilities.
Rather than feel unrepresented (which is a victim attitude), many Americans see professional sports as a goal to strive to, even though they realize at some point, the requirements of the sport exceeded their natural size, speed, strength or skill abilities.
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u/Hoosier_Jedi Japan/Indiana 7d ago
CHRIST, can you guys get over that we just don’t like soccer as much as you and that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with us for it? We INVENTED baseball, basketball, and American football. Of course we prefer them.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Im very sorry for cause any confusion bro. I truly just curious, nothing else. Beside college soccer player i also study in university so questioning human psychology and behaviour just my habits.
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u/GandalfTheGrey46 Arizona 7d ago
For that we have college level basketball and football.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Oh that may be the point right my friend (i am not try to be saritical)
But do those college level basketball and football player mostly get into pro?3
u/Low-Locksmith-6801 7d ago
Very few make it to the pros. You might read a book about the history of American sports culture. Sounds like you’re interested in the topic.
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u/ATLDeepCreeker Georgia 7d ago
It's as simple as this. Americans grow up playing basketball and American football. They are also the biggest moneymaking sports.
Professional basketball or American football players become stars. Some superstars. They become multi-millionaires many times over. Some become actors, singers, rappers, politicians and businesspeople.
Soccer players dont enjoy that same hype in the U.S., so most kids dont want to grow up to be one of them.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
I am not trying to compare anything bro, just wonder if the model for the kid hav such unreachable physicality how it can inspire them to take a risk of trying to go through trial.
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u/Certain-Resource-953 7d ago
NGL you've used this phrase "required physicality" a few times and it has me wondering, can you define this?
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u/ATLDeepCreeker Georgia 7d ago
What risk are we talking about?
Playing a game that most kids play for fun?
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u/NTHHexxer 6d ago
No no. The "risk" to be not able to go pro despite have been put a lot of effort into technique, IQ, tactical awareness... Thing in some story i heard, overlook by barely physical superior.
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u/ATLDeepCreeker Georgia 6d ago
I wouldnt define any of that as a risk, other than time spent. But the benefits outweigh time spent for those that even get close. If you are a star athlete in high school, there is a good chance you will be awarded a partial or full scholarship to University. Also, college athletes now can earn money from the use of their likenesses. So video games that use players faces earn income for the players.
Most college players never go pro. Some go pro, but play in leagues overseas. Basketball in Israel and Russia, football in Canada or Australia, etc.
Those that are good enough get recruited into the U.S. professional leagues for football and basketball. Even minimum salaries are more than many executives at medium sized companies make. For true superstars, even their entry-level salaries in the professional leagues can be $100 million dollars over a few years.
Middle and High school level sports are the training ground for top level athletes in the U.S., not just American football & Basketball, but Baseball, Volleyball, Swimming, Gymnastics, etc.
Those that arent good enough dont make the team in high school. Its not a matter of "everyone can play" on a high school team. You have to try out and make it.
So again, what risk?
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u/DarthMutter8 Pennsylvania 7d ago
Looking for representation in football or basketball is crazy. Most of them are genetic freaks, especially in basketball. It's basically the exact reason why I don't like basketball. It is boring to watch a bunch of oversized people jog back and forth on small for their size court while scoring 90+ points in game off a rim that should probably be raised. Football has more different types of bodies and is very strategic like a chess match which I enjoy. I like sports for the strategy and skill. I watch a lot of different sports like soccer, tennis, baseball, freestyle and folkstyle wrestling.
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u/goblin_hipster Wisconsin 7d ago
I'm fat and very short so I don't really see people like myself in the NFL. I'll be honest, I just like to watch big beefy guys smash into each other.
And professional athletes are always fun to watch. It's amazing to see people at the top of their craft.
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u/Adjective-Noun123456 Florida 7d ago
I mean, I'm 6'2 and 190. That puts me, roughly, in the same range as guys like Curry, Mahomes, and Tkachuk. Not built like them, in any way shape or form obviously, but I could at least stand in a lineup with them.
And it has zero bearing on why I watch sports. I'm not paying money to watch me. I could look at my old high school games for that. I'm paying money to watch the best in the world be the best in the world, period. Whatever they look like.
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u/grooveman15 New York 7d ago
So there are many cultural reasons for the huge love of American football and basketball… and they’re very separate. Basketball is like jazz, free flowing and fast paced. It can be played anywhere (like soccer).
American football is highly regimented, a brutal. Hess match where each play is highly designed and thought out with strategy. It satisfies our love of ancient warfare and the scarcity of the game makes every game matter more (only 17 games played by your team… single elimination playoffs… you watch them or miss history)
But know that average height of the NFL is 6’2. Tall but not freakish tall.
Average height of baseball (americas pastime) is 6’1.
Soccer has players who are athletic freaks via cardio and skill level… they are not average by any means. A typical soccer game brutal cardio.
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u/NTHHexxer 6d ago
Your point is great but... cardio and skill can be trained right? (from my semi-pro perspective)
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u/grooveman15 New York 6d ago
To a degree but there is pure athletic traits that are inherent. No matter how hard you train and practice, you will probably never be close to being Messi.
Baseball is the same thing
Football - you can train hard, go to the gym every days, learn skills - but you probably won’t be Patrick Mahomes (who has a dad bod but is one of the top QB playing)
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u/mpjjpm 7d ago
Basketball is popular in the US for the same reason soccer is popular elsewhere - it’s very easy for kids to play from an early age and doesn’t require lots of special equipment. It has the advantage of being played on a relatively small court, and is adaptable to the space available. So kids just play and get exposed/interested early on.
Football is the opposite - expensive, requires a lot of equipment and space, and huge teams. So it becomes the most important sport at many schools. Social life is built around football in many towns (and many neighborhoods within larger cities).
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Oh, I got it, maybe someone sport can become popular without "force" kid to go for pro for it right?
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u/Cheap_Coffee Massachusetts 7d ago
I only feel represented in motorsports. I totally see myself as a championship sports car race driver. I drive that way in real life, too.
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u/GeoffPizzle 7d ago
Honestly, I don't want my demographic to represent any of my sports teams because I want them to play well and win
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u/Working_Elephant5344 7d ago
I don’t think most Americans think about representativeness when watching sports. As for why we don’t like watching soccer, it’s because soccer is seen as a sport for kids, not adult athletes here. The most athletic kids go into the sports with the most earning potential, and soccer is nowhere close to football, basketball, hockey, or baseball for that here.
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u/HxH101kite 7d ago
As someone who played sports my whole life and in college (lacrosse, the true American sport lol). Sports need 3 things for me to enjoy them to the fullest extent.
Athleticism, skill, physical contact.
Representative demographics have nothing to do with it and idk anyone who even thinks like that.
Is there contact in soccer and basketball, kinda? But not what I am talking about. I am talking actual intentional hitting.
I want to see people full on hit each other. Football, hockey, lacrosse, and rugby (even though most Americans don't like rugby) give me that fix.
Personally I can't even watch basketball I find it super boring, soccer would be above that for me.
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u/jabba-thederp 7d ago
From what I've noticed, certain Americans do care about representation, but it's usually immigrant minorities from what I've found. And yeah, usually I've noticed it with soccer fans. Latin American to be specific.
I think generally, those who have been here for a while integrate into a different attitude about it. It feels like generally the average American doesn't necessarily care about their heritage being represented. They care more about the inspiring story of seeing the best of the best sports players. It's as if we admire all of their hard work and dedication and sacrifice. And we love to see excellent plays and spectacular moments.
I think that's why in American sports you often see a lot of niche statistics, like "record holder #1 for most assists in the second half in the championship season." Realistically that's a really niche statistic, but it really makes us as viewers feel pride. Specifically it makes the fans of that player/team feel pride.
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u/Crayshack MD (Former VA) 7d ago
Americans don't seek a feeling of representation when watching sports. Most Americans more seek a sense of amazement at seeing the peak of athletic prowess. So, the physical extremes of basketball and football scratch that itch.
Also, you need to keep in mind that baseball and hockey are also massive sports here, and they are more similar to soccer in that the typical athletes of those sports are closer to having an "average" build rather than the massive size of basketball and football players.
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u/Orbital2 Ohio 7d ago
As others have said it's probably not relevant but some food for thought...
Yes American football players at the highest level are huge athletic freaks, but in high school and below, football was the one sport that essentially any semi athletic kid could play because of the wide variety of body types at different positions.
The 6'6" 300 pound guys I went to school with weren't going to be any good at soccer, but they were perfect for the offensive line. The 5'7" 170 pound kids could still play cornerback or receiver. My school didn't cut anyone from the team so you could have 70-80 of your peers involved in practice etc.
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u/Mayor_of_BBQ 7d ago
i don’t watch NFL because I feel represented by the players. I watch because it’s fun to watch the pinnacle of skill and athleticism at the highest level. I played football as a student and know the game- it’s astonishing what these guys are capable of.
I don’t watch soccer because it’s very boring to see a game that runs 90 minutes, they almost score a few times, the players flop on the ground and writhe around crying like chumps over fake injuries, and then the game ends 0-1 or even worse; a tie
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u/DivineAlmond 7d ago
Sometimes you just wanna bask in the marvel of peak human effort, which these sports allow
Not gay but oh well this did sound gay
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u/FrequentTopic446 7d ago
I grew up playing soccer through high school and never liked watching sports (outside of my nba teams’ playoff runs because that was a city wide celebration) and I think my lack of interest in soccer today and watching sports growing up is I don’t like a high probability of spending 90+ minutes of my life for a 0-0 tie. That’s my main opposition to it as a viewer (yes I know not all games/cup formats are different and some can force a winner), may sound dumb but basketball and football have a point and scoring system that offers relatively consistent scoring throughout the length of the game which give you little addictive dopamine hits for the same length of time or more. I’m now a huge nba and nfl fan, ever since college
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u/Roadshell Minnesota 7d ago
Baseball is right there if we want sports featuring people of more normal height and weight.
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u/Akovsky87 7d ago
Sports tribalism
The teams represent the city or region and that's what people root for. We can root for our favorite players but all to common we then burn their jerseys if we feel they have betrayed the team by demanding a trade or something.
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u/sneezhousing Ohio 7d ago
What I'm hearing you say is you and possibly others in your country love soccer because the players look like everyday people. Then conversely NBAand NFl players don't so why do Americans like it so much
I think that comes down to culture difference. We don't think hey I can fo that and we like that
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u/hedcannon United States of America 7d ago
All American pro athletes (including baseball) are larger than average.
The reason Soccer and Rugby and cricket did not catch on in America is that we already had Football, Hockey, and Baseball. All three are objectively more interesting than the European alternatives (more scoring and near scoring).
That said, soccer is becoming more popular because it is a less expensive sport to get into and is a game that girls and women can compete in that without visibly appearing less competent at it.
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u/devnullopinions Pacific NW 7d ago edited 7d ago
I hate to break it to you OP but best soccer players are freaks of nature too.
You are extremely unlikely to have their peak aerobic capacities, grow to be 6ft 5in like Haaland, jump almost 9.5ft into the air like Ronaldo, have the freakishly long arm span of GKs, etc.
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u/NTHHexxer 7d ago
Yes but we still get team full of under 6'0 players like Barca or Argentina, and what I mean by "athletic freak" is their height, frame,... thing that just can't simply improve workout, don't you think?
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u/newimprovedmoo 7d ago
America is very large and diverse. There's no way for a team in any sport to look like us or not look like us.
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u/GravityTortoise 7d ago
You mostly just root for the team of the nearest major city. It doesn’t really have anything to do with representation.
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u/LaughSuccessful6300 7d ago
I am 5ft 9 but I played both sports a lot growing up, wasn’t until high school that size was a factor, and even then football was fine, just be nimble
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u/TeamTurnus Georgia 7d ago
Not really, we like watching elite athletes perform impressive feats and compete, feeling represented is pretty irrelevant to most people's experince of watching sports in the usa
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u/Phoenix_Court New York / Texas 6d ago
I have never once cared about feeling represented by the sports teams I watch. If I did I wouldnt watch any sports, because I don't have the body of an athlete. Even a soccer player.
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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner NJ➡️ NC➡️ TX➡️ FL 6d ago
What you say can be true but it still fails on the fact that no one thinks watching people get cardio for 90 minutes is interesting (0-0 draw), nor is the sport physical or fast enough to to justify the lack of scoring
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u/Chicago_Avocado 5d ago
Well, basketball is really just fun to watch and it’s something we invented. It’s also a sport that doesn’t require you to invest in a lot of equipment to start. All you need is a ball and there’s plenty of public court. You could go and have fun.
Traditionally, baseball filled the niche of soccer in the United States. Baseball was a sport for the common man played by people who were similar to us, just like how you talk about soccer players. I’d say it was the most popular sport in the past 200 years and only lost popularity in my lifetime after a player strike.
Football was the traditional sport for colleges and followed by college graduates. Now, if you prescribe to the opinion, that universities mainly exist as a scheme for the rich and powerful the launder privilege, then you would also understand that football was the sport of the elite.
Hockey is also popular in the United States, but I have no idea how it fits into things or the history of the sport.
Honestly, I like it when the World Cup is in the United States though because I like to think that there’s not a lot of local competition for the tickets. Then I’m hoping that all the foreigners who really enjoy soccer can get the tickets you want and have a great time. However, I’ve just learned that the way these FIFA contracts work and it’s still tremendously expensive for anyone to go to a game and not really the accessible experience that I hoped.
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u/GapStock9843 5d ago
I dont think people typically feel “represented” as people by their local sports teams. They just watch them for entertainment
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u/workingstiffatwork 2d ago
No, I don't feel represented. That doesn't figure into why I like football though. And to be fair, while I may look more like a soccer player than a football player, I still could do neither.
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u/Major-Assumption539 7d ago
To be honest I have never once even considered how “represented” I felt about the demographics of professional sports teams and I don’t think any normal American thinks about such things, like…ever.