Topic: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Yes, there is music involved.
I don't understand your different sports, but which one is the most popular?
1) BASKET
2) ICE HOCKEY
3) BASEBALL
4) AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Here in Europe it is SOCCER, BICYCLING (TOUR DE FRANCE won 7 times by Lance Armstrong.
My question was if these 4 sports are also strong connected with music.
In American football, a sport I am not at all familiar, what are they doing standing in the middle of the field, all heads together and those strange signs you see with their hands, same in Baseball).
And here it comes: where, when and why is a famous band playing music?
Isn't there a gig during the game (before, at the pause, and at the end or am I completely wrong?I only know that a famous singer, like Mariah Carey song at the superbowl.
Is this a honor, is this only for big acts?
THESE ARE MY QUESTIONS, after spending a lot of time, because in most cases you get information about that sport, and as being 100% ignorant about US sportevents.
I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE ANSWERS.
FOR MOST OF YOU IT IS THE MOST NORMAL "THING" but here? NO

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Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Hi Phil, here in Canada ice hockey is our big sport, oh and I stood on the ice pond that the very first hockey was played in 1887 in Windsor, Nova Scotia . In the USA football,baseball,
and basketball are huge. not sure which one is tops. Seems college football is biggest af all.
Nascar racing is also very big in the USA, some races attract a quarter of a million people
which must generate millions of dollars on race day. For me its hockey, the speed, hits,goals,
team work.

hope you have a good day...   Badeye   cool

one caper after another

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

here in the UK its Football or Soccer everywhere else! just my opinion as a footie fan.

"Ho'way the Lads" ( The Toon Army of Newcastle United)


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Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Depending on how it's measured, there's a strong argument that stock car racing is America's #1 observation sport and tennis is America's #1 participation sport. 

That said, it's football and college basketball that get's the die-hards going nuts and spending cash.  Using a measurement of most money spent, I'd have to think that NFL (National Football League) beats them all, though NASCAR (something something Stock Car something Racing) probably comes close and may actually win out. 

The thing about NASCAR that is appealing to me has nothing to do with the cars.  Every event is like a party.  It's three days of tailgating and camping and loud, obnoxious entertainment.  While I've not done that, I do like tailgating and camping and sometimes (though not often) like loud and obnoxious entertainment.  Nothing about NFL appeals to me.

To answer one of your questions, it is sometimes an honor to be selected to sing the National Anthem at the start of a game, or to play at half-time.  Mostly it's considered a good money-making opportunity or good exposure.  By the time you get to the NFL absolutely everything is tainted by marketing and money.  Everything.  NFL is much more about business than it is about sport.  My opinion.  Your mileage may vary. 

While the numbers are down, baseball is still considered "America's Sport".  I guess.  It's fun to go to the games, but I'd rather do just about anything than watch it on TV, or worse yet be forced to play.  Softball, now there's a sport for the masses to play.  I can remember playing softball with beer kegs at first base and third base.  That was fun.  I don't think we even kept score.  We were doing well to count all the way to three to know when to change innings.  Baseball?  It's much too serious.  It's kind of like fly-fishing.  There are people who are very, very serious about perfection in every aspect, and then there's people who just want to catch fish.  Except, I haven't yet met the baseball guys who just want to play baseball and have fun. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

badeye wrote:

Hi Phil, here in Canada ice hockey is our big sport

Hey badeye - I'm a huge hockey fan myself. I was raised in the Catskills of NY and played hockey since I was 3. Now that I live down south, have been following the Hurricanes religiously. I attend a few playoff games on our Cup year in '06, glad to be back in the hunt this year. Just acquired a ticket to this Sunday's game, can't wait! Playoff hockey is the most exciting of any sport, and I am a fan of almost all of them ( the NBA has lost me).

Beautiful spring weather, 3 or 4 hours tailgating, then seeing a great game. Can't beat it!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Hey Topdown, Glad to hear there's more hockey fans out there.
Here in London we have the Junior A London Knights. From this league they are drafted directly to the NHL. Right now we are waiting to start the final series with Windsor. It should be a barn burner. We have John Tavares who will be the #1 NHL draft this year. (he'll end up in Toronto LOL) Windsor has Tyler Hall expected to be #1 in the entry draft. I haven't checked lately but I think London is #6 ranked in the country.
We get Freebee tickets to watch the Knights and it's always a blast. The JLC holds 9,500 and is always sold out.
I gotta agree that Junior sports are gooder to watch cause the kids are playing for their future and aren't spoiled yet.
My boss's brother plays in the NHL for St Louis (I think), can't remember his first name but the last name is Crombeen.
You have a great time watching the Hurricanes and I'll be thinking of you next time my Habs take you on. smile

Enjoy the game smile

Kenny

Just Keepin on Keepin on
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Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

In the US, IMO:
1. Football
2. Baseball
3. Basketball
4. Hockey

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Hey Kenny - I had the pleasure of partying with some Habs fans during our run in '06. It was amazing how many traveled all the way to NC for a hockey game. They said they could travel, buy a ticket and hotel cheaper than they could pay just see a game back home. Anyway, they ware a good bunch of fans. Now... When Buffalo fans come to town there are always problems... we don't like them much.

The Raleigh, NC area has really embraced the sport. I have friends there who have never seen ice that now love the sport and are season ticket holders holders to the canes. I live about a 1-1/2 hour drive and the canes get no press coverage at home. A mention and box score on page 6 of the sports page is about it - even when we won the cup!

Changed my avatar just for the run, done shaving for a long time too I hope!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

geoaguiar wrote:

In the US, IMO:
1. Football
2. Baseball
3. Basketball
4. Hockey

I agree with this one. NASCAR is probably right ther two possibly ahead of Basketball...even though some believe it is the biggest. I still say Football GO BUCS!!

10 (edited by SouthPaw41L 2009-04-15 03:16:57)

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Come on y'all!! Please don't think that the majority of us edu-mah-cated folk here in the USA consider sitting on our rumps down in the seat of an automobile, going round and round in circles for hundreds of miles, turning left( almost always),and  mashing the gas pedal down, a sport. My father is married to a widow of a verysemi- famous pioneer of car racing and I appreciate the sacrifices and risks that car racers face. But these guys are not athletes and driving a car is not a sport. My Grandmother is 89 years old and she drives a car. There is no way my Grandmother could do Mixed Martial Arts. MMA's a real sport and it's the most rapidly inclining sport in the USA over the past 3 years.

And I'm very happy no single indivdual has had the audacity the even suggest golf as a sport. (;>}

And sorry to disagree with you Zurf ( again)but although I was a tennis player back in the McEnroe, Connors, Borg days, I do not know one single person who plays tennis, or watches it on TV today. Maybe I'm just sheltered in my paths of travel but I see dozens of tennis courts down here in sunny Florida and every one of them are empty, unless skateboarders are shreddin' on 'em.................

M.M.A.!!! Watch it, you'll dig it...

Give everything but up.

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Football is the biggest sport here in the US. To answer Docs question, usually there isn't big pre-game and halftime shows at the games...that's just at the Super Bowl. By the way, go Vikes!

After football, I'd say it would go baseball, basketball, hockey (I'd put hockey ahead of basketball, but most other people wouldn't). NASCAR is popular down south but it doesn't gain much traction (no pun intended) up north. And I don't really consider it a sport...but if I did I would still rank below all the others because it's more regional than the others.

I will be the first one to say golf IS a sport Southpaw! Not as strenuous as tennis...but it takes a lot of athletic ability and talent to be good at it. Guys like Phil and Tiger are amazing! Did you see Phil's shot around the tree at the Masters? Wow! I can't hit a draw to save my life and he controled his so well that he put it a foot from the pin! Golf is definitely the number one leisure sport in Minnesota (MN has more golfers per capita than any other state), but I couldn't speak for the rest of the country.

"Do or do not, there is no try." Yoda

12 (edited by quarters 2009-04-15 04:20:59)

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Hey guys, I agree with both of you that NASCAR isn't really a sport....I just didn't want to say cause SOME of those fans are FANATICAL! You know like pro wrestling is real fanatical. Golf is hard, but I'm not sitting at a bar with chicken wings and beer to watch the Masters. MMA is definately gaining in popularity, I just can't get into it but that doesn't make a bit of difference one way or the other.

Its football all the way...we even watch the draft! : )

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

SouthPaw41L wrote:

Florida

'Nuf said. 

Florida is where tennis players go when all they have left is yelling at skateboarding punks to get off their lawns. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

geoaguiar wrote:

In the US, IMO:
1. Football
2. Baseball
3. Basketball
4. Hockey

Definitely agree on this one ... Southpaw, I agree as well ... I was Tennis fiend in the 80's with Lendl, Edberg, Chang, Courier, Sampras, and Agassi ... but since that generation has left the game, it's not exciting IMO ... granted Federer and Nadal have some epic battles, but to me it's not the same

I just wish Soccer would ease its way in there ... I LOVE it but I dont see it surplanting the "big three" anytime soon ... although I LOVE the Seattle Sounders ... and Manchester United of course tongue

"Rhythm drives the Rock-n-Roll train"

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15 (edited by SouthPaw41L 2009-04-16 04:11:13)

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Zurf wrote:
SouthPaw41L wrote:

Florida

'Nuf said. 

Florida is where tennis players go when all they have left is yelling at skateboarding punks to get off their lawns. 

- Zurf

Skateboarding on lawns???? Am I missing a new craze here?

ps-"Skateboarding is not a crime"

Give everything but up.

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

For the record, baseball is the greatest game ever invented.

But football is a real close second.

I absolutely do not get NASCAR at all.  I *love* MotoGP, F1, and World Rally Car, etc...  but NASCAR is 50 year old push rod motors turning left all day long.  The racing is boring (check MotoGP and WSB for great racing).  The cars are uninteresting (Check F1 for cars that make you all excited) , and the track layouts are lame (Laguna Seca would eat a NASCAR driver).   I have tried several times to figure out what the appeal is, and I simply do not get it.

But, for the record, I'll misquote Hemingway, and state that there are only three sports; motor racing, boxing, and baseball.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

How does surfing feature at your coastal areas, after all you have Kelly Slater from Florida who has won the world title 8 or 9 years on a trot, plus you had Rolf Arness who won the world title in 1970. Nascar ? lots of noise and excitement, lots of noise and excitement, lots of - you get my drift

Keep on Rocking and remember Animals Feel Pain Too.

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

SouthPaw41L wrote:
Zurf wrote:
SouthPaw41L wrote:

Florida

'Nuf said. 

Florida is where tennis players go when all they have left is yelling at skateboarding punks to get off their lawns. 

- Zurf

Skateboarding on lawns???? Am I missing a new craze here?

ps-"Skateboarding is not a crime"

First, I said skateboarders.  I did not say they were skateboarding at the time.

Second, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagodigarda/100829629/ 

Third, http://www.flickr.com/photos/36961634@N00/472971844/

big_smile

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Second, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagodigarda/100829629/ 

AWESOME!!!!

Give everything but up.

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

SouthPaw41L wrote:

Second, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagodigarda/100829629/ 

AWESOME!!!!

I second that...where do I get an asphalt front lawn....more time for strumming...

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

SouthPaw41L wrote:

And sorry to disagree with you Zurf ( again)but although I was a tennis player back in the McEnroe, Connors, Borg days, I do not know one single person who plays tennis, or watches it on TV today. Maybe I'm just sheltered in my paths of travel but I see dozens of tennis courts down here in sunny Florida and every one of them are empty, unless skateboarders are shreddin' on 'em.................

M.M.A.!!! Watch it, you'll dig it...

That's dissapointing to hear. If I remember correctly, Tennis used to be a big thing in Florida. A lot of pro tennis academies (Nick Bolletierri, Van Gophy) in Ft. Lauderdale were very recognized. I also remember that when I played the juniors, some of the biggest ATP satellite tournaments were in Florida as well. But, I'm from an earlier generation (Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, etc...) just like you.

MMA is definitely something to watch. I like Anderson Silva and George St-Pierre in UFC.

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

SouthPaw41L wrote:

Second, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagodigarda/100829629/ 

AWESOME!!!!

Doesn't that look cool?  Makes me want to buy one and go fall down a lot.

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

23 (edited by SouthPaw41L 2009-04-16 16:55:06)

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Zurf wrote:
SouthPaw41L wrote:

Second, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lagodigarda/100829629/ 

AWESOME!!!!

Doesn't that look cool?  Makes me want to buy one and go fall down a lot.

- Zurf

Yeah it looks cool. I gotta get me one too so I can tick off all the blue hairs down here.(haha) And falling down on grass and dirt is much less painful than bitin' it on concrete and asphalt...... This thing would be lots of fun up in the hills of Virginia! Here's some additional info on "Mountainboarding"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountainboarding

and here's one in Ireland;
http://www.surfindirt.co.uk/index2.html

Give everything but up.

Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

Tried to watch baseball once, but couldn't stand all the close-ups of players spitting. What's all that about? It's just not cricket, old boy!

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Re: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT IN THE USA

normtheguitar wrote:

Tried to watch baseball once, but couldn't stand all the close-ups of players spitting. What's all that about? It's just not cricket, old boy!

That is correct.  It is not cricket.   Baseball has rules that make sense.  big_smile

Cricket was once described to me as seven straight days of drinking.   And while I can appreciate that, it doesn't make the game any more understandable.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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