Sports in other countries (split)

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The lack of basketball talent in most of the world is perfectly exemplified by Faried constantly putting up superstar stats in FIBA play. A solid player but certainly not the superstar the rest of the world is making him appear to be.

I would counter that a little, and say that that's the exact value of Kenneth Faried. He's not a Hall of Fame player, he's not a great player... he's probably not even an All-Star (although he'll probably make it once in his career, like a Gerald Wallace did), but he doesn't need shots, he does all the little things, he doesn't take plays off. And, perhaps more importantly, he doesn't mind being a roleplayer on a team like this. He's averaging fourteen points a game in this tournament, basically, just off of hustle.

Faried is a perfect example of what separates the United States from the rest of the world in basketball: our athletes are better*, and when we play team ball, it's difficult to beat us, even with a team as talented as Spain.


*- When I say our athletes are better, I'm talking about the same thing that also makes us a non-entity in the FIFA World Cup: we're basically the only country in the world where our best athletes don't play futbol.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

we're basically the only country in the world where our best athletes don't play futbol.

Two biggest countries in the world (China and India) don't either, arrogant Americans

 

[upinsmoke]

Why China Is Not In The World Cup (U20 Team Fail):

Two biggest countries in the world (China and India) don't either, arrogant Americans

 

[Bricklayer]

Two biggest countries in the world (China and India) don't either, arrogant Americans

What DO they play in China? Ping pong? India is what? Cricket? I don't think those are sports that really require great athletes. Coming from such a heavily sported country, its sometimes a bit hard to imagine what people in some countries are doing/playing. Of course, in the poorer ones, what they are doing is called fighting for subsistence, not wasting their time bouncing/kicking a ball.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Two biggest countries in the world (China and India) don't either, arrogant Americans

China and India still only account for, roughly, twenty-nine percent of the world's population. So, yeah, I'm going to stand by that, since I figure that 5-point-whatever billion people (less the United States and Canada) is as close to "the rest of the world" as makes no odds.

 

[upinsmoke]

This thread is treading lightly on the political side VF21 cant be very far behind.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

What DO they play in China? Ping pong? India is what? Cricket? I don't think those are sports that really require great athletes. Coming from such a heavily sported country, its sometimes a bit hard to imagine what people in some countries are doing/playing. Of course, in the poorer ones, what they are doing is called fighting for subsistence, not wasting their time bouncing/kicking a ball.

I think that most people who don't live in a hole understand that cricket is India's national sport, but a casual observer of a cricket match would not look at those guys and think, "Man, those are some really elite athletes out there!"

I have no idea what China's national sport is; aside from ping-pong, diving (which I hesitate to call sports in the first place), and I guess weightlifting, they don't appear to have a global presence in any sport. At least, no sport that I'm particularly familiar with.

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

What DO they play in China? Ping pong? India is what? Cricket? I don't think those are sports that really require great athletes. Coming from such a heavily sported country, its sometimes a bit hard to imagine what people in some countries are doing/playing. Of course, in the poorer ones, what they are doing is called fighting for subsistence, not wasting their time bouncing/kicking a ball.

If we're operating under Slim's definition of best athletes, China's best athletes probably play ping pong and India's best athletes most certainly play cricket. And even in impoverished countries kids still find ways to have childhoods, playing with their friends on the streets. You can see that in Brazil where many futbol stars come from impoverished backgrounds.

China and India still only account for, roughly, twenty-nine percent of the world's population. So, yeah, I'm going to stand by that, since I figure that 5-point-whatever billion people (less the United States and Canada) is as close to "the rest of the world" as makes no odds.

Ah take it easy, it was a joke

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

This thread is treading lightly on the political side...

Maybe if you're using a magnifying glass. If things get out of hand, then they'll be put back on track, but I doubt it will come to that.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Ah take it easy, it was a joke

Next time you're "telling a joke," I'll take it as a kindness if you don't include the word "arrogant," please and thank you.

 

[Dreadnought]

This thread took an interesting turn and I am now uncomfortable.

 

[VF21]

I have no idea what China's national sport is; aside from ping-pong, diving (which I hesitate to call sports in the first place), and I guess weightlifting, they don't appear to have a global presence in any sport. At least, no sport that I'm particularly familiar with.

China excels in gymnastics and ice skating (which I realize aren't actually considered sports in the minds of some). I think the whole culture of China has, at least in the past, not included leisure activities such as sports.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

China excels in gymnastics and ice skating (which I realize aren't actually considered sports in the minds of some). I think the whole culture of China has, at least in the past, not included leisure activities such as sports.

When you say "ice skating," are you talking about figure skating, or speed skating? Because one of those is a sport, and the other one is an activity. Even table tennis and weightlifting, I would say are sport-ish. But yeah, diving, gymnastics, figure skating... not sports.

Not saying that the participants aren't athletes, because you clearly can't be a great gymnast, or a great diver, or even a great skater without being a great athlete. But no... anything that can be scored subjectively is not a sport.

 

[VF21]

When you say "ice skating," are you talking about figure skating, or speed skating? Because one of those is a sport, and the other one is an activity. Even table tennis and weightlifting, I would say are sport-ish. But yeah, diving, gymnastics, figure skating... not sports.

Not saying that the participants aren't athletes, because you clearly can't be a great gymnast, or a great diver, or even a great skater without being a great athlete. But no... anything that can be scored subjectively is not a sport.

My real point was more that the only sporting activities the Chinese seem to excel in are those that feature individual performance as opposed to those that are clearly team-oriented. Whether you (and others) consider them sports or not isn't really relevant to my thought, which is that the youth of China haven't really grown up with a concept of "play".

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

That is true. It also seems true that the Chinese seem to excel in "sports" that are vulnerable to corruption.

Without slipping too far down the political slope, you would think that China would excel at team sports.

 

[kingsboi]

For the first time this past month, I watched a AFL game live. Australian Football League for long. I tell you what...it's a very odd sport with the rules and how they play, that's for sure.