HomokHarcos
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A lot of Americans would not like players being bound to one team, because many view it as people being treated like property if they don't have a right to go to a new team.
USA or Australia: What country has the better sporting culture?
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A lot of Americans would not like players being bound to one team, because many view it as people being treated like property if they don't have a right to go to a new team.
wouldn't mind something like this to be honest
WA/SA and NSW/QLD sides have the "advantage" that they only have 3 rivals within their division instead of 4 like with the Vics, but that is off set by the fact they have to do more travelling...
however, sides 19 and 20 would already be dictated to fill those last spots... Perth 3 to the "South West" (WA/SA), Canberra to the "North East" (NSW/QLD, and now ACT).... Tassie still on the side lines
High school sport is pretty competitive at private schools. One of the better things about going to one actually.
There's still plenty of competition out there too even if you don't go to a private school. Rep basketball is very competitive right up until U20s, footy likewise if you go to a decent club and I'm assuming it's the same with soccer.
not for the home grown sports in the US, no
as mentioned already in this thread, many give up playing the game after high school as their standard doesn't match the semi-pro standards of the colleges they attend, unless they attend a smaller school.... most will give it up after college when playing professionally becomes out of reach and other commitments become part of their life like work/relationships/starting a family etc... a select few might still play semi-professionally, either for fun or still with aspirations to get into the pros, but you hardly ever hear about how these leagues and teams are traveling unless perhaps you are in a more regional area of the country
however, expat football codes in the States such as Aussie Rules, Gaelic, and Rugby Union still does the club culture quite well and becomes an instant social outlet for both expats as well as local Americans who are interested in trying something new
HomokHarcos
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Don't forget that Americans work longer hours and have less vacation, it's not just due to Americans being lazier.
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Those are leagues not clubs. Few people can be bothered being an active fan of two teams in the same sport. And the VFA was ****ed well before the VFL went national.
The way a sport is run directly influences the way you experience the sport as a fan or player i.e. integral part of sporting culture.
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The 'loyalty' in the AFL is overstated. Until recently, and even now much of the time, switching teams was a campaigner of a hassle if your club didn't want to get rid of you. And even if they did you wouldn't necessarily end up at the club you wanted.
Unlike US sport, AFL players' salaries are not disclosed. And their third-party party deals for flogging sportswear or a car dealership or Power Band or calling in to Triple M once a week are absolutely never disclosed. People go "Oh Robert Harvey and Matthew Pavlich were so loyal despite their crappy clubs." Yeah, if we saw their finances you might see how they summoned the 'loyalty'.
Nobody says a peep about 'loyalty' when heaps of players are delisted at the end of each season. It's only expected from nuffie fans if you're any good.
TLDR; AFL clubs and players are self-interested but they're good at pretending it's 1980.
About who has the better sporting culture out of the USA and Australia?
HomokHarcos
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Germans really like to debate about Australia and the USA.
akkaps
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Agreed. Apparently there is US lack the open age amateur leagues in the US.
The most ideal outcome would be club sports in primary school, then play for your school teams in high school, then the College system fro, while you are studying. And then from there, if you are good enough, you start professional sport at 21-22. If you don't make to that level, you've always got the amateur leagues to fall on to.
It appeared the supposition was made that Aus and the US were battling it out for top spot.
If someone made a 'who's a better player, Federer or Nadal' thread and there was a legitimate case to be made for Djokovic being as good as both, I think it would be fair enough to introduce him into the discussion wouldn't it?
I think this can be transcribed to those who arent necessarily sporting inclined too i.e those into the arts. But agree whole heartedly. An individual should play for their high school that then moves onto their university where it ensures an education is had while that individual enjoys their sporting background. For those who go on to do a trade or are not inclined to go to university this is where local sport makes a comeback while having 22-23 year old kids coming back to a local system that would have an educational backing and higher sporting skill set.
Was talking more about sport being competitive.
There is still some high level footy etc being played.
Disagree. Well documented that Harves was offered massive dollars at Freo when they came in and turned it down. Also played in a Saints team where Koschitzke was the highest paid player. No doubt star one club players are well compensated but you can't claim that's all that keeps them there.
Christian Pulisic is looking like a future superstar.
America has a better sporting culture than us. High School and College sports are humongous in the States. They have 4 top-flight leagues that all get high ratings (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) + the MLS which does ok. In recent times they've been much better at Olympic competition than us. The best boxers in history have all been American. UFC is big and only getting bigger.
And as someone else already mentioned, US sports are full of characters that bring entertainment and viewership to their respective games. Imagine if someone like Odell Beckham jnr was in the AFL - he'd get called a showboating w****r every week. Joe Daniher can't even roll his wrists after a goal without getting criticized.
They simply do it better than us in the States. Much more diversity of sports and leagues than in Australia.
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iluvparis
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If we had 300-odd million people, would our sporting culture be better then?
Doubt it.
