AP: America's teams struggling across board (Uh...better check out MotoGP, Eddie)

Yahoo News ^ | July 14 2006 | Eddie Pells

[BlueOneGolf]

On the Fourth of July, a 160-pound Japanese man overcame an American nearly 75 pounds heavier in a hot dog eating contest. Silly? Sure. Symbolic, too.

Whipped at Wimbledon, whomped in the World Cup, beaten in baseball, Americans can't seem to win much these days — whether it's on the pitch, the court, the diamond or a ridiculous eating contest.

Coming soon: The World Basketball Championships, where the U.S. team is in rebuilding mode after an embarrassing bronze-medal performance at the Athens Olympics. And the Ryder Cup, where the Americans lost badly on their home turf two years ago and will probably be even bigger underdogs in Ireland in September.

What to make of all this underachieving from the world's only superpower, the country that invented half the sports it gets beaten in and that used to strike fear in the hearts of overmatched opponents from South America to Siberia?

"It is our next great challenge and it should alarm us, because we have to intensify our efforts to support our athletes," said Jim Scherr, head of the U.S. Olympic Committee...

[mountn man]

I think the author has a valid point. 1/3 of the MLB players are foreigners, about 1/2 the NHL is foreign, increasingly the foreigners are playing in the NBA.

300 million people in the United States vs. 6 billion in the entire world. What other nation offers anything close to the NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL. Not only do we have the epitome of professional sports (except soccer), But as a nation allow others to immigrate to our country, if they so desire, or not, and to work in our industry (sports). In other words, we have something to offer, and we allow others to play. Its only natural that in a nation that makes up only 5% of the worlds population, that when we open our doors to people of other nations, to play in "our" sports, on "our" teams, that those teams really wouldn't reflect "us" as much as the rest of the world. And thusly, the US wouldn't appear to be so dominating.

But in the end what has really happened, is not the the US has gotten worse, and the rest of the world has gotten better. But the US has actually given the rest of the world better equipment, better training, better coaches, better sports phsycology, better sports medicine, better experience, and a better goal or aspiration, all to motivate them beyond where they were or even where they are.

A rising tide floats all boats.

[mountn man]

Chuck Norris enters the Tour de France. They start the race. He does a roundhouse kick, knocking the lead biker into the next, and by domino principle, eliminates the entire field of bikers.

Chuck gets on his 1978 Schwinn Continental 10 speed, and leisurely pedals his way to victory. In all heats. In record time, in all heats. Never breaking a sweat.

[staytrue]

in terms of fan interest, imo

1. ladies figure skating
2. men's hockey
3. men's alpine
4. pairs figure skating
5. men's figure skating
6. men's speed skating

the rest are not glamour events

we did ok in men's alpine and great in men's speed skating, cohen's silver was ok, and we bombed in the rest.

[staytrue]

What irks me is that the foreign players seem better at fundamentals.

You look at Ichiro and there are zero US players as fundamentally sound as he is. There are better players, but if you are teaching your kid to play, you would pick Ichiro to emulate.

I like Yao better than Shaq. Shaq is a better player, but Yao has the basics down better. He has better footwork, a better drop step, a better shot, etc.

In tennis, the williams sisters were much better than Hingis, but if I'm teaching, I would copy Hingis.

And the US has too many barry bonds/bodie miller/kobe bryant characters.

I just find this disturbing.

[Mr_Moonlight]

But in the end what has really happened, is not the the US has gotten worse, and the rest of the world has gotten better. But the US has actually given the rest of the world better equipment, better training, better coaches, better sports phsycology, better sports medicine, better experience, and a better goal or aspiration, all to motivate them beyond where they were or even where they are. A rising tide floats all boats.

Dare I say it? But you just pretty much summed up the "Spirit of 1776"

God Bless America

[mountn man]

At least you can quantify it, which IMHO, gives it a better claim than figure skating. Although, frankly, I hold the two in about equal esteem.

Shouldn't they just remove mens figure skating from the regular olympics, and make it strictly for the gay games.

Johnny Weir the Diva

[mountn man]

And the US has too many barry bonds/bodie miller/kobe bryant characters.

I just find this disturbing.

I think in time, with athletes given enough money and fame, we'll teach the rest of the world this also.

Now of course if they're French no money or fame or TALENT is needed. They already act like this.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

(Sorry, I can't resist . . . )

I guess it's just a matter of comparing one weinie eater with another.

(Mandatory PC Disclaimer: Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

[mountn man]

Sorry, I can't resist . . . )

I guess it's just a matter of comparing one weinie eater with another.

(Mandatory PC Disclaimer: Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Weiners were meant to be eaten with mustard not MANonaise.

[taxed2death]

Fantastic post :)

[BlueOneGolf]

Thanks taxed2death! When I read Mr. Pells' article I immediately thought to myself he could've made a nice contrast to the rest of his Doom-and-Gloom if he'd just dug a bit deeper and checked out MotoGP.

Motorcycle racing has a small, dedicated following here in the US but overseas it's huge. To see the American riders doing well as a group in front of international fans shoud be a point of pride with all these commentators who think we're losing our competitive edge.

Gotta hand it to Nicky Hayden: #1 in the MotoGP points standings!

[Jameison]

"I like Yao better than Shaq. Shaq is a better player, but Yao has the basics down better. He has better footwork, a better drop step, a better shot, etc. "

Yao is not even on the same planet as Kobe or Kevin Garnet or or LeBron or Dwayne Wade or a whole host of top NBA player, when it comes to fundamentals, talent, skill , anything else.

You just can't take Shaq vs Yao alone as an example, and conclude that foreign players are better at fundamentals than American players.
Shaq has never been the most skilled player in the NBA.

[Jameison]

"What other nation offers anything close to the NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL"

No nation even comes close.


"A rising tide floats all boats."

Yup.
Having the world's best players in our professional sports leagues can only make our own players better.

When I went to England over 15 years ago, there were hardly any foreign players in the British soccer leagues at all.
Today, the place is chock full of great foreign players, and the English soccer leagues are better for it, because they are getting players from a far bigger talent pool, instead of the only 58 million population of Britain.

[staytrue]

from a fundamental skill set, a little guy like mike bibby will always be better than a big guy

among big guys, yao and tim duncan are the best in the nba for big guy fundamentals.

[Keme]

Go Nicky!

Hayden returns to U.S. with MotoGP lead

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060719/ap_on_sp_au_ra_ne/car_the_kentucky_kid;_ylt=Amg0Ei9fpA_5GSuqkasPMXILMxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM

[SFC Chromey]

US 2006 Moto GP Results!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1671119/posts?page=2