OT: Your vote for best spectator sport that isn't mainstream U.S.
In an earlier life when sports existed, what were the best sports to watch that aren't typically viewed in the U.S.? Using such criteria, I would exclude:
- American football
- Soccer (the other football)
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Stockcar racing
- Golf
- Tennis
- Lacrosse
I suppose ice hockey also makes the list...barely.
If you're thinking of a sport that you only consider compelling during the Olympics (e.g., curling), then that doesn't count in my book.
Not that I've sampled a ton of sports from around the world, but I'll recommend Aussie Rules Football. I can't say I'm a connoisseur, but it always looks to me like rugby and American football had a baby and fed it cocaine.
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
I see we have ourselves a hockey hater.
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Really it's just easy to push that button. Watch for all the replies. Yours is just the first.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:04 PM ^
I actually found the inclusion of lacrosse even more interesting than the grudging inclusion of ice hockey
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:31 PM ^
I clicked into this thread all prepared to say "Lacrosse!!!" and was shocked to see it was already considered among the mainstream sports.
But while I'm here: lacrosse is actually a great spectator sport. It has similar game-flow to soccer and basketball and a bit of the violence that make hockey and football fun (although lacrosse - especially at the college level- is not nearly as violent as it used to be). And there are a lot of games within-the-game as well. I've always been surprised its not more popular.
I also love to watch rugby. I played a bit at U of M and its incredibly fun to play. Same for volleyball. Olympic volleyball is great but I also recommend checking out games on BTN: it's an excellent product.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:42 PM ^
It’s on TV isn’t it?
It’s also a North American sport, unlike ice hockey which is a foreign agent from outer space inflicted on us to propagate an affinity for bad weather. Ice floors inside? What are we, polar bears?
Did Canada leave North America and I just missed the memo?
Noooooooooooo. The aliens from Neptune introduced hockey to the Canadians a long time ago. To help it spread to the U.S. and warm weather areas they sent Wayne Gretzky in humanoid form.
Interestlingly enough - Canadians love lacrosse as well.
I can't say I understand you or your bizarre distaste for hockey but I appreciate your oddball-ness.
Lax invented by Native Americans = Canadian National Summer Sport
Hockey invented by Neptunians = Canadian National Winter Sport
I am not a hockey hater, just a hockey truther.
OP, you turned what could have been a good thread idea immediately into an idiotic one by first including your comment against hockey, but then ramping it up and making it the hill you wish to die on.
I tend to agree with this. Oh well. I'm grateful for those who have answered the question in earnest. That's still about 70% of the thread.
Some of us answered the question in earnest because it's a good offseason down-time type question that's fun to talk about, but still think the weird OP is a serious drag.
I choose to view this as a compliment.
I always find the NCAA tournament great TV. Still amazing to me that one team can hold the ball for the whole game and you get the ball back even on a missed shot in many cases. Still haven't gotten used to it.
I went to one of our first varsity games ever against Towson (I think) in Philly. Felt like we didn't hold the ball for the first 90% of the game...
There's a shot clock these days.
Basketball also used to exist without a shot clock.
Downhill skiing.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:07 PM ^
And a lacrosse lover apparently? How many people actually watch lacrosse in America?
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:31 PM ^
The inclusion of lacrosse is ridiculous.
The inclusion of tennis is borderline. I would say tennis is of similar to slightly less popularity than hockey
Agree on lacrosse - not sure how anyone could consider that a mainstream sport but I will disagree with you on tennis. Just like golf, the major are pretty well watched. I couldn't even tell you the name of a professional lacrosse team or league (assuming there is one or are we talking college?) but I can guarantee a large majority of the US could name the tennis majors and a handful of current players.
I would be shocked if 50% of the population could name the 4 tennis majors, much less a large majority.
To be fair, I think 50% is way too high a bar for anything like this. E.g., I'll bet only ~20% could name the four golf majors. How many people could name at least three college football conferences? 30%? Or name three active MLB players -- about the same?
All four tennis majors? I'd bet that's more like just under 10%. I'm a pretty big sports fan (see: I'm on this blog) and trivia buff, and even I had to think for a second to remember the AO.
Probably should have replied to you, but see my comment below: there's absolutely NO way anywhere close to a majority of American adults could name all 4 tennis majors. My guess was just under 10% but I could be convinced that it's as high as 20%. >>50%? GTFO.
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Cricket. Hands down.
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
Boxing by a mile
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Ah. Perhaps that should have been on the excluded list, along with horseracing. But it definitely is not as watched as it used to be.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
Yea your list kinda blows. Include lacrosse but don’t include boxing/MMA, track and field, 90% of the other Olympic sports that are 140x more popular than lacrosse ..... ?
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:49 PM ^
MMA okay. Track and field? Anyone following that circuit closely here? C’mon.
gplf
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:57 AM ^
Freestyle ("olympic") wrestling. I prefer freestyle over folkstyle. However, once you follow a college team and get to know the wrestlers and the rivalries that develop in college it makes it a lot more fun to follow their freestyle careers. Wrestling is non-stop action that rewards strength, speed, and endurance.
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:58 AM ^
Table tennis. Another thing I'd love to watch is croquet. Croquet is such a wonderful thing, especially in the summer with some beers
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:28 PM ^
+1 for table tennis.
April 22nd, 2020 at 11:59 AM ^
Track and Field in both Olympic and Non-Olympic years.
Marble Racing during times of quarantine.
Seconded. I've enjoyed the marble olympics for some time now.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
If you are physically at the event, hands down it's Formula 1.
And although I also enjoy Formula 1 on TV, I'd expand my interests to also include Rugby, Hurling, and Cricket.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:05 PM ^
Formula One isn't the greatest in-person racing series, though the Tilke tracks do tend to be more spectator-friendly than older varieties. But all auto racing is dominated by the noise, something that you really have to hear in person to understand.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
Formula 1 street circuit is an amazing experience. Went to Singapore night grand prix, it was bananas
Glad to see another F1 fan! Just got into the sport last season and the level of driving is unbelievable. Wish there was more parity though.
I had to look up Hurling to see what it really was. I imagined some contest to see who could projectile vomit the farthest (or fastest, or largest quantity, most interesting color).
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:04 PM ^
The premise for this is flawed. Other than the silly shot at hockey, is Lacrosse really that popular? If it's popular enough to be considered "mainstream," then you eliminate a lot of niche sports. Including college-only sports like folkstyle wrestling.
Stock car racing is included here, which I guess opens up other types of racing, some of which have decent US followings (and all of which are better than NASCAR). I do think off road racing should be more popular, particularly the spectator-friendly short course variety.
I can enjoy watching short periods of rugby, aussie rules football, and so on. But they won't realistically become mainstream here.
"Mainstream" isn't a great concept, anyway. We live in a niche world. There are still a couple of "major" sports that create water-cooler conversation, but most sports are niche sports that, in our digital age, fans can follow closely despite the absence of network television broadcasts.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Rugby is pretty good. I've watched quite a few matches now thanks to friends from the former British Empire. Can get a little repetitive as it's like a constant kickoff return with laterals, but much less downtime than football.
I haven't watched much but hurling looks pretty fun. It's Irish. Go check it out on YouTube. Similar to lacrosse.
Plus they’re smacking the hell out of each other with no protective gear.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:05 PM ^
Volleyball and Link to the Past Randomizer.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
Volleyball is a good choice.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
Beach volleyball!
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
Downhill skiing. The fact that Mikaela Shiffrin is so cute doesn’t hurt. And second would be Formula 1.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
This is one of those niche sports that are well-served by the modern digital age. Thanks to niche networks and internet service I can follow alpine skiing pretty closely, and my kids enjoy watching it as well. Doesn't hurt that we enjoy skiing and live in a winter paradise.
The nature of alpine skiing keeps it solidly Olympic-only as far as wide attention goes. If the US won't give it wider attention now, when it has had two of the greatest skiers of all time (Lindsay Vonn is by far the most accomplished female skier of all time, and Shiffrin is likely to break almost every record there is if she stays healthy and engaged, on track for easy GOAT status) dominating the circuit, it never will.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
Rugby. I prefer the full 15-man teams, but do enjoy the occasional game of sevens.
Am I correct is thinking that the 15 man game is the mute purist, respected type. I personally prefer 7s but I’m a filthy casual who still doesn’t even know all the rules
Was looking for someone to say rugby. Played in college, and for a local semi-pro (not sure what to call it honestly, but not rec league) for a few years, before I had too little time and too many injuries.
I enjoy league and union but prefer union rules - maybe I'm just a sucker for a good ruck or set off a lineout. I think the poster blow mentioned 7's and that is a blast to watch as well especially since the USA Eagles are competitive in 7s. The Eagles also have the lightning in a bottle duo of Carlin Isles and Perry Baker who get the adrenaline pumping whenever they have the ball in space.
April 22nd, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
First, let's change OP's list. There are five North America-based team sports with major TV rights deals.
Basketball, Baseball, Football, Soccer, Hockey
A new lacrosse league got a deal with NBC Sports, but I'm not sure how that succeeds when other pro lacrosse leagues barely dent the landscape. So, that's debatable as to whether it's a "successful" spectator sport. It is growing in popularity, though.
Individual sports, I'd say tennis, golf, boxing, MMA, horse racing, NASCAR, F1, IndyCar all make that list.
I'd throw rugby at the top of my list. It's fast-paced and physical. The rules aren't that much different from more familiar sports. Volleyball is also fun to watch, though I don't know about in person.