Why Do Americans Stink at Team Sports?

[livediehockey80 0]

The latest drubbing in the opening match of the World Cup is the perfect capstone. The capstone of American team athletic futility.

When it comes to international tournaments, US teams have underachieved time and time again.

Baseball:

You would think in a country that invented the game of baseball, that we would win the inaugeral World Baseball Classic? Nope. We didn't even make the semi-finals. Countries like Japan, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and even Puerto Rico are better at baseball than the US. The WBC should have been won by the Americans.

Basketball:

You would think in a country that has the most talented basketball players in the world, that we would win another Olympic Gold medal? Nope, we really choked in Athens and we ended up with a bronze medal. We were pwn3d by teams like Argentina and Serbia-Montenegro.

Hockey:

Our efforts in the Turin Winter Olympics were simply pathetic. Clearly, there were several teams who played with better skill, game preparation, and PASSION than the Team USA hockey players. Team USA didn't come close to sniffing a medal in the 2006 games.

Oh...and let's not forget the ladies for their pathetic showing too. One American hockey player shoots her mouth off and we get embarrassed by Sweden. Good job.

World Cup:

OK...soccer is not an American sporting tradition. I know that there are several European and Latin American teams that put out more talented teams. The 2002 World Cup run was the exception. In 1998, the US Soccer team finished 32 out of 32 teams ranked in the tournament...not one point. In 2006, we begin with a 3-0 pasting by the Czech Republic in the World Cup. This will assure another disappointing Cup result.

American athletes care more about individual stats and money. The American sports fans follow along with their stupid fantasy leagues and hero worship of big $$$$ players. In this country, we celebrate individual achievement and selfishness. Forget about the team culture. We Americans can't seem to keep our greedy wants and ego in check anymore. How about sacrificing your ego for the good of the team? Something that our American sports players in baseball, hockey, soccer, and basketball seem to forget.

[dallas27 7]

I'm pretty much an ignorant a-hole when it comes to this and believe that America should destroy everybody in every sport. In terms of the four major sports (including hockey even though it is not) the problem is they take too many individuals and only give them a few months to try to make it work.

[timothy1997 0]

I'm pretty much an ignorant a-hole when it comes to this and believe that America should destroy everybody in every sport. In terms of the four major sports (including hockey even though it is not) the problem is they take too many individuals and only give them a few months to try to make it work.

Exactly. but i think it goes deeper than that.

I think the Athens meltdown and not us forget the World Championships in Indianapolis is a direct result in the rest of the world catching up AND the poor players on the team that really didnt want to be in Greece. USA basketball should bring back amatuers in this sport, or at least players that ACTUALLY want to be there.

Do you even realize how much time the other baseball teams had to practice before they got to play in the World Baseball Classic or even the simple fact that most of the good MLB players now, are not from the US. You are only kidding yourself if you still think that baseball is america's pastime.

Hockey is such a crap shoot. There are 4-6 countries that could easily win the gold medal and it seems that it just keeps getting rotated on whom wins the medal. So many good players all around the world.

And finally today's soccer match. Do you realize that US just played the best team in the world, sorry Brazil. Czech is stacked and will be a difficult team to beat no matter what. However, US seemed to lack chemisty and hunger. The tournament is clearly not over for the Americans. Look at Turkey in 2002. They lost the first match to Brazil...went on to grab 3rd place overall. USA should use that for motivation.

[Guvnor1983 0]

And finally today's soccer match. Do you realize that US just played the best team in the world, sorry Brazil. Czech is stacked and will be a difficult team to beat no matter what. However, US seemed to lack chemisty and hunger. The tournament is clearly not over for the Americans. Look at Turkey in 2002. They lost the first match to Brazil...went on to grab 3rd place overall. USA should use that for motivation.

The Czech Republic are good, but Brazil are a different class. Plus one of their starting strikers, Koller (the tall, lanky guy! ) went off injured. The commentators said it could be his hamstring and could possibly miss the rest of the tournament! The Czech's weakpoint is that they're vulnerable to counterattacks due to the attacking formation they play, a team like Brazil or Holland or Argentina, hell even England, could score a few against the Czech.

I'm watching Italy vs Ghana at the moment and they're both playing amazing stuff; both teams should be on the scoresheet. There's usually one African team that does well in the World Cup and Ghana could be that team this year. I can't see the US beating either sides.......

[betterREDthandead 58]

Rather than complain about "bad" showings in all these sports, maybe we should take note of the fact that the United States competes and competes well in all these sports. Name another country that can expect to go into all these tournaments in all these different sports and do so well. Very few can say they are contenders in even two sports. Italy might be the only other country that can put itself on a level with the US in that respect, since they play soccer, hockey, basketball, and baseball, although only soccer well.

And our national passion is football anyway, which the world doesn't share. England has the Premiership, Italy has Serie A, Sweden has the Elitserien, Russia has the Superliga, and the USA has the NFL.

Also, our best athletes are spread out among all the different sports, especially football and basketball. All the best Dominican and Cuban athletes play baseball. All the best Brazilian and English athletes play soccer. We spread 'em out to all the different sports. All the best Swedish and Russian athletes play hockey.

So instead of feeling like we should be embarrassed, how about staying proud that we're so good in so many different sports, none of which are our primary sport, when everybody else is a one-sport wonder.

[eva unit zero 271]

Look at it this way...

As 'bad' as the US did in hockey, they were eliminated by the silver medalist, Finland. Canada was eliminated in the same round by Russia, who was also eliminated by Finland. The US was not expected to threaten for Gold, while Canada was the overwhelming favorite.

[wingsin4 0]

Rather than complain about "bad" showings in all these sports, maybe we should take note of the fact that the United States competes and competes well in all these sports. Name another country that can expect to go into all these tournaments in all these different sports and do so well. Very few can say they are contenders in even two sports. Italy might be the only other country that can put itself on a level with the US in that respect, since they play soccer, hockey, basketball, and baseball, although only soccer well.

And our national passion is football anyway, which the world doesn't share. England has the Premiership, Italy has Serie A, Sweden has the Elitserien, Russia has the Superliga, and the USA has the NFL.

Also, our best athletes are spread out among all the different sports, especially football and basketball. All the best Dominican and Cuban athletes play baseball. All the best Brazilian and English athletes play soccer. We spread 'em out to all the different sports. All the best Swedish and Russian athletes play hockey.

So instead of feeling like we should be embarrassed, how about staying proud that we're so good in so many different sports, none of which are our primary sport, when everybody else is a one-sport wonder.

Great Post!

Many of the other countries teams (in most sports) play together for a long time, rather then the Americans, who just throw a team together at the last minute.

[Jwo 7]

Well for the football game it wasnt the score that botherd me for USA losing. It was the way they played.Seemed like they were just scared to make any move and looked at the czechs as if they were all monsters and were afraid to challenge them.

oh yeah other countries have other sports like the USA.

cricket,rugby,handball and basketball are some of the sports that fall second in line to football

Edited June 14, 2006 by Jwo

[Hockey0382 0]

Well honestly I think the US will always struggle in soccer. Soccer maybe one of the most popular sports in the world but i don't think it will be in the US. It's too boring.

Hockey the US has been getting better every year. The sport is still growing in the US. It won't be too long when you start seeing the US playing good in world competition.

[timothy1997 0]

Well honestly I think the US will always struggle in soccer. Soccer maybe one of the most popular sports in the world but i don't think it will be in the US. It's too boring.

Hockey the US has been getting better every year. The sport is still growing in the US. It won't be too long when you start seeing the US playing good in world competition.

Explain to me how US was better in Turin olympics then they were in Salt Lake City olympics.

If the sport is really growing in US, then how come more people watch Women's Softball than a Stanley Cup Finals game.

[dallas27 7]

Explain to me how US was better in Turin olympics then they were in Salt Lake City olympics.

If the sport is really growing in US, then how come more people watch Women's Softball than a Stanley Cup Finals game.

How does the National Spelling Bee get better ratings than a S.C. Finals game? I thought I heard something about the Scrabble Championship getting better ratings too.

[timothy1997 0]

How does the National Spelling Bee get better ratings than a S.C. Finals game? I thought I heard something about the Scrabble Championship getting better ratings too.

I saw world domino tour on ESPN the other day....MOVE OVER POKER...DOMINOES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK!!