Sports in the United States

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Sports in the United States are an important part of the national culture. However, the sporting culture of the U.S. is different from that of many other countries. Compared to any other nation, Americans prefer a unique set of sports. For example, soccer, the most popular sport in most countries, is a minor sport in the U.S. compared to the four most popular team sports, namely, baseball, American football, basketball and ice hockey. The major leagues of each of these sports enjoy massive media exposure and are considered the preeminent competitions in their respective sports in the world. The preeminence of the major leagues is partially attributed to their strong financial power and huge domestic market, as well as the fact that relatively few other countries play some of their dominant sports, like American football, to any significant extent.

In addition to the difference of popular sports, sports are also organized differently in the United States. There is no system of promotion and relegation like sports in Europe and major sports leagues operate as associations of franchises. Moreover, all major sports leagues use the same type of schedule with a playoff tournament after the regular season. Also, unlike many other countries, schools and colleges and universities sports competitions play an important role in the American sporting culture.

American football

Main articles: History of American football and NFL

Football, known as gridiron or American football outside of the U.S. and Canada, attracts more television viewers ^[1] than baseball since these recent years. The 32-team National Football League (NFL) is the most popular and only major professional American football league. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is watched by nearly half of US television households. Additional millions also watch college football throughout the autumn months, and some communities, particularly in rural areas, place great emphasis on their local high school football team. Arena football, a form of American football played in indoor arenas, has its own professional league, the Arena Football League, which attracts comparatively little attention, and is often considered a niche sport. Nonetheless, it is regularly televised and several of its players have gone on to play in the NFL.

Main articles: History of baseball in the United States and MLB

Baseball is the second most popular sport in the U.S. ^[1], though, due to its 162 game schedule, it attracts more ticket sales. It is still considered the "national pastime," as it has been a popular sport since the turn of the 20th century.

Yankee Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's iconic New York Yankees.

Major League Baseball teams play almost every day from April to October. Professional baseball began in the United States around 1865, and the National League was founded in 1876 as the first true major league. The World Series is the championship series of Major League Baseball, the culmination of the sport's postseason each October. It is played between the pennant winner of the American League and the pennant winner of the National League. The Series winner is determined through a best-of-seven playoff. Notable baseball players include Shoeless Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax and Hank Aaron. Baseball and its sister, softball, are also popular participatory sports in the U.S. However, unlike American football, baseball is also a popular sport in other countries, for example, in Japan and Latin American countries like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Basketball

Main articles: National Basketball Association and College basketball

Basketball, invented in Springfield, Massachusetts, by Canadian physical education teacher James Naismith, is another popular sport, and is considered a staple among the top three team sports ^[1]. The National Basketball Association, more popularly known as the NBA, is the world's premier men's professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. In late April, the NBA Playoffs begin. Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs and compete for the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Notable NBA players in history include Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Larry Bird.

Since 1992 Summer Olympics, NBA players have represented United Stated in international competition and won several important tournaments. The Dream Team was the unofficial nickname of the United States men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics.

Like football, basketball at both the college and high school levels is quite popular throughout the country. Every March, a 65-team, six-round, single-elimination tournament determines the national champions of college basketball. Most U.S. states also crown state champions among their high schools. More Americans play basketball than any other team sport, not including bowling, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Although, unlike the more popular American sports - American football and baseball - basketball is reasonably popular in Europe and is often played in schools and on a local level, interest in the professional leagues isn't as high.

Main article: National Hockey League

Ice hockey, universally referred to as "hockey" in the United States, is less popular than baseball, basketball and football, but is still considered a major sport. The National Hockey League is the major professional league in North America, with 24 American-based teams and six Canadian-based teams competing for the Stanley Cup. Always a cultural mainstay in some northern areas, hockey has gained footholds in regions like the Carolinas, Tampa Bay, Florida and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas in recent years, as the National Hockey League has pursued a policy of expansion. Recreational ice hockey on a wide scale, as well as hockey at the high school and college levels, is generally confined to hockey country, specifically New England and the Great Lakes region, but recreational leagues do exist in large- and medium-sized metropolitan areas throughout the United States. Hockey legends include Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe (all of whom are Canadians who played either extensively or exclusively for U.S.-based pro teams). Hockey is also a popular sport in Eastern and Northern Europe, and thus currently there is a considerable number of NHL players coming from these regions.

Main articles: Soccer in the United States and MLS

Unlike in Europe, South America, Africa, and recently, Asia, soccer has historically had a small following in the United States. Several attempts have been made to bring top-level competition to the United States, most recently Major League Soccer (MLS). Since the 1980s, soccer participation at the recreational and scholastic levels has grown significantly and has fueled enhanced interest in the men's and women's national teams, as well as MLS, though viewership levels for soccer games still remain relatively low. Soccer is widely played by both men and women in the U.S., one factor in the pioneering success of the United States women's national soccer team. Soccer in the U.S. has a surge of media and fan interest following the arrival of David Beckham to MLS side LA Galaxy in a big money move in July, 2007. The MLS league is continuing to grow in terms of fan base and media coverage and has become much more financially secure. As a result the MLS has had a huge amount of interest from businesses and investors looking to bring a franchise to their respective cities in the next few years. Popular players having played in the U.S. include Pele, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer, in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 70s, and Landon Donovan and now David Beckham in the MLS.

Main articles: National Lacrosse League and Major League Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a team sport of Native North Americans origin. Although it is not a very popular sport nationwide, it is quite popular in mid-Atlantic states and is increasing in national popularity. National Lacrosse League (NLL) and Major League Lacrosse (MLL) are the national box and outdoor lacrosse leagues, respectively, and have increased their following in recent years. Among team sports, professional lacrosse's attendance follows that of American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey and soccer. (See List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues)

Rugby union, common in other English-speaking nations, is not as well known in the United States. Rugby is played recreationally, professionally and in colleges, though it is not governed by the NCAA (see College rugby). There are an estimated 60,000 registered players, [2], almost a quarter of whom are women. The semi-professional Rugby Super League is the premier domestic competition and two American teams also participated in the North America 4. More recently the national side has been competing at the Rugby World Cup.

Australian rules football, another code of football, is governed by US Footy in the U.S. and is also a developing sport with regular international competition against Canada.

Cricket, another common sport in Commonwealth countries, is not a popular sport in the U.S. Many amateur cricket leagues have been formed by Indian, Pakistani, and Caribbean immigrants, and as a result, the sport has made limited inroads into the mainstream sports community.

Curling is popular in northern states, possibly due to climate, proximity to Canada, or Scandinavian heritage.

Volleyball is also a notable sport in the United States especially at the college and university levels.

Ultimate was initially popular with high school and college students, and many now continue to play in adult recreational leagues.

Motor sports are also widely popular in the United States, but Americans generally ignore major international series, such as Formula One and MotoGP, in favor of home-grown racing series. Historically, open wheel racing was the most popular nationwide, with the Indianapolis 500 being unquestionably the most widely followed race. However, an acrimonious split in the mid-1990s between the primary league, CART, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (the site of the Indy 500) led to the creation of a rival series, the Indy Racing League, and a dramatic decline in the popularity of open wheel racing in the U.S. The CART-IRL feud coincided with an enormous expansion of the NASCAR stock car series from its past as a mostly regional circuit mainly followed in the southeastern U.S. to a truly national circuit with a rapidly expanding nationwide fan base, generally harnessing a 100 million person audience on television, as well as sold-out crowds at many tracks that can hold up to 170,000 spectators. Another one of the most popular forms of motorsports in the United States is the indigenous sport of drag racing. The largest drag racing organization, the National Hot Rod Association, boasts 80,000 members, more than 35,000 licensed competitors and nationwide television coverage ^[2].

One of the most well known American golfers, Tiger Woods

Outside of team events, U.S. athletes compete in sports such as boxing, golf, tennis, and track and field events. Golf is very popular in the U.S. as a recreational activity, especially among business people. Tiger Woods is one of the most well-known and successful American golfers. Track and field gets little mainstream attention from Americans apart from competition in the Olympic Games. Professional boxing has decreased in popularity over the past several decades while the sport of mixed martial arts has recently enjoyed mainstream success. Tennis is played nationally at high school and college and America has given many of the of the all-time greats of the sport such as Bill Tilden, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras.

Hunting and fishing are very popular in the U.S., especially in rural areas. Other popular outdoors activities in the country include hiking, mountain climbing and kayaking. In winter, many Americans head to mountainous areas for skiing and snowboarding. Cycling has increased in popularity, fueled by the success of Texan cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Boy's high school cross country running, Roy Griak Invitational, University of Minnesota

Equestrian competition - despite lacking the national popularity seen in Europe, America usually performs extremely well in international equestrian competition. In recent years, they have become favorites for a medal in show jumping, eventing, and dressage both at the Olympics and the Equestrian World Championships, and many times the United States finishes near the top of the medal count.
Wrestling - Though not a popular sport on a national level (except perhaps during the Olympics), high school/collegiate wrestling is frequently one of the most popular participatory sports for young men in the United States. Wrestling is commonly referred to as "amateur wrestling" in America to distinguish it from professional wrestling, a scripted form of athletic entertainment with a considerable following.
Martial arts competitions
Shooting sports
Surfing
Fencing
Running
Mountain biking

A college football game between California and UCLA

The extent in the United States to which sports are associated with secondary and tertiary education is rare among nations. Millions of students participate in athletics programs operated by high schools and colleges. Student-athletes often receive scholarships to colleges in recognition of their athletic potential. Though student athletes may be held to significantly lower academic requirements than non-athletes at some universities, a minimum standard does exist.

High school and college sports fill the developmental role that in many other countries would be the place of youth teams associated with clubs. Professional teams draft top student athletes when they finish their education. Baseball and ice hockey operate minor league systems for players who have finished education but are not ready or good enough for the major leagues.

Especially in basketball and football, high school and particularly college sports are followed with a fervor equaling or exceeding that felt for professional sports; college football games can draw six-digit crowds and, for upper-tier schools, sports are a significant source of revenue.

See also: Major North American professional sports leagues

There is no system of promotion and relegation in American professional sports. Major sports leagues operate as associations of franchises. The same 30-32 teams play in the league each year unless they move to another city or the league chooses to expand with new franchises.

All American sports leagues use the same type of schedule. After the regular season, the 8-16 teams with the best records enter a playoff tournament leading to a championship series or game. American sports, except for soccer, have no equivalent to the cup competitions that run concurrently with leagues in European sports. Even in the case of soccer, most casual soccer fans are unaware of the existence of a cup competition. Also, major-league professional teams in the U.S. never play teams from other organizations in meaningful games, although NBA teams have played European teams in preseason exhibitions on a semi-regular basis.

International competition is not as important in American sports as it is in the sporting culture of most other countries, although Olympic ice-hockey and basketball tournaments do generate attention. The first international baseball tournament with top-level players, the World Baseball Classic, also generated some positive reviews after its inaugural tournament in 2006.

No American government agency is charged with overseeing sports. However, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (http://www.fitness.gov/about_overview.htm) advises the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services about physical activity, fitness, and sports, and recommends programs to promote regular physical activity for the health of all Americans. The U.S. Congress has chartered the United States Olympic Committee to govern American participation in the Olympic Movement and promote amateur sports. Congress has also involved itself in several aspects of sports, notably gender equity in college athletics, illegal drugs in pro sports, sports broadcasting and the application of antitrust law to sports leagues.

See also: List of TV markets and major sports teams in the United States

Sports have been a major part of American broadcasting since the early days of radio. Today, television networks pay millions of dollars for the rights to broadcast sporting events. Contracts between leagues and broadcasters stipulate how often games must be interrupted for commercials. Because of all of the advertisements, broadcasting contracts are very lucrative and account for the biggest chunk of pro teams' revenues. Broadcasters also covet the television contracts for the major sports leagues (especially in the case of the NFL) in order to amplify their ability to promote their programming to the audience, especially young and middle-aged adult males. Teams do not cover their fields and uniforms with sponsors' logos as European teams often do.

The advent of cable and satellite television has greatly expanded sports offerings on American TV. ESPN, the first all-sports cable network in the U.S., went on the air in 1979. It has been followed by several sister networks and competitors.

Despite the size of the sports market in the U.S., the country does not have a national daily sports newspaper. This is because the contiguous 48 states spread across four time zones, and games on the West Coast may not end until early morning in the East. This makes it difficult to distribute a national newspaper with the scores of late games in time for morning delivery. However, there are many American sports magazines, the best-known being Sports Illustrated.