[Optimus Prime]

Nope. Lots of countries in Africa actually have them...they may not be top notch...but they are there.

Watched a special report on ESPN about it a few months ago...there are people down there that still play golf with sticks...they are so poor but love the sport.

[Aptorian]

Yes there may be golf courses in africa but you can be damn sure that everisto in angola who lives on a banana plantation isn't going out to practice his drive or shoot some holes with the boys on a sunday evening.

Football is the obvious candidate for Global sport. But I'd say athletics is also a global sport if you take into account every element from running, to jumps, throws and lifts. The main difference would be that Athletics, except for a few disciplines, is a individual sport where football is a teamsport and has ma wider appeal to the masses.

And Atletics certainly isn't boring. I love watching the weightlifting diciplines. Small chinese women lifting a couple hundred pounds is always interesting (especially when it goes wrong, horribly wrong)

[Obdigore]

What about Boxing? Is it still large over in the europe area?

[Aptorian]

Yeah it's big (Mikkel Kessler FTW) but I think the kickboxing/mu tai wariations are more popular in asia than plain boxing.

EDIT: I wish Sumo caught on in the western countries, we already have so many fatties, it's such fun to watch when they clash.

[paladin]

Most olympic games are global.

Golf is global. Tennis is global.

Soccer fans are nuts, so you can't argue with them(they might start a riot, war, etc as the past has shown), but soccer isn't the only global sport. As a teamsport, basketball is definitely a rival. Soccer probably has greater penetration worldwide, but basketball is popular in parts of South America, North America, the Caribbean, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, and various Mediterranean area nations. Basically all you're missing are traditional coldweather countries(Canada, northern European nations, etc), England(and a few other Western European nations), Australia, Arab countries, African countries, and baseball countries(certain Caribbean and South/Central American countries, Japan, South Korea). All things considered, basketball has fairly good global penetration.

[Obdigore]

Aptorian;249372 said:

Yeah it's big (Mikkel Kessler FTW) but I think the kickboxing/mu tai wariations are more popular in asia than plain boxing.

EDIT: I wish Sumo caught on in the western countries, we already have so many fatties, it's such fun to watch when they clash.

Well, could 'Beating the crap out of other people in a ring' be regarded as a sport? It would entail boxing, kick, and everything else...

[Optimus Prime]

paladin;249374 said:

Most olympic games are global.

Golf is global. Tennis is global.

Soccer fans are nuts, so you can't argue with them(they might start a riot, war, etc as the past has shown), but soccer isn't the only global sport. As a teamsport, basketball is definitely a rival. Soccer probably has greater penetration worldwide, but basketball is popular in parts of South America, North America, the Caribbean, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, and various Mediterranean area nations. Basically all you're missing are traditional coldweather countries(Canada, northern European nations, etc), England(and a few other Western European nations), Australia, Arab countries, African countries, and baseball countries(certain Caribbean and South/Central American countries, Japan, South Korea). All things considered, basketball has fairly good global penetration.

Finally someone who sees my point.

I couldn't of said it better myself.

Actually, Australia has a pretty good national basketball team...and popularity is growing quickly there.

Also..for you guys in Europe...don't be surprised to see a division of NBA basketball in Europe within the next 15 years.

Some of the candidates and countries who have expressed INTEREST:
London
Greece
Spain
Paris
Balkan Area team
Italy

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Xander;249323 said:

I'd say the Global Sports go like this

Soccer

Big Gap


Basketball
Tennis
Midget Tossing

I dont know what goes on in your messed up country, but over here, in the civilized Old World, we consider wanking off little people to be a purely recreational, erotic and darn-right fun past-time. But certainly not a sport!

[Optimus Prime]

Well...we have to do something over here to make the fact our money is worthless go away....

Lacrosse is gaining popularity over here as well. Fun game. Like Hockey without skates, just slamming into people with a big stick.

[Sir Bob]

Big gap? never played it, any good?

[paladin]

you win by minding the big gap

[Optimus Prime]

haha...damn...should have put the all explaining *'s around...curses...

Sadly...it looks that hot dog eating is becoming a world wide event/sport as well....

[Centzon Totochtin]

I would say soccer and track are the most global, followed by golf, tennis boxing etc. I agree that basketball is global. Popular sports will vary in every country - often depending on what your country is good at at the time

We have the #1 womens basketball team here... just so you know and the aussie mens captain is from brissy - I likes basketball

[Optimus Prime]

WOOHOO!!! Thanks Centz

*air high fives from thousands of miles away*

Stupid Brood...the tide is turning...mwhahahah

[Dancer+]

No it's not.

The definition of global sport in the concise words of wisdom dictionary volume 1 is: Football.

Case sorted. *laughs manically*

[Optimus Prime]

lol, that gives you nothing.

Nice try.

Football is the premier global sport.

Not the only one.

Again..not saying Basketball is bigger or more global people...

[Dancer+]

I meant Football is interchangeable with Global sport. If you think football is interchangeable with Basketball you are sorely mistaken

[Cougar]

Xander;249437 said:

Again..not saying Basketball is bigger or more global people...

You can't be more global, it either is or it isn't global

[paladin]

soccer isnt interchangeable with "global" sport. there are countries that have little/no interest in it. soccer is the most global perhaps, but it is not a synonym with global in the sporting world.

[Dancer+]

I was joking. Obviously.