2010 Super Bowl

Exactly, so how can the Superbowl champs be declared world champs when it's not a world game. Its meaningless, hollow and pointless if its not a world game.

Whats wrong with NFL or Superbowl champs ?

 

Yes i do.

You make a completely pointless and irrelevant point.

 

good grief. soccer sucks. saints dont.

 

Where did that come from! OK, I know it's a WSJ article, but it's just flat wrong..... "Most watched TV program in America, OK, but the world! Ridiculous!

This, IMHO, ties in to the "world championship" nonsense - There are still an alarmingly high number of people here who believe the world starts and stops within these shores, and the rest just doesn't count - *IF* that's your world view, then it is a "world chamionship" or a "world series". But take the blinkers off and it's at best inaccurate and at worst arrogant.

We have a little tournament coming up in South Africa in June that some may have heard about - It takes around 2 years just to qualify and as a result features the best football (as it's known throughout the world outside of the States!) teams that can be assembled. The final of said tournament gets the largest TV audience by a *huge* margin - IIRC, something like 1/3 of the people on the planet will tune in, one way or another.

The superbowl is a great event, and we were graced with a very, very good game for once. But it's not fit to carry the jock of the WC final. Sorry.

And to say it's a world championship because you're the best at it is either ignorant or arrogant, I can't quite decide which.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Is it though? Isn't it at minimum an extremely accurate description when literally no other assembled team could beat you? Just because football is played primarily in the U.S. doesn't make the description inaccurate...right?

 

I hear what you're getting at, but have to respectfully disagree - A "world championship" implies, to me at least, a worldwide competition. The NFL and, to a lesser degree, MLB are, too all intents and purposes, US only. I'll concede they're trying with the "world baseball classic", but the NFL is a US only "thing", not a WC.

Incidentally, I don't think I've heard the Stanley Cup winners referred to as "world champions". Nothing wrong with that - Maybe the Canadians aren't quite as self centered?

Cheers,
Ian

 

Just because American sports are played in the US, doesn't mean all the athletes are Americans.

American sports (with the exception of soccer and F1) are where the money is... and are teams are comprised of the best in the world. There are many many players in the NFL, NBA, and MLB that were scouted from other countries.

The Super Bowl is the true world championship of that sport.

 

Absolute bollox

Are you trying to tell me there are as many non Americans playing American Football as there are in the truly worldwide sports like Football (not soccer you heathens), Rugby Union, Cricket, Tennis, Athletics ?

I lived in Australia for quite a few years, no one there calls the AFL champions the WORLD Champions and that is as close a comparison to NFL as you can get.

 

Very well said that man.

 

For the sport of American Football YES the Superbowl is the world championship.

It's not American Football's fault if other athletes play other sports instead...

As for other countries that have American Football leagues.... if the players were any good, they'd come here to try out for the NFL teams because that is where they would make the most money.

ALSO -- In the case of soccer, take a guy like Carlos Bocanegra. He is from California and plays for the American national team... however for regular league play, he plays on European teams because he can make more money there for that sport. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Bocanegra --- Same is true of internationals coming the US to play for NFL, NBA, and MLB teams.

.

 

Points taken by all of you, and you guys want to argue, so argue this:

Jimmy Johnson is the WORLD DRIVING CHAMPION.

Why not?

They race saloon cars everywhere, yurrup, Brazil, Papstralia...

Jenson Button is the WORLD DRIVING CHAMPION.

How can he be?

Did he race in nascar? nhra? IRL? ARCA? WOO?
They didn't race F1 in the USA last year...

You could argue against Jimmy and Jensen based on that reasoning.

The only TRUE 'world champion' of any sport may very well be limited to Olympic sports, and beyond that, soccer, boxing, darts, bowling, slot car racing...

And Ian, as for your crack about 'self-centered', I've been around a lot of drivers, F1 included, and I've NEVER seen ANYONE be as self-centered as most F1 drivers, it's not even close...

 

Indeed.

But, that doesn't make them world champions.

They are champions of their sport, which makes them the best in the world, but hardly true "world champions" - For that, you have to beat others from across the globe IMHO.

The rest of the globe doesn't actually give a damn about "American football" - Nobody outside of the good ol' USA even considers it a world sport, so you can't, by definition, be considered a world champion - "National" champion, OK, "best in the world", still OK, but not "world champion" unless others choose to compete in said sport/endeavor.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Not even Nascar tries to claim that - He's the best at taxicab racing, which is a completely American sport - Many like it, many others don't, and he may be the best there's ever been.

Champion of the "North American Stock Car Association Racing" series, sure. But "world champion" - Nope.

 

I think it does. They are the World Champions of American Football. Is there another team in the world that could beat them at their own game? No.

Anyone in the world that is good enough and has the desire to play the game is welcome to tryout for a NFL team. The league is not limited to American athletes only.

And "best in the world" and "world champion" means the same thing, IMO.

 

This is where we (respectfully) disagree. You can indeed be the best in the world at your chosen sport, but if the rest of the world doesn't even recognize said sport, who cares?......

Sure, the athletes come from all over, but until you have an Olympic style competition it remains a national championship, which is fine (I love the NFL). But in order to be a world champion, the rest of the world has to want to compete.

This is where I like the Olympic model for "new" sports - They have to be globally accepted, with recognized sanctioning bodies in many nations before they'll even be considered as an Olympic sport - A true world championship.

Cheers,
Ian

 

By that standard then the world champion bobsledders are just that, the WORLD champions. If the team comes from the Artic or if they come from the equator, they are allowed to compete. This takes away from the thread and becomes a different arguement.

NFL allows any and all to play. Soccer allows any and all to play. The scope is renderred meaningless when the participants from other nations are disallowed to compete. If the New Zealand "Zealots" form a team with nationals from ANY state and are able to compete, then I am SURE the NFL will entertain them.

In fact, it is in the best interest of the NFL to spread the sport around.

 

Irrelevant to you. Not the the rest of us on this side of the pond. How about you stick with soccer and stop worring about what we call our sport over here.

Sound ok to you?

 

How could you possibly use F1 as an example? It's a true worldwide sport. When you take in the limited amount of participants and how many nationalities have been represented, not to mention the different countries where the grand prix's happen and the fan base around the world - i will just say i don't see your point?
F1 is considered by nearly everyone in motor racing as the pinnacle. World Champion applies to Button.

Isn't the differences between Nascar and F1 the same as the difference between Rugby Union and Rugby League - completely different ?

 

I'm not worried about what you call your sport. Its called American Football. Never questioned that i'm afraid.

Your arrogant attitude that i am not allowed an opinion on a US Sport because i'm not a Yank and should stick to UK sports is truly staggering. It's also a perfect example of why American Football is not a world sport. I'm afraid your attitude is a great example of why the US has its current reputation. Ignorance and arrogance personified. I'd work on that.

Sound ok to you?

 

Your right, it is in the best interests of the NFL to spread the sport around. But i seriously doubt that the doors are open for teams from around the world to compete in the NFL.

It's an American competition for American teams only. How can the winner of that be portrayed as World Champions?

 

I am very arrogant about the sport I love. It is a WORLD Championship. Period. If you don't like the name, deal with it over a cup of tea or something.

We aren't going to adjust to make you happy

 

+1 billion

 

We're going to have to beg to differ on this one.

It is a national championship, played for by American based teams only. That does not make it a world championship. Period. Other nations need to be involved for that. (Not as players, but as teams. They're not, so it's not.) Sorry.

Cheers,
Ian
PS - As I said above, I've also grown to love the NFL, but to call the superbowl a world championship is just wrong.

I'm going to have a cup of tea now

 

This is maybe the whiniest post I have read on Fchat in a loooooooong time.

All basic logic is ignored which makes this arguement a waste of bandwith.

Respectfully,

INTERNATIONAL/INTERGALACTIC AMERICAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

 

Yes, lol. Champions of the Universe!

The logic is simple. There is no other American football team in the world that could beat the Saints this season. Period. End of story.

Unless you form another team that can compete with the NFL, then you have no argument. Enjoy your tea.