Sports You Never Knew Existed
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by user Alex Holowczak
Whilst Americans tend to shy away from playing games everyone else in the world plays (you're only just getting into "soccer"), here is a run-down of the sports that you may not know exist - some of which America is actually pretty good at. Some however, will shock you that competitive versions of the sport exist (a la Rock Paper Scissors, Cornhole). Snooker would be on the list if I hadn't bored you to death with it already.
Rugby
Popular in Commonwealth states (i.e. the British Empire), rugby evolved from football, when an Englishman named William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it. The game of American Football evolved from it. The States actually played in the Final stages of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, but were eliminated at the Group Stage. They are ranked in the top 20 in the world (out of about 100), and should feature in the 2007 World Cup in France next autumn.
Cricket
Another game England gave to the world, cricket is popular amongst the Commonwealth states. The USA is an associate member of the ICC, and are ranked in the top 40 or so in the world (out of about 50). They failed to qualify for the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007, but may host some games in Florida. The USA played the first International cricket match, when they beat Canada in 1844, and were the first country to beat England in the 1860s.
Chess
A sport? Anyways, the States have had two of the ten World Champions in it's history, Bobby Fischer, and more anciently, Paul Morphy. Whilst it was dominated by the Soviets and now dominated by it's constituant members, the States are still in the Top 10 countries for chess in the world. There were two World Championships up until this year, but a reunification match in September has the chess world excited (sadly, no Americans are involved). New York hosted the last match of this kind in the Twin Towers in 1995.
Darts
A pub game to many, Darts is popular in Great Britain and has pockets of interest in Canada and Australia. Again, there are two World Championships, which has reduced the credibility of the game. An American qualified for the Lakeside World Championships, but lost in Round One (last 32).
Speedway
Popular in Britain, Scandanavia and Eastern Europe, Speedway is basically a four lap dirt track race on bikes. When the sport started, the USA was quite good, but soon lost interest. Now it is dominated by Poles, Swedes, Brits, and even an Aussie.
Hockey (i.e. no ice)
The original version of Ice Hockey, Hockey is still more popular in Commonwealth regions, and is in the Olympic Games. The USA is in the Top 25 in the world (out of 50), and have failed to reach the Olympics in recent memory. (possibly 1996, but only because they hosted it).
Greco-Wrestling
An ancient form of Greek wrestling, it is popular in Eastern Europe. Frankly, no-one outside of there has any idea what's going on...
Tiddlywinks
Tiddlywinks is a game where you aim to press down on counters with a bigger counter, in order to get it into a small pot. Great Britain beat the USA in the 2004 World Championship Final (apparently), and was Britain's first success in the competition for 10 years. Enough said...
Croquet
Croquet has rocketed in Britain since John Prescott was caught playing it when he should have been looking after the country while Blair was away... But there is a World Championship, and a South African man won it in 2005, in front of his home crowd (oficially, of 11...). You aim to hit balls through hoops in the ground with a mallet.
Rugby
Again. Above was Rugby Union. Rugby League is a different game, popular in Northern England, Australia and New Zealand. They are the best teams in the world by a huge distance, and the World Cup for it has always been won by one of those three nations (England as Great Britain). Australia are unbeaten in the competition since 1955.
Lawn Bowls
Rolling "bowls" to a jack, bowls is basically curling on grass, with a yellow ball as the target, not a white piece of ice. Popular in the Commonwealth Games, there was outrage when it was going to be axed from the Games.
Rallying
Popular in Scandanavia and Britain, rallying is essentially a race on any terrain (e.g. snow, ice, mud, gravel, tarmac). It is driven in stages, with repair stations every so often. A rally takes three to four days (with overnight rest). It is a race against the clock, not each other. The USA has not been good at it for a while.
Formula One
Scott Speed is the USA's lone representative on the grid, and the first since Michael Andretti in the early 90s. Phil Hill is the only American World Champion. F1 has struggled in the States. It has had the Indy 500, Watkins Glen, Phoenix, Long Beach, Dallas, Detroit, Caesar's Palace, Sebring, and Riverside in the calendar at different times until after an eight year gap, the US Grand Prix returned to Indianapolis for a separate race. F1 is dominated by Europeans and South Americans. Traditionally, the French and Italians have been the best, but not in the last fifty years.
And that completes the round-up and introduction to the world of sports, some crazy, some not. Feel free to add your own.
Date
Thu 06/22/06, 3:20 am EST
