USA international sports: Which would be bigger, in your mind?

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gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

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10,760 posts
Feb 22, 2010 11:25 AM
Beating Canada in the Olympics in hockey

or

Beating England in the World Cup

Gotta go with beating England in this one. Winning last night was great but a win against England in the WC would be completely stunning.
Feb 22, 2010 11:25am
KnightXC1's avatar

KnightXC1

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Feb 22, 2010 11:44 AM
Depends on your view point I guess. Not sure if we ever have beaten England in the WC (someone on here knows) but when you think about the US having not beaten Canada in the Olympics since 1960, that was a pretty big win.
Feb 22, 2010 11:44am
C

Con_Alma

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Feb 22, 2010 11:52 AM
May not be the same in other's minds but in mine I wouldn't care if we beat anyone in the WC. With that being said I would choose beating Canada in Olympic Hockey
Feb 22, 2010 11:52am
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

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Feb 22, 2010 11:53 AM
KnightXC1 wrote: Depends on your view point I guess. Not sure if we ever have beaten England in the WC (someone on here knows) but when you think about the US having not beaten Canada in the Olympics since 1960, that was a pretty big win.
We did beat England in the 1950 WC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_v_United_States_%281950%29
Feb 22, 2010 11:53am
B

bartsimpson

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Feb 22, 2010 11:55 AM
I voted the WC, but only because there were only 2 choices. I really don't see either one as even a blip on the radar screen of the majority of americans. Maybe if it was beating Canada for the Olympics title or beating England for the World Cup title then people would notice....but as it is, neither is a big deal. I would venture to guess that if you went around your workplace and asked random people who the US played in Hockey yesterday that very, very few would know.....and fewer still would know who won or what the score was. Then ask that same group of people if they've ever seen the World Cup? Again, very, very few will even know what sport it is.
Feb 22, 2010 11:55am
C

Con_Alma

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12,198 posts
Feb 22, 2010 11:57 AM
bartsimpson...that's true...in fact most US citizens don't care about sports in general. The big events garner some greater attention but there are more people than not that wouldn't have any idea what national teams are doing.
Feb 22, 2010 11:57am
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

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Feb 22, 2010 11:59 AM
Yup ... for being a pretty sports-crazed nation (in terms of attendance, variety of options, $$ spent on sports), we care very little (respective versus other countries) about our national teams.
Feb 22, 2010 11:59am
darbypitcher22's avatar

darbypitcher22

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Feb 22, 2010 12:03 PM
I think its gotta be beating Canada, since we're border rivals and they think the invented the game.
Feb 22, 2010 12:03pm
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

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Feb 22, 2010 12:04 PM
They kinda did invent the game.
Feb 22, 2010 12:04pm
I

I drain 3's

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Feb 22, 2010 12:08 PM
I've gotta go with beating England in the World Cup. Outside of Canada and the US, who else would really care all that much if the US beat Canada at hockey? I mean I know hockey is big in countries like Russia, Finland, Sweden, etc. but it's pretty limited on a world-wide scale. Soccer is pretty much a world-wide sport, and may quite possibly be the most popular sport in the world. Not to mention England is pretty much a national power, and beating them would only solidify that the American Soccer is on the rise. The whole world would notice that. Plus, it'd be one more thing we kicked England's ass at. :D
Feb 22, 2010 12:08pm
C

Con_Alma

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12,198 posts
Feb 22, 2010 12:12 PM
I didn't read the question as who other than yourself would care.

I read the question as in your mind or to you which is bigger.

Which is bigger to you?

Which would matter more to you?
Feb 22, 2010 12:12pm
bases_loaded's avatar

bases_loaded

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Feb 22, 2010 12:35 PM
Soccer blows and so does anyone that plays soccer.
Feb 22, 2010 12:35pm
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cbus4life

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Feb 22, 2010 12:47 PM
U.S. beating England in the World Cup. Easily.

It is bigger, it would matter more to me than any win, ever, in an international sport for the U.S. Aside, of course, from the "Miracle on Ice."
Feb 22, 2010 12:47pm
killdeer's avatar

killdeer

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Feb 22, 2010 12:49 PM
Agree with England/any significant World Cup victory.
Soccer worldwide is the most popular and popularly played sport, and it is the one major sport that remains an enigma to most Americans, thus one in which the U.S., for all intents and purposes, still lags behind in terms of talent and tournament success (notwithstanding the Ladies well known 1999 WC). A major run by the 2010 WC team would be huge!

Let me add, it would be a bigger stunner internationally...many Americans would not take notice, especially with the games in S. Africa.
Feb 22, 2010 12:49pm
KnightXC1's avatar

KnightXC1

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Feb 22, 2010 1:13 PM
People will take notice of the US beating England but it would be better if the US beat them on their own home soil. The US beating Canada last night on Canadian soil in the Olympics is huge for USA hockey. The US beating England in the WC would be huge for USA soccer. Neither sport is the top sport in the US so obviously the puplicity is not the same as basketball, baseball, or football would be. Both are big deals and when these types of tournaments come around, people do care.
Feb 22, 2010 1:13pm
Heretic's avatar

Heretic

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Feb 22, 2010 1:16 PM
I went with hockey. I care more about the Olympics than the World Cup and care more about hockey than soccer. It was an easy choice for me.
Feb 22, 2010 1:16pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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29,506 posts
Feb 22, 2010 1:31 PM
For me it is easily soccer.

Nationally I think it is soccer.

Internationally it isnt even a contest. Every paper in the world would print a huge headline about it. No exaggeration.
Feb 22, 2010 1:31pm
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DeyDurkie5

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Feb 22, 2010 1:32 PM
World Cup easily...US in hockey has had at least some success. The US in the world cup has been somewhat of a joke really for a while. No one gives them credit because they just haven't been good compared to other nations. If they beat a legit team like England, it would be a huge boost to not only their confidence, but to the fan base for the rest of the world cup for the Americans.


Bases Loaded, do you feel better now? lol
Feb 22, 2010 1:32pm
j_crazy's avatar

j_crazy

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Feb 22, 2010 1:40 PM
IMO:

Hockey>>>>Soccer

so that's how I vote. I know I'm in the minority though.
Feb 22, 2010 1:40pm
Z

Zoltan

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1,003 posts
Feb 22, 2010 1:46 PM
England in the World Cup - especially if it contributes to them failing to advance out of the group stages.
Feb 22, 2010 1:46pm
End of Line's avatar

End of Line

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Feb 22, 2010 1:51 PM
Beating Canada!!! :)
Feb 22, 2010 1:51pm
LJ's avatar

LJ

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Feb 22, 2010 1:53 PM
On a personal level? I couldn't care less about either.

But on an international level, if the U.S. can beat England in the World Cup and actually make some noise, the thought that the U.S. has the best athletes in the world will then be looked at as a realistic one internationally.
Feb 22, 2010 1:53pm
3reppom's avatar

3reppom

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765 posts
Feb 22, 2010 2:16 PM
World Cup no question. Hockey matters to Canada, Scandinavia and almost no one else. Soccer is the biggest sport in nearly every country on the planet and a win over england would send send shock waves around the globe
Feb 22, 2010 2:16pm
V

vball10set

paying it forward

24,795 posts
Feb 22, 2010 2:17 PM
IMO,beating England in soccer--I believe we're a lot closer to Canada in hockey than we are to England in soccer
Feb 22, 2010 2:17pm
KnightXC1's avatar

KnightXC1

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Feb 22, 2010 3:01 PM
3reppom wrote: World Cup no question. Hockey matters to Canada, Scandinavia and almost no one else. Soccer is the biggest sport in nearly every country on the planet and a win over england would send send shock waves around the globe
Hockey matters to many countries. US, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Germany. May not be as popular world wide as soccer but still a very popular sport.

US Beating England would be great but it's not going to change American's perception of soccer. People will not suddenly become soccer fans if it happens. It will be news for about a week and after the World Cup ends, people will forget about it. Now if the US were to beat England in the finals, that's another story.
Feb 22, 2010 3:01pm