OT: "World" Champions

[Disney Dad Canada]

Well, one of these teams today will be World Champions!!

Um, yea

 

[ukwildcat]

Well that's the way a lot of people in the rest of the world see the USA's attitude. This is just another example of it.

You're right about that. There are also a lot of other things that are true or widely believed that are either mean or rude. That doesn't mean you need to go around "speaking the truth."

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

You're right about that. There are also a lot of other things that are true or widely believed that are either mean or rude. That doesn't mean you need to go around "speaking the truth."

So can you explain a better answer to my original question?

 

[ukwildcat]

So can you explain a better answer to my original question?

I agree with you on that. And I don't have a good answer.

 

[DisneyKevin]

So can you explain a better answer to my original question?

We do it because we know it annoys you.

This quality of this answer matches the quality of the question.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

We do it because we know it annoys you.

This quality of this answer matches the quality of the question.

Big football fan that you are Kevin.

 

[mainegal]

Well, Canadians think they have the best poutine in the world, which may be true because nobody else eats that stuff!!

Now tell me about these bags of milk you purchase.

Forget "cake or pie".
I want some of the world championship poutine, please. YUM!

I think milk in bags is cool. Pretty sure it is more economical/ecological packaging.

 

[ADP]

Doesn't add up. Baseball and basketball are played worldwide, and other countries have just as good if not better talent. To me it's all about egos and marketing.

True...With Basketball the rules in the U.S. (NBA) are different than basketball played in other countries....(you get three steps in the NBA )

 

[lugnut33]

Please welcome your World Champion Green Bay Packers!!

 

[Miss SD]

Well that's the way a lot of people in the rest of the world see the USA's attitude. This is just another example of it.

Wow, since we're going deep into stereotypes, why do Canadians have such an inferiority complex?

 

[Miss SD]

Oh, and almost forgot, way to go world champion Green Bay Packers!!!

 

[topolino]

I tried hard to stay out of this, but I just want to point out that I live in Buffalo, NY, where the World Juniors of Hockey were recently held. Yes, other countries were invited to the tournament, but judging by some of the behavior of our neighbors to the north, Canadians have no problem declaring themselves the World Champions of ice hockey no matter the result of the tournament. By the way, Canada lost to Russia.

 

[topolino]

To answer the original question by the original poster, the reason is very simple. When the USA's leagues were formed (MLB, NBA and NFL - not NHL), there were no other countries in the world playing those sports. They were American sports played only in America. So the champion of the league WAS the champion of the world. The tradition stuck and the terminology continued and that is why even today, the champions of those leagues are called World Champions.

 

[Cap.Steamboat Willie]

Thank you for a detailed explanation.

I love history as it applies to the evolution of language.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

I tried hard to stay out of this, but I just want to point out that I live in Buffalo, NY, where the World Juniors of Hockey were recently held. Yes, other countries were invited to the tournament, but judging by some of the behavior of our neighbors to the north, Canadians have no problem declaring themselves the World Champions of ice hockey no matter the result of the tournament. By the way, Canada lost to Russia.

While Canadians do take our hockey seriously, no one in Canada calls themselves World Champions if they lose. Plus Canadians bought most of the tickets, so it did seem a bit crazy seeing a "foreign" team as the crowd favourite. At least we can sing our own anthem correctly.

And while I agree that these leagues may have a long history, times change, and these leagues should change with the times.

 

[DaParkers]

While Canadians do take our hockey seriously, no one in Canada calls themselves World Champions if they lose. Plus Canadians bought most of the tickets, so it did seem a bit crazy seeing a "foreign" team as the crowd favourite. At least we can sing our own anthem correctly.

And while I agree that these leagues may have a long history, times change, and these leagues should change with the times.

The U.S. has the best of a lot of things that matter, for example, the Dis. We also have WDW, which you seem to be quite fond of. You're right, we are arrogant. Why don't you protest and boycott everything American? J.K. Keep those Canadian dollars coming. Seriously, don't you think it's somewhat arrogant of you to call Americans arrogant on an American based forum?

 

[Spaceace5150]

While Canadians do take our hockey seriously, no one in Canada calls themselves World Champions if they lose. Plus Canadians bought most of the tickets, so it did seem a bit crazy seeing a "foreign" team as the crowd favourite. At least we can sing our own anthem correctly.

And while I agree that these leagues may have a long history, times change, and these leagues should change with the times.

No one does? Wouldn't you have to have knowledge of all Canadian's view on this topic to make that claim?

 

[DEA]

The extent to which the "World Champion" designation has failed to embrace other leagues is, I think, a reflection of the fact that although American Football, Basketball, and Baseball are played in other parts of the world, the leagues in the US/Canada (for Major League Baseball) remain the preeminent leagues in the world.

Players from other countries migrate upwards to take part in the US/North American professional leagues. Guys playing professional basketball in Italy are generally not making a choice to avoid the NBA. The best European players end up playing in the NBA. Similarly, the best Japanese baseball players come to the MLB, while US players who for whatever reason cannot find a spot on an MLB team end up going to Japan, unless the Red Sox block the deal (Kevin Millar was going to the Japanese Central League Chunichi Dragons before the 2003 season, but ended up in Boston). The NFL has average talent above and beyond any other professional football league in the world, although it has found players from the CFL, USFL, and Arena League.

The counterpoints are in sports like soccer/football. The MLS in the US makes no claim that its champion is the "World Champion".

I think until the Chunichi Dragons can compete on the level of the NL West, at least, then the MLB is going to hold on to its World Series and World Champion designations. I think athletes in these sports will recognize the tiers of quality for various professional leagues around the world, and the NFL, MLB, and NBA are on top. It could change, but it hasn't yet.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

The extent to which the "World Champion" designation has failed to embrace other leagues is, I think, a reflection of the fact that although American Football, Basketball, and Baseball are played in other parts of the world, the leagues in the US/Canada (for Major League Baseball) remain the preeminent leagues in the world.

While I agree to some extent for some sports, baseball definitely doesn't hold to this argument. Only 3 of the players from the "World Baseball Classic" champions Japan were from MLB, not to mention that Cubans aren't even allowed to play in the US without defecting.

Plus to me, unless it's a country verses country competition based (i.e. not team of mixed players representing cities) it's not a "world" champ.

 

[DEA]

Plus to me, unless it's a country verses country competition based (i.e. not team of mixed players representing cities) it's not a "world" champ.

I think that part seals it. It's not even so much that they're representing a particular city in most cases. They are entities unto themselves, and the local fan base just pays the rent and salaries.