- Sep 22, 2013
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American athletes are considered by many many to be the best in the world.
Americans compete very well in the Olympic Games, and athletes on domestic soil competing in the MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA exemplify the grace and skill associated with sports in general.
However, European athletes shine on two major international competitive sports stages where Americans have done not as well --- tennis and soccer.
True, American tennis phenoms such as John McEnroe and American soccer phenoms such as Landon Donovan have given the world a proud American face for competitive sports, but they are still not considered (by many) to be as 'iconic' or even as 'representative' as European tennis phenoms such as Bjorn Borg and European soccer phenoms such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Furthermore, sports legends in fields more popular in America (e.g., baseball, basketball, etc.) are far more popular than achieving European athletes in those fields (e.g., Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, etc.).
Maybe Americans care much less about tennis and soccer and there are less socio-cultural investments, but today, people simply don't expect Americans to compete reliably in tennis and soccer the way they do in other sports (e.g., baseball, football, hockey, basketball, swimming, etc.).
Should Americans find a way to dominate tennis and soccer the way they've dominated other sports, or should they continue to invest in the sports they've excelled in already for years?
Americans compete very well in the Olympic Games, and athletes on domestic soil competing in the MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA exemplify the grace and skill associated with sports in general.
However, European athletes shine on two major international competitive sports stages where Americans have done not as well --- tennis and soccer.
True, American tennis phenoms such as John McEnroe and American soccer phenoms such as Landon Donovan have given the world a proud American face for competitive sports, but they are still not considered (by many) to be as 'iconic' or even as 'representative' as European tennis phenoms such as Bjorn Borg and European soccer phenoms such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Furthermore, sports legends in fields more popular in America (e.g., baseball, basketball, etc.) are far more popular than achieving European athletes in those fields (e.g., Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, etc.).
Maybe Americans care much less about tennis and soccer and there are less socio-cultural investments, but today, people simply don't expect Americans to compete reliably in tennis and soccer the way they do in other sports (e.g., baseball, football, hockey, basketball, swimming, etc.).
Should Americans find a way to dominate tennis and soccer the way they've dominated other sports, or should they continue to invest in the sports they've excelled in already for years?
