With the Olympic Games in Rio behind ups and the start of football season around the corner, I came to a realization. Here in ‘Murica, we are not just about apple pie, gun rights, and freedom – we are also about sports. In fact, when we really think about it, we would be hard pressed to find a better nation for sports fans. This is evidenced by the United States’ performance at the Olympic games which ended in 121 total medals. Few places have both the diversity and depth within their sports culture. Yes, there are fitter nations or nations with more passionate “futball” fans, but few places have such an abundance of competitive sports. Those of us within the United States are really fortunate enough to be living in a sports-fans paradise.
But as I watched the Olympics, I could not help but think about the array of sporting events which we have far too minimal exposure to living in the United States. That got me thinking, what are a few of the other sports from around the world which we do not realize, are even sports. Sure – football and baseball will always remain the cornerstones of American sporting culture. We are unlikely to shed the contributions from our Canadian neighbors-to-the-North, basketball and hockey. The rise in the popularity of soccer and the expansion of Major League Soccer show that it is here to stay. Since, we have a long history of adapting sports, I got to thinking, what are some of the other sports which would be welcomed in the mainstream American sports culture. So, in the name of multiculturalism, the shared human experience, and sportsmanship which the spirit of the Olympics breed, I decided to investigate some of the more obscure sports from around the world. It turns out, most of these are already exist in niche communities in the United States, and I think it would serve us well to integrate these events into our collective, mainstream sporting culture.
