I admit I'm not much of sports fan. I never watch the
Super Bowl or the Major League playoffs. So I haven't really been
following the recent Association football games (aka soccer) like the
rest of the world. I've only had a moderate interest in who wins only
because a friend of mine cares about it.
But I do think we can learn something from the games we play. I don't profess to know much about the rules of Association football, but take the last two games for example. The United States tied Portugal 2-2. Neither sides loses and they both advance forward. In the next match the United States losses to Germany 1-0. Yet the United States still doesn't technically lose and advances to the next round. Apparently even when you lose, you still win.
Compare this with the games American's play. In Baseball, there is no draw, the game will go on indefinitely until one side wins. In American football the game will go into sudden death to break a tie. And above all a loss is one of the worse things ever. American's play to win.
I know I'm probably not the first to make this observation, I just find it interesting that Americans play games that foster true competitiveness, while the "international community" play games that make you feel good about yourself, even if your a loser. Maybe this is the reason why soccer has never really caught on in the Unites States.
But I do think we can learn something from the games we play. I don't profess to know much about the rules of Association football, but take the last two games for example. The United States tied Portugal 2-2. Neither sides loses and they both advance forward. In the next match the United States losses to Germany 1-0. Yet the United States still doesn't technically lose and advances to the next round. Apparently even when you lose, you still win.
Compare this with the games American's play. In Baseball, there is no draw, the game will go on indefinitely until one side wins. In American football the game will go into sudden death to break a tie. And above all a loss is one of the worse things ever. American's play to win.
I know I'm probably not the first to make this observation, I just find it interesting that Americans play games that foster true competitiveness, while the "international community" play games that make you feel good about yourself, even if your a loser. Maybe this is the reason why soccer has never really caught on in the Unites States.
