Mbj-11 From Jamaica, joined Aug 2000, 386 posts, RR: 1 Posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 928 times:
Just as the thread said, Why is baseball's finale called the world series? I know some people may take offence to the question or want to say ignorance or etc, but its a genuine question to those who know. Why do they market it as such if it is played by American teams and a Canadian team (correct me if I am wrong please).
I know they US like to market their sport teams as world champions, but to actually bill the winners as such is really amusing sometimes. Anyway, can someone provide an answer why? Thank you.
LHMARK From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 7255 posts, RR: 53 Reply 9, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 883 times:
Here we go again.
The World Series was devised as a championship between the National League and American League in the earliest part of the 20th century, back when every baseball team in the entire world was in the US. At the time, it was just marketing hype to make the game sound grandiose. Like so many things in baseball, the name stuck as part of baseball traditon. it isn't some overt expression of xenophobia. Give it a rest.
"Sympathy is something that shouldn't be bestowed on the Yankees. Apparently it angers them." - Bob Feller
LAXspotter From India, joined Jan 2007, 3650 posts, RR: 6 Reply 10, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 838 times:
Quoting Mbj-11 (Thread starter): I know they US like to market their sport teams as world champions, but to actually bill the winners as such is really amusing sometimes.
lemme be the first to say, our dominance in sports considered to be American are diminishing, except for American Football. We got our asses handed to us by the Argentines in USA basketball last year, our baseball players are definetely not the best, I think we've been beat by much smaller countries, however, many of the top professional players in "American" sports do come here for the money and opportunity to be even more successful.
"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" Samuel Johnson
Euclid From South Africa, joined Apr 2005, 368 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 800 times:
Okay, this may or may not be the correct answer, but this is what I heard on a radio quiz show, called the "Almost Incredibly Impossible Quiz", which is hugely amusing.
When this series first started, it was sponsored by a now defunct newspaper called The World, hence the name of the series. The name obviously stuck even after the paper went bust.
YooYoo From Canada, joined Nov 2003, 6013 posts, RR: 55 Reply 12, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 781 times:
If it will make everybody feel a bit better, look at it this way, a lot of the MLB players now come from around the world. And from what i understand it's ever increasing. And if you don't like that reasoning, read LHMarks comment.
I am so smart, i am so smart... S-M-R-T... i mean S-M-A-R-T
Kiwiandrew From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8308 posts, RR: 17 Reply 13, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 775 times:
my understanding was that a long since defunct newspaper called "The World" was the original sponsor
edited to add: oops - just realised that I am about two hours too late with my post - still glad to hear that I am not the only one who has heard this one
[Edited 2007-09-29 15:42:16]
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
Duff44 From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 1723 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 768 times:
I think the same thing applies to the NFL... when baseball's and football's respective championships started, that sport was only played in the US, so they were World Champions and the name just stuck.
I don't know that a full "world" championship would work. How many other pro leagues are there? (besides Japan) And the very best players are going to come to the USA anyway because this is where the money is.
LTU932 From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 13864 posts, RR: 53 Reply 15, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 712 times:
Quoting Duff44 (Reply 14): I think the same thing applies to the NFL... when baseball's and football's respective championships started, that sport was only played in the US, so they were World Champions and the name just stuck.
When we had the NFL Europa, we had the Worldbowl, but the problem was that most of the time, the teams playing to win the Worldbowl were German teams, since the NFL Europa was, apart from the Amsterdam Admirals team, an all-German affair.
Maybe a new Worldbowl should be introduced, as part of a (NFL) pre-season tournament between teams from other top American Football teams (Germany has with the GFL probably one of the most important and biggest American Football League outside the NFL) and the NFL World Champion, to decide a real World Champion. Since the NFL is eager to promote themselves outside the US as well, it could work to their advantage.
OB1504 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 2652 posts, RR: 9 Reply 16, posted (4 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 702 times:
Quoting Euclid (Reply 11): When this series first started, it was sponsored by a now defunct newspaper called The World, hence the name of the series. The name obviously stuck even after the paper went bust.
Quoting Kiwiandrew (Reply 13): my understanding was that a long since defunct newspaper called "The World" was the original sponsor
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