9 Pervasive Myths About Professional Sports in America
The world of sports is full of clichés. Let’s debunk 9 misconceptions that everyday Americans have about their beloved pastimes.
1. Current Players Are Better Than Past Players
How many times do we have to hear how amazing Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, and Kobe Bryant are? People have to understand that there once existed a world before SportsCenter, and that era consisted of some really great players that arguably are much better athletes than those that play today.
2. Do Athletes Make the Team Great?
They make the game fun to watch, but the players are only one-half of the equation. When our US World Championship Basketball Team lost in humiliating fashion to both Argentina and Yugoslavia in the earlier part of this century, they merely proved that coaching and chemistry are fundamental in making a team successful.
3. Homefield Advantage is Key to Winning Championships.
While it’s nice to be able to sleep in your own bed before a big game, sometimes playing on the road can be beneficial in bringing a team closer together in the face of adversity. Look at the 2005 Steelers who went on the road for three straight games before winning the Super Bowl. It’s always nice to be greeted by familiar faces, but in the end they are professionals paid to win a game.
4. Athlete Superstars are Prima Donnas, Bad Boys, etc.
Athletes are always in the public eye, and there will always be a few bad apples. Equally important is that there are a lot of athletes that do a lot of good, but are not recognized and the same scale as their “bad boy” counterparts.
5. Momentum, is it real?
We have all heard about momentum shifting in favor or against our favorite team by a broadcaster. Momentum is a completely fictitious concept invented to make fans believe that a certain outcome is inevitable and is often used for dramatic effect. No one should be truly surprised by the outcome of a sporting event, where all things are possible.
6. Team of Destiny
What is it about a team of destiny? Were the Red Sox of 2004 a team of destiny? No, they outplayed their opponent when they needed to, and they made their own luck. It is called winning.
7. Defense Wins Championships.
Not in my book. Offense wins championships, while defense keeps you in the game. If you cannot put points on the board, you are going to lose regardless how good your defense is.
8. Everyone loves a winner.
Truth be told, people like to see David beat Goliath every now and again. In fact, some sports fans live for the moments when the likes of the Lakers, Yankees or Patriots go down in flames.
9. Car Racing and Poker are Sports.
A sport is a physical activity that requires athleticism. These two activities could be more accurately described as a competition and game respectively. How such “sports” have been lumped in with the likes of basketball, baseball and football is ESPN’s fault.