Baseball is considered to be an American pastime and an integral part of our culture. This American sport is supposed to epitomize what we are as Americans. When other countries think of the USA baseball is never far behind.
It is common knowledge that the New York Yankees have won more World Series than any other baseball team. Which in turn has led to an increase in its American fan base. However, shouldn't the opposite happening?
Not so long ago the MLB instituted salary caps so that all baseball teams would have an equal opportunity in attracting the best players. A fine structure was instituted to enforce the salary cap, and the Yankees have had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars every year for consistently, purposely exceed the caps. Shouldn't this be considered a form of cheating? I'm sure other countries see it that way but Americans do not for the Yankee have one of the largest American fan base.
It is interesting that most Americans always have to back the winner. It seems that teams like the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys because they have won more games have more american fans. Being American our culture allows us to luxury of rooting for any team that we choose, and if we are unhappy with the performance of one team we can just change in for another. It gives the impression that in Western culture if you backed the winner you're a winner, but if you backed a loser than you must be a loser. In reality, you really didn't participate or have anything to do with whether your team won or lost. It's more of (ego boost) I was right I picked the winning team.
The Japanese started their own baseball league, and their culture dictates something different. Win, lose or draw A Japanese person would not consider rooting for a team other than that of their own region. It would be considered dishonorable. So imagine from the Japanese point of view, Americans in regard to the game of baseball must be pretty dishonorable, not only do we back the teams that win the most, regardless of what part of our country it is from, but we allow one team to break the rules in the pursuit of the win and that team has the greatest number of American fans.
MLB have a luxury cap instead of a salary cap. Yes, this is a penalty for overspending on the limit. The teams are taxed and then the taxes are split amongst the teams or put back into player benefits.
ReplyDelete"As of the 2009 season[update], only the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Yankees have paid any luxury tax; the Yankees have contributed to over 95% ($164.1 million) of tax payments, and have been subject to six of the eleven occasions the tax has been implemented."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_tax_%28sports%29
As you can see it is not only the Yankees who spend more than the limit. They do have more of an advantage but they also create the revenue from sports fans in order to do this.
Here's a link for more information on luxury caps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salary_cap
I don't think that people generally back the winning team. There are lots of people are vote for their state team because of loyalty.
These things may be dishonorable to Japanese but its because it is a different culture and honor is a Japanese way of life. I think its interesting that they don't or are not allowed to root for another team. It's just personal preference.
I wonder how they feel about Hideki Matsui changing countries, let alone teams once he was playing in the American MLB.
I think that it is interesting that the Japanese find it dishonorable to vote for another team than your own region. In my opinion I think that it is great that in America people can choose which team they want to favor. It would be pretty boring if everyone in the same area was cheering for the same team. The difference in team preference make it fun to watch the game with a group of people, a little competition can be fun. For example I used to work in a bar and sporting events would bring in a huge crowd. It was fun watching the competition and the rivalry. If everyone was cheering for the same team, it would of made it boring.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that people back up the winner only. In some cases I am sure that this happens, but I do not think it is a general rule. I come from a family that cheers for the Patriots during football season and the Red Sox during baseball season. Win or lose, they have never and probably will never switch teams. It is sort of a family tradition to cheer for those two teams.
I never knew that the Japanese could only root for their own country otherwise it would be considered dishonorable. This does make sense when you look at their culture. As far as in Western culture whoever backs the winning teams are considered winners, and whoever backs the losing teams are considered losers, I don’t really understand. Obviously certain teams have reputations for winning titles, but just because they won one year doesn’t mean they will win the next. I understand where you were going in the since of the ego, but I wouldn’t say they pick the winning team to feel like a winner. I would maybe make the assumption that they are picking the winning team because that is what everyone else is doing.
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