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Ishkur,
An absolutely excellent piece! Being a soccer fan from the US I can really relate to a great deal of what you have written.
Here are few more thoughts I might add from an American perspective. When watching the Super Bowl I always get the impression that it is kind of like watching one of those old marches of missiles in front of the Kremlin. With all the military jets and displays of nationalism. Nationalism is fine in the right context and setting, and I think this is the greatest country in world. But, I have to wonder how the NFL thinks it can grow the sport globally when its showcase event is clearly on display only to attract American audiences. I have for the last 25 years or so been able to pretty much ignore the NFL as the constant start and stop and endless replays just get on my nerves.
Baseball is an American sport. I love baseball. If there is one game where statistics are made for then it is baseball. However please don't forget that the international cousin of baseball, cricket, is also very much the same. And there is also a great deal of statistics and some specialization in cricket.
The one thing I would take issue with is your reference to the most memorable sporting events in US history. Easily the 1980 Olympic Hockey team winning the Gold Medal at Lake Placid tops any of the events you have listed. Spontaneous celebrations across the country were seen, I even remember where I was, and what I was doing when the game was on TV.
In conclusion I would like to see less of the OTT production stuff at many athletic events I attend. Why for instance do I need to hear overly loud rock and hip-hop music between every inning of a baseball game and commercials on the scoreboard is beyond me.
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