Cricket in the U.K. some serious questions - how broad is the fan base or is it mainly in the ethnic groups from those former colonies or is it popular like football (soccer) on a wide scale.

Do many kids play cricket?

I know when i went to Soccer World on Carnaby Street recently there was a Rugby World up top but no Cricket World

would i be correct in saying in the UK it's first football, then rugby, then cricket as the three favorite spectator and participatory sports where folks root for teams?

Short leg? Silly mid-on? Tsk tsk tsk is this board going into the garbage?

Enjoying the read. Keep it up. A delightful discussion with no angst or anger.

It's very hard to get angry about people playing cricket, especially when they do it in their jimjams. Even if they've bowled a maiden over.

>Even if they've bowled a maiden over.<

Let's leave sex out of this please.

As a point of trivia...I believe the word "World" in World series came from the newspaper that was the sponsor of the event, not any implication that is/was somehow representative of a global event.

Football...that would be the sport of the masses.

as for americanisation....I'd like to think that there has been some reverse colonisation...as in cafe culture coming to NA.
Starbucks...not great coffee, greater marketing. I don't travel to see what I left behind.
I'd be interested in what a local Parisian/Viennan (?) thinks when comparing a McDonalds/SB to the locally available fare. I need to be convinced that they believe the product is better..or is it just trendy.

Better not get onto the subject of Brian Johnston ;-)

<<Football...that would be the sport of the masses>>

This is a great thread. I enjoyed it!!

But Football? As in Soccer? or American Football?

Because in North America Soccer has a very small following compared to Baseball and Football. It is very unfortunate that we can't embrace sports that are played on an International basis.

When we talk Baseball and Football and Hockey (get that one in for Canada!!!) it is talked about on a National Level.

Even though we Yanks always call the champions of football, basketball and baseball 'World Champions' - basketball being beat fairly regularly now by 'foreign' teams has not even dispelled this myth.

I'd have to say football (soccer) is no doubt the world's favorite sport by a country mile.

I promise when I go to a cricket match at the Lords cricket grounds this summer, I will not eat sushi and will make a point of learning the difference between a mid-on and a short leg or slip! Here's to tradition! thereyet

Aren't the current World Basketball Champions Spain?

<i>...the idea of a coffeehouse i believe may have began in Vienna and the outdoor cafes in Europe, especially Paris.</i>

<i>...I'm with PalQ. How does the spread of an American take on a Viennese invention mean americanisation?</i>

Er... the first coffeehouse outside the Muslim world was actually opened in <i>Oxford</i> in 1650, two years before the first one opened in London. The first Viennese coffeehouse opened thirty years later. Back to the books, Flanner...

Well I for one never raised an alarm over the Anglicisation of the hamburger when Grand Met owned Burger King, despite the requirement that employees wear &quot;Home of the Whopper&quot; Y-fronts.

And the true world sport is, of course, Shinty.

My vote for world sport goes to Curling - darts on ice without the beer bellies and an over excited chap saying &quot;one hundred and eighty!!!&quot;

The real reason for Starbuck's popularity is that all Starbuck's are &quot;hot spots&quot; and people can use their computers and hook up their wireless to the internet there.

In my book, Starbucks cannot be so popular because its coffee is good because it isn't.

The story about the World Series being named after the New York World newspaper is an urban legend with no basis in fact.

http://roadsidephotos.com/baseball/name.htm

Ironically, although for most of its history the &quot;World Series&quot; was an almost entirely American affair, not just in the teams that played in it but in the players themselves, it is now as representative of the highest level of world play as you could imagine. Last year there were players from 20 countries outside the US, comprising nearly 30% of the total. There were 152 from the Dominican Republic alone!&lt;br&gt;
There was even a fellow born in England, Phil Stockman, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, born in Oldham, appeared in four games. Not exactly Roger Clemens, but it's a start, I guess.&lt;br&gt;
Cricket, because of the sheer number of Indians and Pakistanis, is probably the world's second-most-popular team sport. Basketball is played in more countries but is definitely a third-tier activity in most of them. &lt;br&gt;
How popular is soccer? There are more countries in FIFA than there are in the UN, 199 to 192.

&lt;&lt;&lt; Last year there were players from 20 countries outside the US &gt;&gt;&gt;

Is that all, I suspect some of the Premiership teams in the UK have more nationalities than that in their team squad.

So why does the US have so many sports that are only played by Americans and it's colonies like Canada?

Canada is not a US colony. Check.

Baseball is actually played in several areas of the world including England (minor type leagues there).

Of course, there is American football in Europe and basketball everywhere.

So, we could say: Why do the British play these funny sports that are only played in Britain and its ex-colonies?

Rugby anyone?

Alan, Alan , ALAN!

I am appalled by your statement! US and it's colonies such as Canada - retract that immediately - I believe you mean Canada and its colonies