ball in europe

[boston.balla]

Finished my trip in spain and france a few days ago and I remebered something that really made me look twice. Ball is VERY popular in europe. Let me repeat myself, it's alot more popular than I thought. Last time I went to spain was 6 years ago and I did not see so many people playing. All ages man, not just 10-30.

I usually go to europe but not spain so that's why I am kinda shocked of how big this sport has become in such a short period. 6-7 years ago there were not so many out there balling.

Made this thread for all of us who kinda got surprised at the olympics by how spain played us. Let me tell you this, there are more kids playing ball in madrid than in boston. Just said it.

And athletically-wise you'd be stunned. Rudy fernadez is no fluke. And don't think they play girls ball, though they are FAR more civilized and I did not see as the idiot "let's start a fight" fouls like i see here.

[Allanon]

If Soccer is the #1 sport in the world, I'd think Basketball is #2.

Basketball's very, very popular in Asia as well.

[Chieflion]

If Soccer is the #1 sport in the world, I'd think Basketball is #2.

Basketball's very, very popular in Asia as well.
I can tell you basketball is very popular in Asia but very far behind soccer. Basketball is made relevant in Asia because of Yao Ming.

I am thinking table tennis is number 2 or 3.

[Muser]

It's not very popular in England, the main sports here being Football/Rugby/Cricket. I've been to Greece and Spain however and they're crazy about it.

[sonic21]

there's a lot of sports more popular than BB in france: football, rugby, tennis, swimming...

[Brazil]

there's a lot of sports more popular than BB in france: football, rugby, tennis, swimming...

swimming ? you are exagerating a litle bit. Now you can argue with handball for instance

[Sotongball21]

I can tell you basketball is very popular in Asia but very far behind soccer. Basketball is made relevant in Asia because of Yao Ming.

I am thinking table tennis is number 2 or 3.
I am sorry, but i think you are wrong. It is not because of Yao. Yao only made basketball bigger in china.
Remember Tracy McGrady has a huge fan base in china. And Kobe was very big in the rest of Asia.
The Philippines has been playing basketball for a long time now.
I started playing basketball after watching the broadcast of the NBA during the beginning of the century. And i think many did too.

And badminton is more popular than table tennis. just saying :lol

Come to think of it, soccer is not as popular in Asia, particularly in Singapore, as basketball has become more assessable.

[Chieflion]

I am sorry, but i think you are wrong. It is not because of Yao. Yao only made basketball bigger in china.
Remember Tracy McGrady has a huge fan base in china. And Kobe was very big in the rest of Asia.
The Philippines has been playing basketball for a long time now.
I started playing basketball after watching the broadcast of the NBA during the beginning of the century. And i think many did too.

And badminton is more popular than table tennis. just saying :lol

Come to think of it, soccer is not as popular in Asia, particularly in Singapore, as basketball has become more assessable.
Yao Ming particularly made it huge in China, which is part of Asia. Soccer is popular with those retarded gamblers who scream "Goal, Goal, Goal!" whenever the team they bet on scores a goal. I was not ready to put badminton in as we really do not even have a national team in Singapore which is why I placed table tennis as second. You know, our "China imports" have great success in table tennis and won some medals. Soccer still has its mainstream fans, particularly in Malaysia and with the Malays.

[boston.balla]

If Soccer is the #1 sport in the world, I'd think Basketball is #2.

Basketball's very, very popular in Asia as well.

In england these guys are crazy... we say it's madness when LA has the ring parade or the crowd was wild at the pallace when the bad boys played .. we have alot to learn from the english regarding being fans, they're insanely devoted.

I mean the world cup final in soccer has what 1.8-2 billion viewers live? That's just insane.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_War .. a war catalyzed by a soccer match. Jesus christ maradona has his own religion in argentina. Some soccer fans are abso-f***in-lutely insane and can put even the most crazed nba fan to shame with their insanity.

Real life lesson: never wear a chelsea shirt in liverpool. Just forget it.. got me in lots of trouble.

I think it's fair to say soccer is was and will be no 1 in the world.

[IronMexican]

I can tell you basketball is very popular in Asia but very far behind soccer. Basketball is made relevant in Asia because of Yao Ming.

I am thinking table tennis is number 2 or 3.

I remember when I was at school and I played this Chinese kid at table tennis. The fucker brought his own pad and everything. He wiped the floor.

[Bukefal]

In Europe, basketball is probably the most popular in the Balkans. (Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Greece). But in the last years it became huge in Spain, France and Germany also, most because of the success of some of those nations players. Tony Parker, Nowitzki, Gasol....

But Basketball has also been a very popular sport in playing on fields in neighbourhoods. Kids play it alot. Its more popular to play like that, than popularity of watching any pro teams or leagues from around the globe.

[Bukefal]

In england these guys are crazy... we say it's madness when LA has the ring parade or the crowd was wild at the pallace when the bad boys played .. we have alot to learn from the english regarding being fans, they're insanely devoted.

I mean the world cup final in soccer has what 1.8-2 billion viewers live? That's just insane.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_War .. a war catalyzed by a soccer match. Jesus christ maradona has his own religion in argentina. Some soccer fans are abso-f***in-lutely insane and can put even the most crazed nba fan to shame with their insanity.

I think it's fair to say soccer is was and will be no 1 in the world.

Indeed, European soccer fans but also European basketball fans, especially in the Balkans are crazy. They are so devoted, for them it's life. In USA you have trash talk, in Europe you have people crushing eachother and being left as trash.

But there is also a downside, of course, the many hooligans and fights and even killings just because of these rivalry fanbases. They ruin the sport.


Real life lesson: never wear a chelsea shirt in liverpool. Just forget it.. got me in lots of trouble.

Haha yeah, these things non europeans do not understand so well. You can even get killed for wearing a jersey at the wrong moment in the wrong place. :lol Beware!

It happens alot, if interested, you should read something about the rivalry between Partizan and Red Star Belgrade and Olympiakos and Panathinaikos and several other rivalries in the Balkans. Some of the most horrible things you can think of have happened among these fanbases. Killings, fightings. In the USA they take foam fingers to the game, but there they take guns and bombs to the game.

These Fanbases are often backed by organized crime, and also in wars which occured in the Balkans, these fanbases were often used by governments to form a special paramilitary and let them fight.

[mathbzh]

there's a lot of sports more popular than BB in france: football, rugby, tennis, swimming...

Considering the size of the federations in members, BB is the #2 team sport in France (far behind soccer).

Ranking is (http://www.linternaute.com/sport/pratique/classement/les-sports-qui-comptent-le-plus-de-licencies/n-1-le-football.shtml (source)):

1 soccer (2 millions members)
2 tennis (1 million)
3 horse riding (550K I would not have guess )
4 judo (550K)
5 Basket (450K)

A sport like rugby has a lot of fans, a very good broadcasting, but there is not so many people practicing (under 300K).

[mathbzh]

swimming ? you are exagerating a litle bit. Now you can argue with handball for instance

People don't really care about handball IMO. While we can win some medals it's OK... but if we don't, it will probably go back to minor sport status.

[alamo50]

they are FAR more civilized


:lmao

[sonic21]

swimming ? you are exagerating a litle bit. Now you can argue with handball for instance

i meant non sport fans don't know about basketall, they know tony and that's it.

[sefant77]

Indeed, European soccer fans but also European basketball fans, especially in the Balkans are crazy. They are so devoted, for them it's life. In USA you have trash talk, in Europe you have people crushing eachother and being left as trash.

But there is also a downside, of course, the many hooligans and fights and even killings just because of these rivalry fanbases. They ruin the sport.



Haha yeah, these things non europeans do not understand so well. You can even get killed for wearing a jersey at the wrong moment in the wrong place. :lol Beware!

It happens alot, if interested, you should read something about the rivalry between Partizan and Red Star Belgrade and Olympiakos and Panathinaikos and several other rivalries in the Balkans. Some of the most horrible things you can think of have happened among these fanbases. Killings, fightings. In the USA they take foam fingers to the game, but there they take guns and bombs to the game.

These Fanbases are often backed by organized crime, and also in wars which occured in the Balkans, these fanbases were often used by governments to form a special paramilitary and let them fight.

Team entrance in a friendly offseason match aris (greece) against boca juniors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piPrkoQFVqo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJZ8T0tsrI

Basketball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtQAJH_JoXM&feature=related

[Bukefal]

Team entrance in a friendly offseason match aris (greece) against boca juniors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piPrkoQFVqo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJZ8T0tsrI

Yep, that's what I meant, the devotion fanbases have in Europe and especially the Balkans for their teams is amazing.

[mogrovejo]

Tennis, F1 and cycling are more popular sports than Basketball in Spain. And even though basketball is popular in Spain relatively to other countries (except a small one like Lithuania and some Balkan cities) - the attendance of the Spanish league is far superior to the one of any other league and it's not even close -, one must put things in perspective: the TV audiences of basketball games are minor when compared to any crap soccer game.

---

I think the most difficult thing to explain to Americans about the popularity of sports in Europe/South America/Africa is how dominant soccer is. It's not the most popular sport in the same way that NFL is the most popular league in America, then comes the NBA, then the MLB, then the NHL (or whatever is the order these days). Soccer is as popular as the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL put together; basketball is as popular as MLS and in some countries (like UK) this is a huge stretch.