# Question for Non-Americans -biggest sporting events? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357 "2019-08-28T13:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/61 "2019-08-31T03:26:39Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > No, all UK TV is black and white and mono sound. You get sound? In Spain we have someone waving his arms around! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/62 "2019-08-31T05:36:38Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > You get sound? In Spain we have someone waving his arms around! You have people waving their arms around? Well la-dee-da, aren’t you fancy! In Canada we just have people throwing snowballs! 🙂 Seriously, notwithstanding the success of the Raptors, in Canada, sports are still divided into two large groups: a) hockey, and b) everything else. So on the one hand, there’s the Stanley Cup, the championship of the National Hockey League. Even though a Canadian team may not make it to the finals, it’s still our game. 🙂 On the other hand are all the other championships in other sports that may pass our way. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/63 "2019-08-31T07:44:01Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Japan’s rather dismal attempts in the World Cup has had high television ratings. I think this is a case of whether one is a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty person. By Asian standards, Japan and South Korea have been by far the World Cup footballing envy of the continent. They’ve consistently qualified for World Cups tournament in and tournament out. In Asian soccer, even qualifying for a World Cup is a huge feat outright, and Japan has done it 7 consecutive times by now, I believe (bear in mind that China, a nation even more fanatical about soccer, and with a population far larger than Japan or South Korea, has only ever qualified once for a World Cup - in 2002, due to Japan and South Korea having automatically qualified as co-hosts that year and thus leaving weaker competition for China - and got embarrassingly wiped out 9 goals to nil in its three group-stage games. Aside from that, China has never qualified for a single other World Cup. This has been cause for well over a decade of gnashing of Chinese teeth.) Japan made it to the knockout stage in 2002, 2010 and 2018. South Korea has advanced the furthest of any Asian team - semifinals in 2002 - but that was because of really, really, dubious officiating. Also, Japan has won 4 Asian Cups, more than any other team in the continent, and they’ve played in five of the last eight Asian Cup finals. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/64 "2019-08-31T09:28:51Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I have attended one of the biggest events for New Zealand, the New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington in Christchurch. The place was packed, folks dressed in their finest, fancy hats that would challenge those at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby. Also got to see history, a horse won his 4th straight and came from way off the pace after breaking his trot. Racer72, which horse was that? I didn’t think any horse had won more than 3 (Terror to Love). As I see you are in WA, you may enjoy one of the[finest moments](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8QBn0RYCkY) in Australian pacing history. It is from 1971 the quality is poor. I have a friend who was there that night. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/65 "2019-08-31T09:32:00Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Look, I’m not slamming anyone. Just wanted a straight answer. They make a big deal of having games in HD in the US and wanted to know if its the same in other countries. Folks may be being rather harsh with Urbanredneck. Yes HD and the works. It is standard on pay TV in Australia and most FTA channels. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/66 "2019-08-31T09:39:19Z")
We get SD and HD broadcasts. I believe these days there are two seperate feeds sent…but HD is more or less standard for any TV bought after I dunno, 2007? I did spend sometime looking up SB coverage on YouTube and yes the camera work and angles are amazing and apparently they put mics on players. if anything, \*\*Urbanredneck \*\* might be selling the SB broadcasting short. Did you know that the MCC wanted stump mics banned after the Gatting-Rana incident, Cicero? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2019, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/67 "2019-08-31T09:42:22Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > I dont know about soccer or Australian football and such but one thing about our “Super Bowl” is that often its a blowout game where the outcome is basically decided early on. So often people just watch the first half up to halftime and then turn it off. Not so much with AFL. It is normally a high scoring games and teams can overcome a deficit of 25 points in the final quarter. Naturally, if there is a very wet ground (it is held in Melbourne) it will be a lower scoring game. However, there can also be a standout team for the season who just dominate the season. ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/68 "2019-09-01T07:07:55Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Question: Would people invite other people over to their homes to watch the game on tv and make a party out of it? They would gather in GAA club houses. Someone once whimsically calculated that in Ireland, you’re never more than 20 minutes drive from a GAA club house, and the vast majority have bar licenses. For most of them, the Finals are the major event of the year. The Football Final starts at 3:30 today by the way : Dublin vs. Kerry. Dublin are going for 5 in a row. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357/69 "2019-09-01T15:38:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think this is a case of whether one is a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty person. By Asian standards, Japan and South Korea have been by far the World Cup footballing envy of the continent. They’ve consistently qualified for World Cups tournament in and tournament out. In Asian soccer, even qualifying for a World Cup is a huge feat outright, and Japan has done it 7 consecutive times by now, I believe (bear in mind that China, a nation even more fanatical about soccer, and with a population far larger than Japan or South Korea, has only ever qualified once for a World Cup - in 2002, due to Japan and South Korea having automatically qualified as co-hosts that year and thus leaving weaker competition for China - and got embarrassingly wiped out 9 goals to nil in its three group-stage games. Aside from that, China has never qualified for a single other World Cup. This has been cause for well over a decade of gnashing of Chinese teeth.) > > Japan made it to the knockout stage in 2002, 2010 and 2018. South Korea has advanced the furthest of any Asian team - semifinals in 2002 - but that was because of really, really, dubious officiating. > > Also, Japan has won 4 Asian Cups, more than any other team in the continent, and they’ve played in five of the last eight Asian Cup finals. Considering how many countries compete, it’s pretty impressive to even get to the knockout stage, IMO. It’s the only team sport I can think of where there’s such huge worldwide participation so to get to that stage is not a minor thing. But I would say that, I guess, being English 😃 @Cicero - nah, it’s just a funny question to be asked, so we take the piss. I don’t think anyone’s actually offended or anything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-non-americans-biggest-sporting-events/839357.md?page=3)