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Sian Wrote:issue is that Basketball (together with stuff such as Baseball and American Football) is that its only really big in America and a small handfull of other countries, and then at best niche sports, more likely to be played in PE than as a hobby, everywhere else. Whereas other sports (Soccer and Team Handball just to take the two sports which most players (prof + Amateur playing in established clubs) worldwide) have a solid core of several nations which together can put something reasonable together.
This is not really true. No question it has fewer countries than soccer/football that play it extensively, but it's probably the fastest growing sport globally right now. It's massive in China and I'm sure it'll overtake soccer there, and it's growing quite rapidly in many European countries. The quality of the Euroleague for instance is rising at a pretty rapid pace which says a lot. NFL is growing in popularity worldwide at a big clip too, but the NBA has a bit more traction because it's much easier for younger kids to play.
I have a really hard time believing Handball is bigger than Basketball. I know it's bigger elsewhere than it is in the US (and I really wish it would pick up in the US because I would totally watch that), but what major handball league is out there that gets the kind of TV ratings basketball gets? I googled it, and the Euroleague Final Four was broadcast in 197 countries and managed over 2 million viewers in Spain alone ( http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/71714/180/item). Does the 2nd biggest Handball league in the world turn in those kinds of numbers?
Anyways, the point is that yes, a marquee "Basketball World Cup" wouldn't even sniff the FIFA World Cup for a long time, but making the Olympics the B-Team event is a good start to improving its legitimacy. Right now, the premier event is the Olympics, and I'm not a fan of that because I'd rather watch something other than basketball at that point.
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v8mark Wrote:Basketball is far and away the second most popular sport (in terms of country participation) globally, I think. There's definitely scope for a 'World Cup' type event...
Right, but that's the thing. The FIBA World Cup already exists, and it's been around almost as long as the real World Cup. It's simply not popular enough to consistently attract top tier talent; Yugoslavia holds the most championships. If we intentionally make the Olympic teams shitty will it make it prominent enough to matter? Will we get, over all, better basketball? I don't really see that happening...
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scooter Wrote:Anyways, the point is that yes, a marquee "Basketball World Cup" wouldn't even sniff the FIFA World Cup for a long time, but making the Olympics the B-Team event is a good start to improving its legitimacy. Right now, the premier event is the Olympics, and I'm not a fan of that because I'd rather watch something other than basketball at that point.
Ah, I xposted with you and missed this. I see where you're coming from now. I agree a separate and meaningful basketball World Cup would be ultimately better (though at that point I'd prefer to slash it from the Olypmics.)
The difference is that I don't necessarily see it as a given that limiting the Olympic rosters will encourage more participation in the FIBA World Cup. Instead, I'm worried that we'll get a couple of decades of crappy international tournaments. Given how much the NBA wants to push this, though, I hope you're right. 
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As a fan of neither sport I think handball is clearly the superior game, since freakishly tall people don't have an obvious unfair advantage as in basketball :neenernee
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revenue =/= Ammount of players =/= Total Attendence =/= Average Attendence =/= TV Ratings ... specially when i'm talking ammount of players and your talking TV Ratings.
Theres no big question in that Baseball and American Football wins on Total attendence (due to a stupidly high ammount of matches ... some 2000?)
looking at TV Ratings its probably Soccer, and then Cricket next (ridiciously popular in Pakistan and India which accounts for ~20% of the world population, and also quite popular in the rest of the commonwealth)
Looking at ammount of players the picture is more muddy, while still Soccer is by far top 1 ... i just can't seem to find any solid facts on this one
Revenue, the highest is Soccer in Europe, followed by probably Baseball (America and Japan) American Football, Cricket and Basketball, in some order
actually found a good article on it from the Economist
also found where the number i threw out earlier was from ... Handball is the second biggest gross revenue sport doing the Olympics
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American football kills baseball and basketball in revenue in the states, I have trouble beleiving baseball in Japan has enough revenue to surpass football overall
uberfish Wrote:As a fan of neither sport I think handball is clearly the superior game, since freakishly tall people don't have an obvious unfair advantage as in basketball :neenernee
Napoleon complex much? 
Please don't go. The drones need you. They look up to you.
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Bigger Wrote:American football kills baseball and basketball in revenue in the states, I have trouble beleiving baseball in Japan has enough revenue to surpass football overall
found a listed revenue number for Nippon Professional Baseball in a Time article claiming slightly over $1billion (although thats number from 08 whereas those in the economist is from 10-11), NFL is slightly bigger in revenue than NBL+NPB
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Did some slip me Some acid earlier or is this a really bizarre closing ceremony?
Current games (All): RtR: PB80 Civ 6: PBEM23
Ended games (Selection): BTS games: PB1, PB3, PBEM2, PBEM4, PBEM5B, PBEM50. RB mod games: PB5, PB15, PB27, PB37, PB42, PB46, PB71. FFH games: PBEMVII, PBEMXII. Civ 6: PBEM22 Games ded lurked: PB18
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Congrats to USA ... top of the medal tally regardless of the sorting method. Aust rocks in at 10th which is much better than it was looking a week ago. If I ignore the official sort method, Aust is 7th.
I have finally decided to put down some cash and register a website. It is www.ruffhi.com. Now I remain free to move the hosting options without having to change the name of the site.
(October 22nd, 2014, 10:52)Caledorn Wrote: And ruff is officially banned from playing in my games as a reward for ruining my big surprise by posting silly and correct theories in the PB18 tech thread.
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Psst, the "official table" lets you sort by both methods.
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