What are the differences between the USA on tv/in the movies and real life?

[CyberCubed]

I never really watched any sports growing up. I remember when I was in school everyone was obsessed with Michael Jordan with basketball, talking about baseball and football...I never really cared.

Originally Posted by Prowler

Don't you drink 1 liter of soda everyday?

There's a difference between drinking soda and being a lazy slob. It's the same as the people who just drink a can of beer every day like Homer Simpson and sit on the couch.

[ToTheNines]

Aren’t you a New Yorker? Live in NYC your whole life and never been to a Yankees game? Disgraceful!

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I never really watched any sports growing up. I remember when I was in school everyone was obsessed with Michael Jordan with basketball, talking about baseball and football...I never really cared.



There's a difference between drinking soda and being a lazy slob. It's the same as the people who just drink a can of beer every day like Homer Simpson and sit on the couch.

It doesn't sound like your life involves much physical activity. I might do an office job but I do like taking walks and whatnot or hit the treadmill to keep myself mobile.

[CyberCubed]

You really needed to either have parents who were into sports when you were a kid, or live down south, to really care about sports. My parents never really cared about sports either, so it wasn't something I watched growing up.

I am also not a southerner, and they're obsessed with their favorite sports teams as if it's a religion. Seriously, they treat sports like religion or politics and root for their favorite team and demonize anyone who opposes them, it's scary. It's weird how different the U.S. actually is when you vary from state to state, I just don't trust southerners.

[Andrew NDB]

Pretty much. My dad never cared about any sports except boxing. So I grew up watching boxing and still do.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

You really needed to either have parents who were into sports when you were a kid, or live down south, to really care about sports. My parents never really cared about sports either, so it wasn't something I watched growing up.

I am also not a southerner, and they're obsessed with their favorite sports teams as if it's a religion. Seriously, they treat sports like religion or politics and root for their favorite team and demonize anyone who opposes them, it's scary. It's weird how different the U.S. actually is when you vary from state to state, I just don't trust southerners.

Ify ou think that's scary never travel to Europe or Latin America and meet football ultras. Many of those are actual criminals who have sold drugs, assaulted and even murdered people. And many also have links to either the far-left or far-right.

The few times I watched videos comparing stadium atmospheres of European and Latin American sports crowds to American ones... your stadiums sound like libraries.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Ify ou think that's scary never travel to Europe or Latin America and meet football ultras. Many of those are actual criminals who have sold drugs, assaulted and even murdered people. And many also have links to either the far-left or far-right.

The few times I watched videos comparing stadium atmospheres of European and Latin American sports crowds to American ones... your stadiums sound like libraries.

What causes people to get so crazy over sports? I legit don't get it. It's weird that people actually get physically and emotionally angry if their favorite sports team doesn't win. Like what the hell is wrong with these people?

All these people need to be locked up.

[sdp]

I also never cared about sports, yet I was the biggest Michael Jordan fan. Never saw a single of his games but I knew he was the GOAT. The marketing machine must've been really good. Of course afte Space Jam finished I did not care.

I don't think the US has cared about base ball since I've been a live I guess, it must've been dying already in the 90s. Football was the big thing and after it was NBA.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

What causes people to get so crazy over sports? I legit don't get it. It's weird that people actually get physically and emotionally angry if their favorite sports team doesn't win. Like what the hell is wrong with these people?

All these people need to be locked up.

Because it's like a religion to millions of people worldwide. Football(the real one) is the most popular sport in the world for a reason. There's a lot of tribalism when it comes to it. I dunno how to explain it. You better ask a sociologist or something.

You think the most sacred word in some countries is "amen" or "allah"? No. Actually, it's "GOOOOOOOOOAL!"

Majority of fans are normal people, but might cuss up a storm when watching a match and feel like the referee is robbing their team blind.

The ones who use violence against supporters or other teams are a minority but they're very real, I'm afraid. And there's a reason why home and away fans are segregated in stadiums and why lots of police is mobilised when two big rivals play each other.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

What causes people to get so crazy over sports? I legit don't get it. It's weird that people actually get physically and emotionally angry if their favorite sports team doesn't win. Like what the hell is wrong with these people?

All these people need to be locked up.

Even in elementary school I remember all these kids with Mariners and Seahawks cards and trading them around. They'd ask me, "Who is your team?" And I'd say, "The other team." Always, "the other team." And they'd get so mad. I'd explain to them that it seemed dumb to get invested in any particular team when its players can be bought or sold or traded tomorrow, or next week, and none of them necessarily even have any ties to your city or state. So what are you really getting worked up about?

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Even in elementary school I remember all these kids with Mariners and Seahawks cards and trading them around. They'd ask me, "Who is your team?" And I'd say, "The other team." Always, "the other team." And they'd get so mad. I'd explain to them that it seemed dumb to get invested in any particular team when its players can be bought or sold or traded tomorrow, or next week, and none of them necessarily even have any ties to your city or state. So what are you really getting worked up about?

That applies to every sport and team on Earth nowadays, really.

The biggest notable exception still standing I can think of is Athletic Football Club in Spain, which is a football club from the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country. They ONLY sign players who have Basque heritage. Even though they can kinda stretch it a bit nowadays. You don't have to be fully Basque to play there. Pretty sure their rivals, Real Sociedade, also a Basque team, had the same policy until the 90s.

In Scotland, Rangers FC only signed Protestant players up until the 90s. The first time they signed a Catholic made national news in Scotland. Their rival Celtic FC, however, never had any issues signing Protestant players.

Here in Portugal, my club SL Benfica, only began signing foreign players in 1979 after the fans voted in favour of it. Before that(founded in 1904) we only signed Portuguese players and players from Portuguese colonies in Africa(Angola, Mozambique, etc.) who were legally considered Portuguese since those nations belonged to us up until 1975.

I remember it being a bit of a big deal that we fielded a team without a single a Portuguese player in the Champions League one time around 2012. My uncle even said it was "embarrassing".

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Can't speak for Portuguese movies since I don't remember every seeing an American character in any I've seen. Let alone about other European countries and their movies. But when it comes to anime/manga, the depiction of Americans while not extremely negative by any means, you guys are usually portrayed as loud and arrogant. While European nationalities are always more portrayed as classy and good looking, particularly the French and Italians. Also, Japanese seem to have a fascination with the Prussian era when it comes to Germany.

And to be fair, that's the reputation Americans have in a lot of countries throughout the world lol. Add a significant layer of belly fat and a cowboy hat and it's 100% the stereotype.

Was watching a rerun of I Love Lucy where they’re in England and going to meet the Queen. Hadn’t seen it for awhile. There’s a line Ricky says...Americans have a reputation of being pushy. Ya that’s probably how other countries view us. Loud and Pushy.

As for sports I only watch the NBA. I don’t root for any particular team though. Just whoever I prefer to win over someone else. Can’t stand certain players.

I get supporting your “home team” but at the same time players change all the time with some exceptions. People are basically just rooting for logos.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

Was watching a rerun of I Love Lucy where they’re in England and going to meet the Queen. Hadn’t seen it for awhile. There’s a line Ricky says...Americans have a reputation of being pushy. Ya that’s probably how other countries view us. Loud and Pushy.

As for sports I only watch the NBA. I don’t root for any particular team though. Just whoever I prefer to win over someone else. Can’t stand certain players.

I get supporting your “home team” but at the same time players change all the time with some exceptions. People are basically just rooting for logos.

I mean isn't that the same in any field? When gamers defend Nintendo or Sega, for example, they're basically defending logos. Staff in those companies has changed throughout the decades.

A lot of people have trouble understanding that a logo alone does not win sports matches, put our great video games, make great music, put out great cartoons, etc.

You need talent, time, money, motivation, etc. combined in order to achieve results.

[Wildcat]

Originally Posted by Prowler

I mean isn't that the same in any field? When gamers defend Nintendo or Sega, for example, they're basically defending logos. Staff in those companies has changed throughout the decades.

A lot of people have trouble understanding that a logo alone does not win sports matches, put our great video games, make great music, put out great cartoons, etc.

You need talent, time, money, motivation, etc. combined in order to achieve results.

I think it’s a little different for games. People like each company’s franchises and types of games...but ya there’s no real reason to only support 1. They all make fun stuff.

[Roseangelo]

Daily life is a lot more monotonous and boring than TV would lead you to believe.

[Barkworm]

Originally Posted by sdp

Watch Roseanne, that's what true America is like.
https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/38a/...quare.w400.jpg

That‘s probably what most Europeans believe at least. The average British or German household doesn‘t look much different though.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

Daily life is a lot more monotonous and boring than TV would lead you to believe.

Well, of course. Otherwise there'd be no need for fiction, I'd imagine.

Originally Posted by Barkworm

That‘s probably what most Europeans believe at least. The average British or German household doesn‘t look much different though.

Believe what? I've never watched this tv show. What's it like?

[ToTheNines]

[sdp]

Roseanne is a show about a working class family in the midwest, so that's pretty much a reality for most of the US not living in major cities aka a shtload of people. It's a good show, I used to watch marathons of it on TV Land in the mid 00s from like 11 pm to 2 am. It's a good show.

[Prowler]

Never heard of it. Either it never aired here or it never got reruns when I was a kid like other shows did.