What I Really Think About American Sports

[@carolynhotchkiss4760]

So in the early 1980s my penpal from England was visiting me and we went to visit a college friend of mine who lived on the North Side of Chicago. So of *course* we went to a Cubs/Cardinals game at Wrigley. Now, we sat Rosie down the night before and we went over the rules of baseball, to the point where she seemed to have at least a clue on what would be happening. The first batter bunted. We had not covered bunting. She said "Well, that was a bloody awful hit, wasn't it?" She was applauding the plays the Cardinals made. A bit too energetically. We finally asked her to please only cheer for the players in the blue caps, not the red caps. Mostly because Beth and I did not want to be wearing the beers of the raucous fans behind us. The seventh inning stretch. This was back in the heyday of Harry Carey. We all stood up and she looked at us (still seated) totally confused. And then (her words) this crazy old coot hung out of a window and started yelling "A ONE A TWO A THREE" and bellowing like a cow! Cue us explaining the tradition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame. By this time, Beth and I had realized we had not done an adequate job of preparing Rosie for this cultural experience. And then they did it. The Cubs ACTUALLY HAD A GRAND SLAM HOME RUN HAPPEN!!! (this was very exciting because it was pre 1984 so they still pretty well sucked day-to-day). We're jumping up and down and yelling at her "We're happy because he hit a home run when there were runners on all the bases so we just got four points!!!" The Cubs won that day. So did our cultural exchange program lol.

[@ah383]

Bunting means something to do with flags in Britain?

[@TheSpanishInquisition87]

This is a great story. Thanks for sharing it.

[@timo4938]

@@ah383 It's a sacrificial partial swing in which the ball just bounces off the bat. Generally the batter is tagged out but another player already on base is able to progress to the next base.

[@Ulysses_DM_]

Hockey, to me is high speed soccer. The layout of the rink is similar, the point of the game is similar but done at a rollicking exuberant pace with only occasional fights, it is probably the perfect sport.

[@daveschrader2025]

Yes, hockey is another version of soccer, much like basketball.

[@SuperDrLisa]

My grandnephews played from the age of 10 until, well one is still doing pickup games with "old guys" in their late 20s early 30s, he's 22. The other is too busy cooking at 2 local restaurants.

[@andrewthezeppo]

Also why it isn't as promoted in America as football and baseball, like soccer and basketball the games are much harder to fit commercial breaks into without cutting out some of the action. Football is the networks' dream sport because they can cut to commercial every sixty seconds.

[@johnhunt1805]

@@andrewthezeppo Hockey is played on ice, which Americans only use for their drinks. They've tried in the past to push hockey on television, which will make or break a sport, but there seems to be too much competition. I lived through the Gretzky (sorry, Brady!) years and it was hell trying to find The Great One on TV.

[@johnhunt1805]

@@SuperDrLisa I played until I was fifty and lost a knee. My wife until she was forty-eight and lost a calf muscle and lower back. Neither one of us would do it differently. Well, maybe a bit more stretching.

[@ryanflaugh9161]

Hockey is one of those sports you just need to go see in person. I had a friend that was going to school for sports broadcast journalism and couldn't get into watching hockey on tv. He went to one game and was hooked.

[@mattguiles6774]

Fun fact: England came up with the word soccer as a alternative to football

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Not news. We moved on from the term, American usevof it is quaint, in thet faintly derogatory way often attached to that word by we British people.

[@RBzee112]

Football and soccer were used interchangeably until the 1950's, when Brits decided it wasn't cool anymore.

[@balancedactguy]

@@owenshebbeare2999 Just enjoy your Soccer!

[@vogonpoet5860]

actually from its founding in the late 18th century soccer was known as football, a game where players could only touch the ball with their feet. History records that in 19th century during a game of football at Rugby school, young Webb Ellis in a fit of peak picked up the ball and ran with it, other players gave chase. Ellis was punished but the game was defined and caught on. up until the 1940s the English schools used to play football and Rugby football, unwilling to give another school credit, they simply refered to Rugby as Football ( See period films of Will Hay etc where as a school master pupils are instructed to play FOOTBALL, and play Rugby, or films feature soccer matches) as soccer overtook its rival for popularity from 1940s onward and a social divide seemed to appear with upper class being into Rugby football and working class into soccer, media began to refer to the two as Rugby and soccer( though kids publications still to this day call it soccer). as for America, sport in the 19th century was seen as a form of physical education carried out in colleges, with inter collegial contests, these sports being martial such as fencing, athletic such as running, and team based with this being Baseball and a form of Rugby football (tweeked and with players wearing padding for protection more from the often adhock playing fields than other players). as the game evolved differently from its british parent, the Rugby name was dropped and it simply became known as football, eventually evolving into a different game to Rugby! after WW1 returning troops brought back the idea of football but nothing really happened, similarly after WW2 , but this time it began to catch, by the 60s it had a foothold but with America already having a football, it was known by its other name of SOCCER. Thats why USA has Football and soccer and Europe has Football and NFL !

[@BadgerBotherer1]

@@RBzee112 When I was growing up in the 1970s and '80s, the word soccer was still used a lot. Older people {I'm 54) still use soccer for variation. Younger people erroneously think soccer is an Americanism, when in fact it was invented in Britain in about the 1890s as an abbreviation of AsSOCiation Football.

[@tulekahju]

I got my English friend to try out American Football this season. He was the typical foreigner that had a natural disdain for all American sports, but for some reason had watched a Superbowl once without learning the principles of the game first. I made him watch Ninh Ly's summary for the NFL since it was concise, and taught the basics to make it possible to at least be capable of following the game. He was going to watch just one regular season game to humor me, but he has watched the majority of the regular season games only missing the Prime Time games since it's too late for him. My goal has been accomplished. I knew it wouldn't become one of his favorite sports, but I at least wanted him to be capable of appreciating American Football.

[@TonyM132]

Sounds like it has become one of his favorite sports if he watched that many games! Did he just follow one team, or one college conference, or one NFL division? I am curious which team or group of teams got him that hooked this year.

[@cmillivol98]

One of my best friends in college is from London. I had similar experiences with him with football and basketball and taught him mostly through 2k and madden😂 now he loves basketball and enjoys football a lot. Still trying to get him the least bit into baseball though💀

[@DakotaCelt1]

A British friend of mine is married to an American and they live in Britain. He proudly displays his Minnesota Vikings flag on his house along with the Union Jack. He's had to explain Minnesota Nikings more than once. He did get to see them when they played an NFL game at Wembley a few years back.

[@tulekahju]

@@TonyM132 He's not quite as invested as I'd like him to be considered a fan in my eyes. For instance he got up early to watch the Ashes recently, but has never done that for a Prime Time game, LoL. One day... one day. I suggested he'd follow my local NFL team. The Patriots; dont start, LoL. I bought him a Pats' shirt too and he wears it whenever he watches the game. Though I made it clear that he may choose his own team to root for so he may shop around. He seems committed to Jones' development though. Granted I told him he may enjoy College Football atmosphere more since he compares fan commitment/expression, but the NFL is easier to watch overseas. Least Im not sure how he may reliably watch a College Football team overseas. P.S. I bought him Madden too, LoL. It's not accurate but it taught him to pay attention to the O-line and Defense and how they contribute to the game.

[@tulekahju]

@@cmillivol98 My friend rags on Baseball all the time. I cant even defend it since it bores me to tears too, LoL. It's a hard sell especially if they grew up with Cricket. Best of luck!

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

When I go to a baseball game, I bring my scorebook and record every single pitch. That is, I pay attention to the game. There are people who say baseball is boring, but if you know what's going on, everything that happens has significance.

[@gemoftheocean]

Right on. My family had full season tickets for 30 years and you learn every nuance. You see fielding shifts and it tells you know what the pitcher is going to try and do.

[@lordofthemound3890]

@@gemoftheocean Yes! TV has killed appreciation for the game’s nuances. Most people now view baseball as a three person game: pitcher, hitter, catcher.

[@oldgamer7891]

It’s still boring (to watch). It’s like chess. Every move may matter, and I LOVE laying it and even reading the notation of other good ga,es, but I have zero desire to watch others play it live, and mainly for the same reason: pace. I prefer ncaa over mlb even though the quality of play is lower.

[@lennybuttz2162]

I really enjoy minor league baseball and even adult league baseball because the games move much more quickly. Major league ball moves so slowly I do get bored. Good Grief no wonder it takes 4 hours to play a game it's 10 minutes between pitches. If they'd speed things up it would be a lot more interesting. At least you don't have to worry about missing anything when you go to the bathroom or for food.

[@detroitpolak9904]

I do the same thing.

[@Galloway17]

This video reminded me of, as an American who only occasionally gets to see non-American sports, my experience being fascinated by cricket. I used to frequent an Indian restaurant which, at one point in the year (I couldn't tell you when), had cricket matches on the TV constantly. I would watch throughout my meal, day after day, and could never figure out the rules for the life of me, but was still totally intrigued.

[@davecass485]

Chances are it may have been the same game day after day. Went to a match in London one time as a visiting kid from Canada and after HOURS of play the game was stopped and set to resume the next day. Not weather related, just the shear length of the game. Cheers

[@g.anthonybenjamin281]

Jomboy has recently posted a few videos about cricket - they provide a lot of insight and are great for understanding the sport

[@joermnyc]

At a Mets game about 10 years back, they had a Cricket demo before the game started… and we all sat there and watched… and they didn’t explain ANYTHING!

[@Bacopa68]

I can't ever figure out cricket either. And cricket is a thing in Houston. Went to a cricket game with a coworker born in Jamaica to a Caribbeans vs. Pakistanis match with my Jamaican friend. Never learned much there because when the game got exciting all the people on the Jamaican side started speaking patois. BTW, there are white people who speak this. I've met them.

[@chacmool2581]

Cricket is a degenerate sport that goes against the natural order and evolution. The bowler cannot bend his elbow. What? You just negated 5 million years of anatomical evolution with this silly rule. Plus baseball has more complex fielding and base-running.

[@baldrek62]

I've been a huge fan of hockey ever since I went to see a fight and a hockey game broke out.

[@LindaC616]

I only become interested if there is a mascot fight

[@janetbaker645]

Or go to a baseball game and a hockey game broke out….lol

[@washingtonradio]

lol Rodney

[@Ryan713]

Laurence, with that kind of magical thinking in believing visiting cities led teams to later win the World Series (baseball), you may have loved baseball as a kid. Once they reel you in with an overabundance of statistics, the superstitions soon follow. Baseball players are the most superstitious of any athletes

[@jiisdown2195]

As a diehard baseball fan, this is extremely accurate

[@Rick_Hoppe]

What are you talking about? Everybody knows Lucky Socks are real.

[@mountainmolly2726]

Good evening, Laurence. As a Colorado Rockies (baseball) fan, if you could possibly take a trip out to Denver, we'd really appreciate it.

[@thesameboyyouvealwaysknown904]

As an angels fan, I want him to move to Anaheim 😃

[@scottgrohs5940]

As a Mariners fan (yes there are still some of us left) Laurence should come out to the Pacific Northwest.

[@megmolkate]

He’s closer to Detroit

[@brentiers]

As a born and bred American sports enthusiast, this video was absolutely hilarious. "I haven't seen many of those signs in a while." hahahaha Go Braves!

[@ffieditor]

GO Mets, Cubs!!! the best alright killer sport is ARFL. there is no BETTER sport

[@alexkirk9107]

Go braves!

[@tanjuyiyitalp6580]

Hi..Your profile photo nice..This is South Carolina Map(Historical)??

[@stevenpeek8842]

Go Braves!

[@bramlackman-mincoff6616]

He should move to cleveland

[@cuttwice3905]

"Football combines two of the worst things in American life.e It is violence punctuated by committee meetings." George Will

[@barbararoca6847]

Awesome comment!

[@11thstalley96]

Will shamelessly stole that idea from Winston Churchill. Back in the 30’s, Churchill attended an American football game and his host asked him for his impressions. Churchill replied that he thought it resembled rugby so he was a bit familiar with some of the concepts, but he was puzzled by all of the stoppage in play for “committee meetings”.

[@tonyg6103]

True that

[@erichbrough6097]

At least the meetings are short, usually! 😆

[@deanbeckerley5530]

Competition isn't really comparable to actual violence though

[@joeheid4757]

Hockey is the sport you must attend to actually get it. Hit a Hawks game and you'll be hooked.

[@iamtimorama]

I love how hockey has rules about fist fighting, lol

[@lordofthemound3890]

Hockey is absolutely the greatest sport to see in-person.

[@dianefreeman7194]

I remember taking an English couple to a Cubs game. My husband taught her husband the basics and enjoyed the game. I know baseball better than my husband, but the English woman just kept repeating "There are so many CHILDREN here!" She kept looking g around the stadium in disbelief. Evidently soccer fans in England commit crimes in the stadiums and she would never think of bringing kids to a game. How sad. She never did learn much baseball, but she was impresses with American sports fans and families.

[@willkittwk]

Yeah baseball games in America are wonderful. We call a truce to the violence till after the games.

[@7davesanchez]

Baseball games are the most family friendly.

[@SherriLyle80s]

Thats so sad kids are not safe from roudy Soccer fans. American fans would go off if some kid got hurt

[@andrewthezeppo]

How long ago was this? Because the whole hooliganism thing was from the 70's and 80's. Kids go to games all the time nowadays.

[@tripperdelaluna1]

Completely untrue - Plenty of kids at football matches in England.

[@keiththorpe9571]

The thing about American Football and baseball is that Americans seem to savor situations. We need those pauses between plays to take stock of the progress of the contest, to try and find our place in the struggle, thus asking of ourselves the truly deep, existential questions of life, the universe, and everything... And then holler for the beer guy...

[@reneehomen2226]

🤣

[@Paul_Sleeping]

👍

[@Telcomvic]

I thought it was because everyone at home needs snack/beer/restroom breaks. 😋

[@TJDious]

And when you holler for the beer guy, the beer guy hollers also for you.

[@willkittwk]

You nailed it. The American Football in a close contest goes down to the wire often final seconds the game in the balance. We know what's going on and thru experience know how to compartmentalize the game so time outs aren't a big deal. Soccer the game rarely as the edginess of a football game cause when a score is 2-0 with 15 minutes left you know probably the losing side is done ( not always) but more often. But football it's so common for a team to come back and make a couple scores with 5 or less minutes on the clock. Particularly this season it seems like most NFL games are going down to the final 2 minutes or less to see who wins.

[@thesameboyyouvealwaysknown904]

Genuinely wish more Americans watched baseball. This 2021 season had one player who many experts say had the best season anyone has ever had in any sport, Shohei Ohtani. As a fellow Japanese it's really sad how little of population in America actually knows about him only because baseball isn't as popular a sport anymore! Edit: whoever says "his team didn't make the playoffs" doesn't know the sport Edit2: also Laurence, could you please move to Anaheim and help Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani get the ring? Please? 😀

[@kathrynterlikowski7302]

Ohtani was amazing last season! Looking forward to seeing what he does next year.

[@thesameboyyouvealwaysknown904]

@@kathrynterlikowski7302 same same. I'm a bit worried for him cause he set the bar too high for himself, but I think he's the type to enjoy that sort of challenges.

[@QUARTERMASTEREMI6]

I’m not even much of a baseball fan, but having just read Shohei Ohtani’s story, wow, did he impress me! 😳

[@thesameboyyouvealwaysknown904]

@@QUARTERMASTEREMI6 every Japanese person is feeling like a proud parent even if you're younger than Shohei haha

[@willkittwk]

Well in Los Angeles we have a baseball team called the Dodgers who fill up their stadium with 50,000 fans every game. 81 regular season home games. And other MLB venues around the USA have the same support. They fill stadium from 30 to 50,000 every single game. That speaks for itself how popular baseball still is.

[@jackpot848]

Once I managed an optical shop here in Raleigh. Some sales people came in and told me that my city just acquired a minor league hockey team, would I like to buy some advertising. I went all Carolina boy on them. "Ain't no NC boy gonna spend his money to watch a hockey game"! Can we give you tickets to see the first game? Just for giggles I went to that game and never missed a game after that! NC has a pro team now.

[@ChineseChicken1]

One thing about the Hurricanes is that no one in the history of the team has ever been from N.C.

[@annfromma8456]

Wayne Brady is a very busy sportsman. I don't know how he finds the time while also doing his comedy shows.

[@LindaC616]

Same thing I thought!

[@LindaC616]

He's MVP

[@andrewthezeppo]

I though all his fake names were hilarious like Dan Maraschino instead of Marino. I think Michael Jordan and LeBron James were the only names he said correctly.

[@williamborges3914]

And to think Ry Cooder has put his guitars down to play basketball. Wow! 🎸

[@yellowfuchsia1]

I worked in the US for a few years and once went on a works outing to see the Baltimore Orioles. I had a vague idea of what was going on having played rounders at primary school, though never willingly. I was bemused by the fact that everybody was wandering about chatting and eating and apparently paying no attention to the game. Meanwhile, I was terrified to move from my seat. The rows of seats were so steeply banked that I was convinced that, if I tripped, I would tumble head over heels all the way to the bottom. As for American Football, I used to host Monday night football at my house. I wasn't interested in the match but I used to watch my colleagues jumping up and down in the family room while I was cooking chili or something in the kitchen. I enjoyed cooking and watching their antics and they always washed up afterwards.

[@denimchicken104]

That’s awesome. Being a host and providing good food for a game is heroic.

[@johnking6252]

I'm with you on the seating , I still don't like going to the games because of vertigo! 👍

[@RonJDuncan]

I absolutely love his description of hockey here, because it really can be difficult to keep track of the puck.

[@GrandDuchessAniya]

It isn't too bad if you're at the game or watch it on a big TV. The more you watch, the better you get at following the puck. And then you're hooked!

[@JungleScene]

youre spot on about baseball... it has a funny sort of ebb and flow to it where the stakes will drop for awhile and you can kind of stop paying attention and go get a hot dog. but because of how the rules are set up, youll end up with certain moments where the stakes are really high and tension is at maximum and everyone shuts up and pays attention, for instance maybe theres two runners on bases and a big hitter is at bat or something. I use to not enjoy baseball but its really grown on me. I like having it on in the backround because its pretty relaxing to watch... i feel similar about soccer.

[@farnorth7314]

Hockey is not a sport for Canadians....it is a religion...a very very serious religion.

[@kathrynterlikowski7302]

As it should be. If it wasn’t, I know the world is doomed.

[@phoebehall4015]

As a huge baseball fan, I can understand why people find it boring, but if you learn the rules and watch more and more, it will become more and more exciting and there is nothing more exciting on this earth than watching Howie Kendrick hit a grand slam to win the NLDS in extra innings or watching Daniel Hudson strike out the last player to win the 2019 World Series. It’s just magical.

[@bobbyboko6317]

You could say the same thing about cricket 🏏

[@dwaneanderson8039]

Laurence, please visit Seattle. The Mariners need all the help they can get.

[@SoozBeez]

If we can get him to work his magic with hockey, that'd be great, too.

[@Go4Jeph]

Ha! I was going to ask him the same thing. 😎😎 Go M's!!

[@jls4382]

Oh yes!!!! Please Laurence! Please!!!

[@tonyarmbrust]

I was about to say the same thing. Please, Laurence, move to Seattle.

[@SoozBeez]

Even though I don't live in Seattle anymore, it will always be "home" to me, so I've been following their new NHL team, the Kraken. For the first few games, I felt the way you did - absolutely lost with what was going on, but I've stuck with it & absolutely love it now. I tried to figure out cricket when I lived in the UK but utterly failed. In the end, when the people I was with acted happy about something, I pretended to be happy, too.

[@loosilu]

I'm 100% convinced cricket is an elaborate practical joke on Americans.

[@AnEnemySpy456]

I've become a casual Kraken fan as well, and while I get that the goal is to get the puck into the net, everything else about hockey just looks like a bunch of guys with sticks. I can't tell what any position is except goalie or why sometimes it's okay to hit someone and sometimes it isn't.

[@SoozBeez]

@@AnEnemySpy456 Usually, the other 5 on the ice are 3 forwards & 2 defensemen. Yes, it gets confusing, but if you try to learn by name which guys are forwards (Eberle, Donato, Tanev, Wennberg, etc.) and which ones are Ds (Giordano, Borgen, Soucy, Oleksiak, etc.) and watch them, you can start to see their roles. It's (more or less) okay to hit if you can plausibly make it look like you were trying to get the puck. Otherwise, it's supposed to be a no-no. But the refs do seem to ignore a lot of contact that clearly had nothing to do with getting the puck.

[@hockeyandrew3206]

Hockey is by far the best sport of all. It's harder for people to relate to it since it is easier to pick up a football/basketball/baseball in real life, but once you learn more about how the game of hockey works in the NHL, you'll never go back. Go Avs!!! 🍻

[@miketech2]

I didnt enjoy watching hockey until i learned the role of the blue line. Now its one of my favorites to watch. Seems like you'd enjoy these sports more if you learned their ground rules. 👍🏼

[@josephkondrat6478]

One thing that many people do not realize is the fact that those sports are designed to make the members depend on and jell with each other. Similar to the training many get with units in the military. Also, I have been a Boston Red Sox fan for the last 60 years. Win or lose it does not matter, the excitement is watching the game.

[@frostyw]

Thank you, Lawrence, for visiting Boston in 2004! :D Also, that year, the Dropkick Murphys (a punk band) released a song called Tessie about an old Red Sox legend, and some say that is what propelled them to a World Series W. ...Of course, now I know the real reason. XD

[@romainsavioz5466]

Celtic punk

[@rogerclark1551]

The Cubs' "W" flag has a long history back to when original days of the sport when no stadium had lights nor electronic scoreboards (and Cubs only got lights about 30 years ago and still have a manual scoreboard). The W [win] or L [loss] flag were hoisted so that commuters and the interurban train travelers on the nearby elevated train tracks could see the outcome of the game. They also have flagpoles that contain a team flag for each team, hung in order of the current standings. Thus the team in first place is on the top of the flag pole. At the conclusion of the season if your team was in first place and thus on top of the flagpole you "won the pennant". That is also why during the season if a team is leading or near the lead, they are referred to to as "being in the pennant race".

[@mpetersen6]

They only got lights again because Wriggly was too cheap to buy them twice. Lights were to be installed post season in 41. Then Wriggly donated the lights to the war effort for use in a shipyard if memory serves.

[@LaShumbraBates]

@@mpetersen6 *Wrigley

[@mpetersen6]

@@LaShumbraBates Then how come I always hear Cub fans say Wrig-gly. Not that it matters. The old bastard was still cheap.

[@ronaldcammarata3422]

I've always wondered why people think things they are interested in must be superior to things they aren't interedted in.

[@tallgoofyb]

You should try meeting some humans

[@christinestockman7042]

Wow! Someone who feels exactly like I do about hockey. I have a similar problem with golf. The player hits the ball for a long drive and the TV camera supposedly follows the ball. They could be pointing the camera in any random direction as far as I can see. I can never see the ball until they are about 10 feet from the hole.

[@donnaroberts281]

The problem with hockey on tv is that the game moves too fast to keep up with and only follows the puck. If you are in the arena watching the game live, it’s much easier to see plays develop, which in turn makes it easier to follow the action.

[@spacemissing]

I haven't watched much golf on TV, but when I have watched it I have almost always been able to see the ball in the air. Believe me... those camera operators Can follow it almost perfectly.

[@pigs18]

@@donnaroberts281 I've always found the problem with hockey is that television hasn't figured out the secret that video games discovered years ago. Hockey should never be viewed left to right and the play is almost never developing anywhere near where the puck is currently. Imagine if other sports were covered like hockey and they only showed the pitcher until the ball was hit or the camera was focused solely on the quarterback until he released the ball or auto racing broadcasts frequently zoomed in only on the lead car. (Okay, I admit that that last one may have been directed at Fox Sports.)

[@pgrmdave]

Don't try to spot the puck, just watch how the players are moving.

[@BTLOTM]

If you haven't, you should go see a hockey game live. It's a completely different experience and a lot easier to follow the puck.

[@joermnyc]

My wife’s British friends were taken to a baseball game by a colleague, and they slowly realized, it’s Rounders… mostly. I’ve lived here all my life, and I can’t do a bracket either… NCAA has so many teams and levels/divisions I just get confused… my college was in a lower division so they never could get into the big tournament anyway.

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

Whenever I’ve seen a little bit of Baseball on TV I always think it looks like Rounders.

[@trickygoose2]

@@susanpearson-creativefibro Baseball is similar rounders on a bigger scale and made more complicated. I assume that softball is even more like rounders. Both of them are games played quite a lot by kids or between mixed groups of workers. I remember a few years back, one floor in our office would arrange a game at lunchtime against another floor. Sometimes, one side would sneak someone into their team who didn't work on that floor. Usually, a guy who played in a baseball team or another who played village cricket.

[@waynemarvin5661]

@@susanpearson-creativefibro It is. "Americanized" Rounders.

[@fritzworley6316]

I live in St. Louis and I love that you've been to a Cardinals game. I'm also a Union Carpenter and helped build the Busch Stadium 🏟 Love the channel bro. Keep up the good work.

[@jonathandevries2828]

Laurence, you're a youtube sensation!!!

[@johndaley9143]

Watching hockey on TV is easier to follow the game. With that said. Go to a Blackhawks game. One of the best arenas to enjoy a game. Go Maple Leaf's...

[@JimAllen-Persona]

The funny thing is I do feel the same way watching soccer as you do with football. It’ll be on TV in a bar or restaurant and I’ll start to watch it. I’m impressed by their skill and ability but I can’t make much sense out of the rules. Plus… “You’ll never walk alone” is a great damn team motto.

[@romainsavioz5466]

The biggest thing is the off-side

[@scottabernethy100]

As the scion of Liverpool FC supporting family who has been subjected to that "tune" by drunk familia singing it when there's nothing remotely soccery going on that I despise that song.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

@@scottabernethy100 Yeah, I just listened to the version from Australia. I can sympathize. I live in an NYC suburb and we have what we affectionately call a “Ranger Train” that has 2 distinct passenger types: obnoxiously loud drunk New York Rangers fans and people coming home from a Broadway show (they both end about the same time). It’s an interesting mix.

[@OrdinaryDude]

Hockey IS mental and I'm learning to love it. I live in the Seattle area and we finally got an NHL team again. They aren't very good yet, but it's still very fun to watch.

[@johnnyh3653]

You should go to a Seattle Thunderbirds game down in Kent. It's more affordable and the parking is free! Alexander True of the Krakens is a former T-Bird.

[@OrdinaryDude]

@@johnnyh3653 Yeah... but... #GoSilvertips

[@johnnyh3653]

@@OrdinaryDude At least you're not a Winterhawks fan. I can respect Everett and their awesome uniforms!

[@Oldleftiehere]

Hockey=a fight where a game breaks out.

[@2down4up]

You’ve been to DC?! As a DC native I’d absolutely love to get your perspective on it! I personally feel that all the wonderful museums and monuments in and around DC plus all the American history such as the civil war battlefields in the surrounding areas don’t get enough coverage. All anyone ever hears about is all the political BS, but DC and the points around it are so much more then that and really have some wonderful things to offer that seem to always be overlooked.

[@GrandDuchessAniya]

District of Champions a few years ago! National Archives gets publicity because Caps fans take over the steps.

[@BrockMak]

For me: I fell into basketball, partly because my high school team was guest-coached by Tall Blacks (NZ )players. Two of them went on to become the coach in the past 5 years. Despite being really short and only was deployed as "The One" in box-and-1 defensive specialist, I tried to learn the sky hook as a guard (the default hook shot animation is the sky hook in NBA Live 98-2003, NBA Jam and NBA Hoopz) while everyone else was trying to be like Jordan and Iverson, yet their dribbling with two hand weren't not much better than me with just my left then, so I was still able to pick them off, untill they grew even taller and their skills caught up. In terms of NFL, again: I still play NFL 03, so I had a few money plays that I just keep doing over and over, but I never had a clue about defensive system until 07, when I watched the Super Bowl live with a bunch of Bears fans, and the experience of watching and listening to the commentary wasn't close to that in the Playstation game, partly because it took so long to come to any decision. It was good that they finally taught me how to read defenses in just 2 series. The next week, I tried to do the same thing on the games again, it was the first time in 4 years that the defensive game starts to make sense to me.

[@robertpearson8798]

Laurence, please, Please, PLEASE, pay a visit to Toronto sometime next spring. It doesn't have to be a long visit as long as the Universe knows you've been there.

[@jLutraveling]

Come back to St. Louis. The only place I ever saw a game where the Let’s go Blues cheer breaks out during a game.

[@jLutraveling]

I meant to say the chants were during a baseball game.

[@Semiam1]

American Football does two key things: The stop-start nature is great for advertisements and the multiple scoring options are great for gambling.

[@recoil53]

It's also good for getting snacks. Or a fast bathroom break. And if you miss a good play, they will have it on several angles for replay.

[@lordofthemound3890]

Exactly. They should re-name the sport “Commercial Watching.”

[@Og-Judy]

One I don't get , Is Cricket🏏

[@kokomo9764]

It would be better if they knocked the crap out of each other every now and then. Has there ever been a fight in Cricket? Probably just some hurt feelings.

[@leslierayburn1910]

This was quite funny! Being from the South, Texas to be exact, football is the main sport. Friday night lights, Saturday college football, Sunday after football, and “are you ready for some Monday night football,” is is king. Lol. My husband & I love baseball & really enjoy traveling to watch our team play in different parks. By doing that, we also get to enjoy the city where they play. (Sometimes those said cities aren’t as friendly…🤷‍♀️) With that said, I am a band person, a military band person, so I love for halftime! You should watch a video of The Fighting Texas Aggie Band and see what you think. My youngest in is a bass (tuba) player. We are living vicariously through him. Lol.

[@sharonawaldschmidt3622]

I am one of those people that loves hockey. My dad didn’t like it because he didn’t know what is going on either but because I loved it so much he tried to get into it so he could talk sports with his daughter. He started to figure it out a little started tracking the Coyotes. Coyotes are not doing well this year. But still love them. I am not really into the other 3 sports, but they are always more fun in the stadium than on tv. I could see liking rugby maybe, but cricket, my only information of cricket is through Douglas Adams books, Hitchhiker’s Guide and Doctor Who and the Krikketmen I am good, 😂

[@Bacopa68]

Cricket has potential. I live near a park in Houston where Cricket is a thing. Been to a game there with a co-worker from Jamaica. I almost started to understand things until my friend and his family started speaking Patois. I looked to his white cousins from Jamaica for an explanation, but they were even more worked up. Cricket is actually a thing here. Lots of UK expats, South Asians, and Caribbeans. The largest cricket complex in the US is near Prairie View a bit west of Houston.

[@wendymckenzie719]

The only thing I know about sports is that most men need sports. And many women too. I really don't get it, but I get people need their sports.

[@denimchicken104]

People have a need to get riled up about stuff. Since real world problems are too serious and depressing, getting riled up over stupid games is perfect.

[@willkittwk]

You're the good luck charm for baseball.

[@bookwoman53]

My friend Glenn used to play old fashioned baseball in 19th century uniform, without a baseball mitt. Old Time Baseball games are on weekends at the Old Bethpage Historic Village in Long Island, NY.

[@jeffnaslund]

Hockey is soccer on ice, basically. Maneuver an object into a goal net

[@patriciafeehan7732]

In the 1970-80’s Hockey Players did not wear all that protective equipment, including helmets. It was wild and brutal.

[@olga138]

Yes, and most of them had no front teeth by the time they were 18.

[@ANNEWHETSTONE]

They had fights on purpose.. not allowed 🚫 anymore. In all sports they are now more aware of concussions and what they can do. Same as kneeing a guy.

[@morgainnetaar]

I kinda miss your Ask a Brit series.

[@tamarachiera6164]

Please come to Pittsburgh and watch the Pirates play...then we will be able to tell if you are truly a good luck charm...⚾

[@thatveganchick668]

😂😂

[@peterblood50]

The old joke is: "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out."

[@TheOnlyOneStanding8079]

I'm American and the older I get I'm less fascinated with American sports because it's the same thing over and over again so now I'm into MMA or judo matches and I still love boxing ....I guess I like sports I can use for self defense. Lol

[@lordofthemound3890]

I think Boxing could return to prominence if they got rid of the corrupt “alphabet soup” sanctioning bodies-where every other fighter is “champion,” and cut the # of weight divisions in half like it used to be.

[@sassysuzy4u]

Haha the fights ARE the best part of hockey! They trie banning fights several years ago and attendance dropped by a third.

[@LindaC616]

I used to say that I didn't understand why hockey players got paid less than baseball players considering that they are beaten up so much. But just now as I started to make the comment I thought "maybe that's why they fight all the time-- because they're mad about their low salaries".

[@willkittwk]

American football is a precision game. Where the clock is run according to precise rules. The chance to score on a drive is really always a distinct possibility. Where Soccer it's usually not kinda like hockey. The soccer score is a little more haphazard like hockey where the ball is pinballing around in the penalty area ( not always I know) but football has definite planned schemes on every single play from scrimmage. The defense is always looking thwart and disrupt those schemes known as plays. The average skill player is faster than soccer players and the defense is looking to inflict pain. What's not to like once you understand it.

[@johnlogan9417]

Laurence, you Sir, are an American treasure! "Wayne Brady." I almost pi$$ed myself laughing.

[@dorismidge8762]

Didn’t care too much for the NFL until I got hooked on the NFL’s Bad Lip Reading…seriously…made me see football in a different light! 😂 But I’m a trivia person, so I like learning those kinds of things.

[@dmhcas]

I've recently fallen in love with Rugby. Once I learned the terms, rules and gameplay it has become more enjoyable than NFL football.

[@willkittwk]

You are a Harry Potter fan too no doubt.

[@romainsavioz5466]

@@willkittwk 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@thedoobieshrew0244]

Rugby's legit

[@bobbyboko6317]

That's because it's a better game 😉

[@willkittwk]

Come on David, rugby looks plodding and archaic next to the NFL which is thrill a minute. Players in NFL are bigger stronger faster.

[@nariu7times328]

Interesting report on a baseball game -- I have never been to one. My favorite of these is basketball also. I have not enjoyed it quite as much as when John Stockton was playing though. Very enjoyable video!

[@donna30044]

Many, many years ago, when the Flames were based in Atlanta, we would go to the arena to see the fights, and, every once in a while, a hockey game would break out. 😁

[@michaelevans1193]

I realized a long time ago that appreciating a sport comes down to a basic understanding of the rules. Back in the 1980’s, ESPN at night had a lot of Australian Rules football. Over time I started to pick up some of the rules, but they never dumbed them down enough for me. When my wife started accompanying me to baseball games (my passion), I took the time to explain the rules to her. Now she is as passionate a Washington Nationals fan as I am.

[@Jackrabbit9961]

2 questions: 1) Can you go to a Guardians game? Now that the cubs have won, they have the longest drought for a baseball title. 2) Did you go to a Columbus Crew game in 2020? Trying to see if it goes across sports.

[@lynnsample4549]

Laurence you just crack me up! Ice Hockey would be my pick for a sport to follow, although I do catch some NFL games and a bit of MLB. Great to have you here!

[@turquoisewitch.wild-owl]

Lawrence, I've lived in this country all of my life (since 1963) and only started liking American football a little since the early 2000s when the Patriots won the superbowl (Tom Brady's first). I only watch if they're on the way to the superbowl. I still mostly don't understand the rules of the game. My older brother and younger sister absolutely love watching football and ignore all else if a game is on. I get so annoyed when football gets in the way of a show I'm looking forward to seeing, especially Jeopardy. Also, I always record the superbowl no matter who's playing in order to fastforward through the game to watch the commercials and possibly half time if I like the entertainer. LOL...Wayne Brady!!! I do like baseball the most, and, yes, I'm a Red Sox fan from MA who hates the Yankees.

[@DonP_is_lostagain]

Well, I laughed through both baseball and football, and when Laurence got to hockey, I was absolutely nodding my head in agreement. I don't understand the rules, the penalties, and also can't see the puck most of the time. And basketball has never really held my interest. BTW, I'm sure someone else has said it below, but there's an old joke that goes, "I went to a fight last night and a hockey game broke out".

[@nickitacocat]

Come to Minnesota. You could help the Twins and almost anyone you ask will be able to help you understand hockey. 😁 Did you mean Wayne Gretzky???

[@LindaC616]

Lol, he was being funny

[@SherriLyle80s]

I live in Florida now and I sometimes miss going to a CAPS game. So much fun.

[@glencmac]

An advent calendar in the background!!! Love it!!!

[@charlesmetternich5902]

If you want to know the history of baseball watch ken burns baseball. It goes from 1860 to 1990. Great stories

[@sweiland75]

(ice) hockey is Canada's sport, not America's.

[@kokomo9764]

Canada can have it!

[@terryomalley1974]

As a Canadian, the home.of hockey, it makes me.xringe when I hear Europeans refer to the sport as "ice hockey". It's just hockey.

[@owenshebbeare2999]

In most of the world "hockey" refers to "Field hockey", which is more common outside Canada, which definitely didn't invent any of the four main hockey types anyway, and claiming to be "the home of hockey", doesn't make it so. Soory aboot that, eh, but that's just how it is.

[@kingjellybean9795]

Old Lawrence- I'm not a baseball wizard... Me- that accent begs to differ good sir... You are a wizard of all sorts

[@staceyoverley6148]

Born and raised in Kenosha wisconsin. Not really a sports enthusiast however, The Packers reign supreme and always will. I also was happy when, in basket ball last year, "Fear the Deer" was accurate. The Milwaukee Bucks kicked butt!

[@Gloria-ro4vn]

Football is easy, the whole point is to see how many of your opponents bones you can break and how many brain damaging concussions you can cause. That's what I told my teacher after he asked me, when he decided to teach the girls about football one day. Surprisingly, he never held it against me, all he said was, well, that wasn't the whole point and went on with the class.

[@eywine.7762]

My sister said that when she was little she thought the point of football was for as many players as possible to pile up on top of each other. :D

[@Gloria-ro4vn]

@@eywine.7762 LOL That's true also.

[@erics607]

I love that you mentioned cornhole very briefly haha. Even though it's not really a professional sport, it's a lot of fun to play at a tailgate or in someone's backyard or driveway. You don't have to be a good athlete, but it's fun to play a somewhat competitive game while tossing bean bags around and drinking some alcohol.

[@johndrews206]

Cornhole IS ACTUALLY a professional on tv sport. ESPN

[@johndrews206]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIuZXnhqn9iasNk

[@erics607]

@@johndrews206 I said it wasn't a professional sport in the sense that most people don't know it's a professional sport, or that it doesn't have the same following of the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB. If you went and talked to 100 random fans from each of the top 4 professional leagues about the top cornhole player in the world, I guarantee you 99% of those people don't have a clue who they are. Right now it's just a game people play for fun that just happens to have professional tournaments.

[@yasminesacristan5855]

I’ve gone to many baseball games in New York and have not experienced people not paying attention to the game.

[@BrockMak]

7:16 Gretzky.

[@sherigrow6480]

I can't remember a time when I didn't know the rules of baseball, watching and playing (badly). Never played football, but still knew the basics, and just knew more as I watched more and listened to analysis. I love the subtleties and nuances of baseballs. A good game is practically sport as art. Go O's, Edit: additional shout out to Wayne Brady for also winning The Masked Singer 😉

[@qwkimball]

Baseball at its best is almost weirdly cerebral. Love the fact that you can get the most obscure stats instantly. "You know, he only bats .211 cleanup at night on artificial grass against left-handers."

[@cyberzombie038]

@@qwkimball Its one of those sports where its more fun to play than to observe, due to its explosive pacing.

[@marksgraybeal]

as a janitor, have often wondered about the social physcalogical implications of the top teams home bases being abandoned. ?

[@elliebellie7816]

Dan Maraschino - love it!

[@RyanS32]

That Advent calendar is amazing!!!

[@stuarthenderson7327]

My wife is American I'm Scottish but her family's team are the Packers who are green white gold.any Rangers or Celtic fan reading this will see why I can't get into American football lol

[@qwkimball]

Old Firm..

[@sandrastorer5628]

Never was into sports, but of all of them, basketball would be the top. In 7th and 8th grade (early 70's) I was in a very small school in TX that had both girls and boys teams that you were required to be on whether you could play or not! The running drills (wind sprints) were brutal! I'm an older adult, but if I were physically able to, I would still enjoy shooting baskets.

[@FleaChristenson]

Dan Maraschino and Wayne Brady! 😂

[@DashRiprock513]

The tip on American football is you have to view it from an American angle. It's very militaristic, two armies trying to take ground from each other. So like war there are boring times then crazy excitement then it's boring again. Listen to the language the announcers use when they describe the plays.... He threw a bomb, That looked like a rocket... That pass was like a bullet .. The quarterback lined up in the shotgun... That guy is a tank etc. Hope that helps.

[@kokomo9764]

I am glad you know about Wayne Brady and Dan Maraschino and their tremendous contributions to the NFL. Cornhole is much more interesting than Baseball.

[@NAFUSO1]

Bred and born American and imagine my sadness when I realized last year I once again missed every single baseball game played for the 45th year in a row....

[@eywine.7762]

Dan Marischino and Wayne Brady!?! You always make me laugh!

[@liammccoy7502]

kids also can easily gravitate towards basketball because its easy and common to have a basketball hoop in the driveway either in the ground or a portable one with a base filled with sand, so its simple and accessible to mess around with shooting every day with friends.

[@womobewo]

Maybe you should do a live quiz about American sports, particularly football.

[@RoseGma]

There's the old hockey saying, "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out!" As a hockey lover, the more fights, the better the game. But seriously, in my town we have a USHL team. These are boys from 16-21 years old. I don't like to see them fight. I like to watch the NHL do that, when they can actually play because of Covid cases.🙄

[@johnulrich5572]

It's not just sports at the pro level but Americans start with organized sports at the elementary school level through high school and college.Sports are huge in the USA. The highest paid "teachers" in the educational system are the coaches.

[@cookingwithpam]

American Football! Family favorite. We have it since we were kids. Merry Vlogmas!

[@jonathanhodgson2659]

When I lived over the water I watched a baseball game in a bar. The stranger next to me heard my accent an enquired as to my thoughts on baseball. He looked physically shaken when I replied "I think I have found a game that is even more boring than cricket".

[@chickenwings6172]

Corn hole is the best American sport and i am from Canada.

[@willkittwk]

Coming from a Canadian that would be expected.

[@ChristinaChrisR]

What on earth IS that?

[@SherriLyle80s]

NBA... MLB? Nothing ring a bell? 😂

[@davecass485]

Also from Canada and the first time I heard someone say out loud in public, "Let's play Corn Hole" I spit my drink all over the place as that generally means something WAY different in most places up here. We call it what it is Bean Bag Toss. Surprising as Americans usually are the creative ones in naming their sports ie. Baseball = Baseball, Basketball = Basketball, Football = Football, Bean Bag = ??????? HAHAHA Canada Bean Bag = Bean Bag Toss & Puck = Hockey. Cheers

[@willkittwk]

Is Quiditch your favorite English sport? I assume it is. Lol

[@lordofthemound3890]

You’re absolutely right about baseball. Not very many people actually look at what’s going on on the field: the movement, the adjustments, the shading. And this is all going on before a pitch is even thrown. I believe the main reason for this is people are used to watching baseball on television where it basically appears to be a three man game: pitcher, hitter, catcher. You lose the full scope of it, and I don’t really believe that the average person in the seats even knows HOW to watch a baseball game or what to look for.

[@garyguyton7373]

I really believe that baseball and hockey are the two sports that require the most raw athletic talent for successful play at the professional level. For hockey, it's pretty obvious why: it's on ice, blazing fast, and intense. Baseball may not be so obvious, but think about the skill required to hit a 100 mile an hour baseball that's curving every which way, and a 3rd baseman taking one step, going horizontal 3 feet off the ground, fully stretched out, and catching a line drive less than a second or two after the crack of the bat on the ball. Amazing!