• Sports

  American Sportsmanship: Exploring the World of Sports

  Posted by Right 360 on April 16, 2023 at 5:32 pm

  The United States is a sports powerhouse with being an integral part of American culture. The country also invented some of the most popular sports, such as:

  ● Baseball (New York, 1845),

  ● American football (New Jersey, 1869),

  ● Softball (Illinois, 1887),

  ● Basketball (Massachusetts, 1891),

  ● Volleyball (Massachusetts, 1895),

  ● Water skiing (Minnesota, 1922),

  ● Windsurfing (Pennsylvania, 1948),

  ● Racquetball (New York, 1952),

  ● Snowboarding (Michigan, 1965).

  However, Volleyball is the most globally recognized American sport, with more than 900 million people following it worldwide, although it has less allure domestically.

  American football and basketball are the most popular sports domestically. Nearly three-quarters (74.5%) of Americans follow American football games, while more than half (56.6%) are passionate about basketball.

  The International Federation of American Football manages America’s most popular sport, while the National Basketball Association (NBA) manages the latter.

  However, the National Basketball Association is a global sports body managing various leagues such as the NBA League, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA minor league (NBA G League), National Basketball Association and Take-Two Interactive (NBA 2K League), and Basketball Africa League.

  Despite many controversies, sports allow us to celebrate and appreciate our core values such as patriotism creativity, hard work, resilience, competitiveness, team spirit, fairness, and meritocracy.

  Any individual has the opportunity to participate in sports and succeed based on merit regardless of their race or ideological beliefs.

  Additionally, sports are an embodiment of the American dream. They give millions of individuals an opportunity to excel and succeed in life, with many higher learning institutions offering scholarships to individuals with outstanding athletic abilities. These students end up excelling in elite sports or in their chosen professional fields.

  Controversy in sports.

  However, sports have become overly politicized and a source of major controversies.

  For example, allowing biological men who identify as women (transgender women) to participate in female sports has received widespread disapproval from Americans, with only 3 out of 10 in support.

  Interestingly, a new study found that transgender women run 12% faster than biological women, two years after transitioning and have superior upper body strength.

  The study disputes previous research claiming that transgender women have the same performance levels as biological women one year after undergoing hormonal therapy. Subsequently, sports bodies allowed transitioned individuals to participate in female sports after one year.

  However, the new findings cast doubt on whether trans women who broke women’s records after less than two years of transition deserve those medals. Current research has also failed to address morphological differences between men and women, which are unaffected by hormonal therapy.

  For example, transitioning would hardly change men’s longer strides and thinner waists which are advantageous in track and field sports. Other morphological differences between men and women include larger lungs which are advantageous in swimming and larger hands which disadvantage women against men in basketball, softball, and handball.

  Unsurprisingly, the BMJ study found that trans women maintain “upper body strength” against biological women beyond the period permitted by sports bodies. “Transwomen are currently mandated to have 1 year of testosterone suppression before being permitted to compete at the elite level,” the researchers stated. “This may be too short if the aim is a level playing field.”

  To date, there is hardly any conclusive study on transgender performance against biological women in elite sports. However, given the frequency of former struggling male athletes smashing women’s records after gender transition, the advantage is apparent. It is for the same reason we have no trans men smashing men’s records. In fact, the first trans man to compete in men’s sports, Chris Mosier, finished 12th and eventually pulled out after a knee injury.

  Sports have been a source of entertainment, national pride, and even economic success for the involved companies and athletes. However, sports have been heavily politicized, becoming a source of national division instead of fostering unity.

  Subsequently, some fans have stopped watching their favorite sports to avoid the eyesore.

  Right 360 replied 1 year, 8 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies

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