COLUMN: World’s best athletes coming to U.S.
Next month’s Olympic Games in Salt Lake City are sure to bring the best athletes in the world to the United States.
Of course, we Americans already believe we have the very best living in our homeland. We generally win the most medals in the Olympics and are highly-competitive in every event. Most of the world’s top professional leagues in the world are also headquartered and played in the United States.
But there is a trend creeping upon us we have long accepted in hockey, soccer and tennis: Team sports are influenced by a distinct international flavor.
For years, most team sports in the United States have been dominated by fellow Americans. Now players like Ichiro Suzuki of Japan and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany are becoming the marquee names of the future in Major League Baseball and the NBA.
A record five international players were selected to participate in this year’s NBA All-star game in February.
Steve Nash became Canada’s first ever All-star, joining Tim Duncan of the Virgin Islands, Pedja Stoyakovic of Yugoslavia, and Nowitzki on the Western team; Dikembe Mutumbo of Congo was also selected for the Eastern squad.
In addition to these All-stars, many young international players such as Pau Gasol of Greece and France’s Tony Parker are making an impact on the NBA. With athletes like Pedro Martinez, Juan Gonzalez and Roberto Clemente, South America has had its influence on baseball for years.
The Far East has had a recent influx of stars including Rookie of the Year and American League MVP Suzuki. Japan has fallen in love with the Seattle Mariners, who tied a major league record with 116 wins this season, because of Suzuki and closer Kazuhiro Sasaki. Byung-Hyun Kim of Korea closed games for the World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks, though he would like to forget the World Series all together.
These prime-time international players are paving the way for the NBA, MLB and NFL to expand their fan bases far beyond the United States.
Why is this infusion of international talent happening now?
Let’s face it, homegrown talent has dwindled in the past 10 years. The “highlight reel” mentality of team sports has focused on the individual players much more than the team game. This has slowly affected developing players by allowing them to focus more on being fancy than working on fundamentals (note this is my reason for not being in the NBA).
With the “win-now” attitude we have in team sports, it makes sense to have athletes who are worried about winning instead of trying to make it onto Sportscenter that evening. The door is open for these kind of players.
Successful teams like the Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Seattle Mariners are figuring it out and taking advantage of the fact. The international game is here to stay. Here’s to hoping your favorite team figures it out soon as well.
Austin Byers is a
sophomore majoring in
economics and finance.
Comments can be sent to abyers@cc.usu.edu