Favourite sport? (Cricket excluded)

[nightprowler10]

Guess I'll rank them as well.

Test Cricket - even though I haven't watched a full match in well over a year, it is still my true love.
Basketball - Must have watched over 40 games this season.
ODI Cricket
T20 Cricket
Football (Gridiron) - only watch when the Bears are playing or when nothing else is on, ranking it higher than baseball even though I don't understand it as well as baseball.
Baseball - Only when the White Sox are playing, even then I don't bother as much as I used to.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Changed a bit since I last voted.

Rugby a quinze - got ridiculously into it lately. Already booked tickets for Scotland v France. Still on a week's tape delay though...thankfully the newspapers up here don't spoil me
Speed skating
Cross-country skiing - hey, I'm from here.
Girls' football - more a defiance thing.
Test cricket - should probably invest in streams soon
Athletics - enjoy picking the winner, and watching it live - flying javelins and discs are pretty impressive
Blokes' football - gets me depressed on Sundays
Handball - can't rank it ahead of football when I barely watch it in halls...there's always something better to do
Biathlon - counter-cultural low rank
Tennis - great fun at slams (but best on radio)
Snooker - see tennis, get saturated during Welsh Open then somehow get enthusiastic in April
Twenty20 cricket - though I'm hoping against hope it eradicates the 50-over format
Golf - not that often on TV here. Enjoy the principle of the game though.
Cycling - less druggies than rugby, probably. Reckon there's an argument for letting it loose, but am concerned about the after-effects.
Markball - always get a chuckle when Collingwood lose. Still think it stops way too much though.
Floorball - field hockey, except the keeper has a chance of saving, you can shoot from everywhere, you can lift the stick to hip height, there's no flat edge...
Table tennis - amazing ball control
Ice hockey - only when Norway have a vague chance of keeping Finland within double digits.
Rowing - for beating Kiwis
Shooting - once a year, there's a national competition here. The presenter actually kept it exciting.
Six-a-side volleyball - when there really is nothing else.
Ultimate frisbee - play it at uni. Would only watch if coerced, though.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Markball - always get a chuckle when Collingwood lose. Still think it stops way too much though.

You're a good man Morkeh.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

You're a good man Morkeh.

I can die happy.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Basketball - Must have watched over 40 games this season.

Only 40? I only watched 1/3rd of the season and I reckon I've watched that many.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Sumo

 

[nightprowler10]

Only 40? I only watched 1/3rd of the season and I reckon I've watched that many.

Some of us work 60 hours a week.

Actually the number probably is quite a bit higher than that. I must've watched 40 of just Bulls games now that I think about it and I did follow Cavs a bit the first half of the season.

 

[Jono]

Tennis - great fun at slams (but best on radio)

You enjoy listening to the tennis on radio? Out of curiosity, why?

 

[Johnners]

It's funny listening to commentators try and call every forehand and backhand, especially when they get excited (and the players have difficult names). I recommend you listen to quinten hull on the abc during next years aus open, so funny.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

It's funny listening to commentators try and call every forehand and backhand, especially when they get excited (and the players have difficult names). I recommend you listen to quinten hull on the abc during next years aus open, so funny.

Yeah, good summary. And you get updates on the other matches going on during the initial rounds (when TV just infuriates with picking someone who won last year but hasn't played well in nine months).

Plus in Norway, we get fairly appalling commentary; the guys on radio know a lot about the players.

 

[atisha_ro]

time to revisit this post after a few years.

Given that I've been a sports journalist for years, I have basic knowledge about a lot of sports and follow some very closely. Here's my take.

Football: A great game overall, but the huge money in it spoils the show quite too often and leaded me to burnout. I'd rather watch two exotic teams (say Ghana vs. Kenya or Oman vs. Bahrain) for the love of the game than the too-hyped Champions League, major leagues or even domestic league

- pretty much the same

Rugby union: Good game, follow closely the major games - Six Nations, Tri Nations, World Cup, Team Romania.

- also been to games live, love it even more.

Rugby league: Never seen a full game actually, but it seems to me a bad cross-breed between rugby and gridiron.

- seen full games, opinion didn't quite change

Golf: Like watching, lots of skill, and it's nuts when you support a player. Would like to be able to play.

- this one stands

Snooker: Used to be a favourite, still following it sort of close.

- i had the opportunity to play and heck, lots of respect to the pros, it's way harder than it looks.

Aussie rules: Rules? Are there any?

- yes there are, I got to understand and cherish the game, as Eurosport covers a game live every week.

Field hockey: Would be great with a larger shot area.

- this stands.

Ice hockey: Go Team Canada! Not a cracker but I follow the majors (World Championship and Olympic Games).

- same now.

Tennis: The Federer-Nadal feud is worth their weight in gold.

- same now, plus Murray

Badminton: Very skilled game, a pity it's not most known.

- same now

Boxing: A good fight is.... er.... good.

- lost interest in the meanwhile, that Floyd - Manny bout needs to happen, badly

Volleyball: Interesting.

- and even better witnessed live.

Beach volleyball: The field is too large for only 2 players by team.

- but it's more challenging this way

Athletics: Majors only.

- same now

Wrestling: Was better in the 90s.

- same now

Swimming: Mild interest.

- great to see it at the pool.

Darts: The last World Championship final - what a thriller!

- good for a lazy evening.

Baseball: Didn't catch me, but it makes a good watch sometimes - the Red Sox smashing 4 consecutive home-runs at the Yankees

- actually did catch me, I'm an avid follower now and subscriber to MLB official streaming.

American Football: My favourite along with cricket. Madly tactical, warlike, tough, action-full. No surprise US have the better military packs (or used to).

- stands, but baseball and rugby passed it.

Basketball: Jordan was God, but I've much lost interest, didn't bother to watch a single game of the NBA playoffs. Major tournaments still get me.

- interest revived since we have a good women's team in town, and I got to broadcast some games on local TV.

Netball: A bit silly, if you ask me.

- stands, unfortunately

Handball: Nice game, very physical, Romania is good at it - so I'm interested. The air goals are tremendous.

- stands, got to see and write more about it.

Cycling: Very good, armchair tourism and we have a nice commentary team. I follow.

- same now.

Gaelic football: Crazy! Needs to go international - won't be a big trouble to put posts on football goals every now and then. Hurling is even more crazy!

- and there's always the annual Aussie-Gaelic extravaganza.

And yes, motorsports are sports in their right, some of the most dangerous on earth also.

 

[Spudsy2061]

I love me some NHL. I miss Ice Hockey so much. It's got all the same excitement in football (that's association football, not that crap that is gridiron football) just wildly more fast paced and more hard-hitting as well. I also love Tennis greatly, which is what I am following now aside from cricket since it isn't hockey season until October.

 

[Jamee999]

Tier One:
Baseball, Football Americano (not soccer), the Olympics

Tier Two:
Important Events of other sports; majors, grand slams, World Championships of Athletics, Snooker etc., Le Tour

Tier Three:
International Rugby, International Soccer

Tier Four:
Basketball

Tier Five:
Ice Hockey

Tier Six:
Domestic Soccer, other stuff

 

[Spudsy2061]

Association Football (or Soccer): Amazing sport. Love it and follow West Ham, the FA Cup, and AFC Wimbledon. Aside from that, UEFA Champs League, the Euros, and the World Cup, I don't watch it.

Rugby Union: Interesting sport Rugby is but it's not my thing I don't think. I find it hard to sit through a match despite knowing the general rules of the game

Rugby League: See Rugby Union. To me, an outsider, RU and RL are one and the same.

Golf: Enjoy playing it greatly and I watch the 4 majors and the Ryder Cup but aside from that I don't watch it.

Snooker: Well I enjoy shooting Billiards like 9-ball and 8-ball but don't know how to play Snooker and I find watching either on TV boring.

Aussie Rules: Looks incredibly exciting, but the rules to me are wickedly foreign so I find it hard to follow/get into.

Field Hockey: Cool sport, watch it come Olympics time (mostly because I <3 the Olympics like nothing else).

Ice Hockey: Best sport ever invented. Fast, hard-hitting, exciting, but full of skill and finesse. It's the penultimate team sport.

Tennis: The penultimate singles sport. Love tennis almost as much as I love Ice Hockey. It'a fun to play and unbelievably fun to watch.

Badminton: Fun to play and watch but I only watch it come Olympics time.

Volleyball: Amazingly fun to play and watch but I only watch it come Olympics time and a few of the FIBA competitions.

Beach Volleyball: Volleyball for idiots/pervs. I prefer indoor.

Athletics: Fun to watch come Olympics time but otherwise no interest.

Wrestling: It's ok. I don't play it, nor will I ever, and I will watch come Olympics time over say something like competition shooting, but it's not of a huge interest to me. Pro wrestling is great but I don't like the WWE too much. I grew up watching the old old ECW, from the 90s on local TV (a huge advantage of growing up in Philadelphia) so nothing has ever really matched that quality yet.

Swimming: I can't swim so I don't play but I do love to watch come Olympic time.

Darts: Good to play every once in a long time but it is not a sport for spectators.

Baseball: Great to play and watch but the season to me is a little too long. Still love it though.

American (or Gridiron) Football: Worst sport ever invented. Sooooooooooooooooooo boring. A group of 22 men pushing off each other for 10 seconds, then standing around for a minute to do it all over again for 4 hours. I'd rather kill myself, especially since the culture is awful. Cricket may have match fixing, and have done something to protect those who are guilty to much aggravation to the fans, but the NFL harbors murderers. Cricket looks like a golden prodigy compared to them.

Basketball: College basketball is AMAZING. The NBA is dull. 110-106 scorelines don't do it for me. The NBA needs to change their name to the NDA: National Defense Abolishment. There is no defense in the NBA.

Netball: Don't even know what it is.

Handball: Great sport. I watch as much as I can come Olympics time.

Cycling: I watch the Tour de France and the Olympic cycling but nothing else. It's not a bad sport.

Gaelic Football: Don't know the rules so my feelings on it are about as much as Aussie Rules.

 

[ripper868]

Still Union

 

[Burgey]

time to revisit this post after a few years.

Welcome back mate.. how's the efforts at spreading cricket in Eastern Europe going? Did the T20 coverage ever get off the ground there?

 

[atisha_ro]

sure did, the World Cup was broadcasted and had some success, now the Champions League will be commented in Romanian on Eurosport 2 from September 10th.

Tests won't be anytime soon, but you never know.

in the meanwhile there are some 6 clubs in the country, they would do well to start a league of sorts. if the American Football afficionados started a league with flag and touch divisions, anything is possible.

Dare to dream... sometimes it just happens.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Atisha! Great to hear some positive news about the game of cricket in these times. Good to see you back.

 

[atisha_ro]

yes, the cricket world looks messy lately, like in times of transition... the problem with cricket I feel it's the colonial heritage, too much of a Commonwealth thing and not much is done to create global exposure. that's why Eurosport with its T20 broadcasts is so valuable. and remember Holland in the 2009 T20 World Cup. now that was something.

there is still this dominance of international play in cricket, while the club games (be it First Class, ODI of all kinds or 20/20) stay secondary to it. which creates an elite of sorts, the international players' clique, a kind of aristocracy with very slim chances for the ordinary player to get noticed. this needs a bit of tuning.

and I think ODIs will eventually give way to 20/20s as the short form and Tests will stay the ultimate in the cricket world.

 

[Hurricane]

My second most fav sport to actually play is table tennis.

I would watch it on TV but it is never shown. Even at the olympics it is just highlights.

Have many other sports that I like to follow as a spectator.