Could America take to Cricket?

[Labarum]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8470796.stm

[The Nid Hog]

There's some cricket here already. When I used to live in Chicago, on the weekends I'd see a couple of matches going on in Washington Park. However in the near future, I don't think that there's much chance for it to become more than a small, niche sport. Soccer has grown enormously in youth leagues across the country but professional soccer is still struggling. I just don't think that there is that much free entertainment money & time to be captured.

[mdunn]

not a chance

[Gruder]

Wow. When I saw the thread's title I automatically thought of the mobile phone service, not the sport. I suppose the answer lies therein, I'm afraid.

That said, the local Indian community has established a cricket league. Looking forward to catching a match this summer.

[Duamuteffe]

I'm afraid this is the first thing I thought of. #grins# I'm not sure our sports market is ready for a sport that doesn't involve hitting people. We already have baseball; that seems to be about all the market will tolerate.

In its defense, DH says it's a lot of fun to see live with a group of buddies. I wouldn't mind catching a game next time we're over, just for the experience.

[tg16]

I'm afraid this is the first thing I thought of. #grins# I'm not sure our sports market is ready for a sport that doesn't involve hitting people. We already have baseball; that seems to be about all the market will tolerate.

In its defense, DH says it's a lot of fun to see live with a group of buddies. I wouldn't mind catching a game next time we're over, just for the experience.

Hmmmm, a sport that sounds like bait.

[bythbook]

Could America take to Cricket?



HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH



...I don't think so.

[phantomsphan]

I would think not. With baseball, football, basketball and hockey (ice hockey, for those not in N. America)... where would it fit in? Despite being the biggest youth sport, pro soccer is struggling, there's pro lacrosse, arena football... not to mention college sports (are college sports big in the UK and AUS?). I just don't see there being enough TV time to devote to it, nor disposable income for people to come to games (matches?). Regardless of how entertaining it is, I just don't see it being profitable for those involved. Plus, they would probably have to 'Americanize' too... but once you do that, is it really cricket?

Of course, you can take this all with a grain of salt, cuz I'm not much of a sports person (other than hockey). To me it's kinda the same thing as the NFL not being popular in the UK or AUS... People just like their own 'homegrown' sports.

[TimMechEngr]

Could America take to Cricket?

In the South, you betcha! You just feed the hook down his neck from right behind the head and out through his tail. Set your bobber for about 3-5 ft. and cast him way out there. Before long, some striped bass will come along, and viola! You've got dinner!

[Hayden]

I'm afraid this is the first thing I thought of. #grins# I'm not sure our sports market is ready for a sport that doesn't involve hitting people. We already have baseball; that seems to be about all the market will tolerate.

In its defense, DH says it's a lot of fun to see live with a group of buddies. I wouldn't mind catching a game next time we're over, just for the experience.

I lol in real life

[Confuzius]

Youtube will actually be livestreaming IPL games with viewer selectable multi-camera angles.
http://gizmodo.com/5452540/youtube-t...multicamhowzat
This is more exciting than just cricket, because it means that youtube is testing the waters for live sports broadcast, which means that you may be able to watch hockey, football, basketball etc live on youtube.

If I can watch Canadians Hockey live on youtube in HD I will cancel cable.

[Dennis]

No. It won't happen here except in maybe niche clubs.

[Amer]

I really don't know where it would fit in the market. I work with a few Indians and I've swung the bat a few times with them on company fun days. It's fun to play, but not to watch. I thought baseball was a snooze sometimes, but cricket is worse.

Plus, ice hockey and lacrosse I think are already filling the niche market, especially lacrosse. Ice hockey is already an established sport, but only in certain areas. Kids around here have been playing it forever and there's a good deal of support for the Blues. Here in St. Louis, I'm seeing 8 and 9 year old suddenly wearing lacrosse team gear, playing for club teams, and every large high school suddenly has it as at least a club sport. When I played back in high school it was resigned to a few of the private boys schools and 2 or 3 large public schools, it's just grown so much. When I got to college I was even surprised to see it at my largely non-athletic school as a club sport. We played club teams from a good 8 or 9 colleges in the area. I mean, there probably wasn't even a team in the area 20 years ago.

Plus, cricket is just a little too similar to baseball. They would never be able to take any market share away from the Cardinals here.

[john.crissman]

Uh... no.

[Angus Young]

I've never understood how a test game can take five days to play and they know it will be a draw after two. One day cricket is ok to watch on tv on a rainy day when you're just killing time. I know a few people who love it and they say it's a game of subtleties which you need to understand to really enjoy it. For that reason I think it's a game you need to grow up following and it will struggle to win over fans who aren't from traditional cricket areas.

Edit. Just to add that even if you have no understanding of the sport you should try and find an excellent BBC drama series called Bodyline. It's the real life story of an English tour of Australia. The English tactics caused a major diplomatic incident between the two countries; probably something that's never happened before or since.

[MoJoe]

Never say never but not anytime soon. A generation ago Soccer was a niche sport and now almost every kid growing up plays it. Today, we have players on the National Team that have played for Man U, AC Milan and other high level European Club teams. ESPN is dedicating more time to the sport as a result of their expansion overseas and a need to get the most out of the money they've invested. There are people who know the sport and what Euroleague clubs are doing just from watching Fox Soccer Channel.

So does Cricket have a chance? Follow the soccer model. Get Ivy League schools to adopt it, let it expand to other colleges, offer youth programs and in a generation or two maybe.

[ouch]

I think we'll take to eating crickets first.

[proxymoron]

Five days for a draw? Look what we did to ice hockey.

That said, in a former job, I helped produce (for television) an ODI match between South Africa and India and that day, I developed a deep respect for both the physical and mental demands of the game. Of course, even as I was leaving the stadium, all visceral excitement--as well as any retention of rules and scoring--receded into fog like a pleasant, ultimately irrelevant dream.

Did love the tea break, though. If McDonalds got wind of the sponsorship potential, anything could happen.

[The Nid Hog]

This is more exciting than just cricket...

That's setting the bar pretty low!

[Seraphim]

Will America take to cricket?

Heck no!

Look, pro soccer has been, and will continue to be a total flop in the US, even though every kid growing up here plays it.

Cricket?

No way, no how.

Americans would rather eat haggis than watch a cricket match!