"World" Championships that aren't

[DJSpeedy]

OK - time to delve into this subject and why *I* think the major sports out there cannot bill their league championships as "World" Championships.

NFL - NO foreign teams in the leage. At best, this is a NATIONAL championship.

The CFL and WL should put their respective champions in a game together. The winner plays the NFL champion. Then (and ONLY then) could their be a TRUE NFL World Championship.

NBA - 1 foreign team (Toronto). At best, this is a NORTH AMERICAN championship.

Maybe the NBA and the Italian pro league to deicde the WORLD?

MLB - 2 foreign teams (Montreal, though lame-duck status now, and Toronto). Also at best, a NORTH AMERICAN championship. Only a true World Championship Series would have the MLB and Japan champions together.

NHL - 6 foreign teams here (Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal). Shoot, there's almost enough Canadian teams there to have a "Canada" division. :-)

But even then, those teams are in the same league, so again - a NORTH AMERICAN Championship.

This post is not intended to slight my fellow North Americans in Canada in any way. This is simply my thoughts as to why I don't consider any current "World" championship events as such.

[pollux]

I believe that the NHL Stanley Cup Champions cannot be referred as World Champions at all...

There is the IIHF World Championships held each year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and this year they have brought back the World Cup of Hockey in september.

Same thing for the NFL, they win the Super Bowl, but they're not World Champions...

The only "World" championship I see is the World Series of baseball.

[mac]

I disagree, the NFL is the premier league in the entire world and how many other leagues are out there, maybe three, any player who cant make it in the NFL will go play in canada or europe or even arena league. The best players in the world are in the NFL so a game to decide who is world champions would be a waste of time, because the team that wins the super bowl is really the best team in the world.

[Saintsfan]

There isn't a Football championship that rivals the NFL and the Superbowl, so the Superbowl champs are in effect World Champions. Same for the NBA, none of the various other leagues around the world could copme close to the NBA. naseball, well it would be interesting to see the japanese league champs against the MLB World Series winners.

The NHL is a bit different. I have never heard an NHL Stanley Cup Winner describe themselves as world champions, although I doubt any club team in the world would come close to the Stanley Cup winners.

[STL FANATIC]

I think it's fair to call these league champions World Champions, because the best players from all over the world come here to play in those leagues.

That's not entirely true, but mostly true.

I think in baseball you have to wonder about Japan, and in hockey, there are various European elite leagues, but I still think it can be truely said that the best of the best come over to North America to compete in these four major leagues.

[TFoA]

NFL- When it comes to American Rules Football, this is it when it comes to the pros: The winner of this is the Champion of the World, because there aren't any other American Rules Football in the world...

NBA- If you think about it, the NBA has evolved into the World Championship, because now people are coming from all over the world to represent their country {and make a few dolla dolla bills} in the NBA... Now I'm not sayin that there ain't good players in Europe... I'm just sayin that the best come to the NBA, and for that reason I say that the NBA is the World Championship...

NHL- This is where I say that the winners aren't World Champions, they're just Stanley Cup champions because this is a case where the talent in Europe just might be just as good as the talent over here in the states... But thats just my opinion, the only thing I know about hockey is the basics

MLB- Nope here also, and I agree with what someone else said, have the MLB Champions play the Japanese Champions, THEN we'd have us some World Series Baseball

[CC97]

Actually there are 24 foreign teams in the NHL... the National in National Hockey League refers to Canadian National (as there weren't any U.S. based teams in the first eight or so seasons)... the Stanley Cup's original name was (something like) The Challenge Cup of Canada.

Not to start anything, just in case you didn't know.

[jkrdevil]

These leagues can call themselves the world champions becuase they are the top leagues in the world. When they sya world they mean the world of the sport (IE, the baseball world). For baseball the Japanese league can't compare to Major League Baseball, because the best Japenese players go play in MLB. Japanses league to MLB is like the CFL to NFL. As for hockey even though the don't call themseleves World Champs they can be called that. The NHL is the top hockey league in the world, the Euro leagues can't compete. Think about it when they olympics are played how many players on Russia, Sweeden, or Finland are from the Euro leagues. None, they are all from the NHL. Thus, these leagues can all call themselves World Champs if they want.

[agentrygraphics]

As far as the NBA goes, I recall back when the Houston Rockets won their "Two-ston" championships, that shortly after there was some sort of "Invitational" thing that was televised on ESPN. It featured the champions of several world leagues playing each other. I do remember Australia's NBL champ, Perth Wildcats, playing Houston. Now, like someone mentioned before, the other world teams were nowhere near Houston's talent, but there was a world "tournament", as I recall.

[CC97]

Anyone remember the plans to have the Grey Cup Champion play the World Bowl Champion, I think they made these plans in 1997 or so... I remember looking forward to see the Argos play the NFL Eurpoe champ, but it never happened.

[slapshot]

the names might be slightly misleading, but the are the world championships of the leagues with the best players in the WORLD. Every sport mentioned, the best players in the world for the most part are in those leagues.

The MLS does not refer to its champ as the world champs...they are the MLS champions. The only soccer championship in the world is the World Cup, held every 4 years. Or maybe in the Olympics, depending on the ability and strength of the playing field.

The CFL and EL won't play for a world championship. They play 2 separate styles with different rules. Besides, the EL players are from the NFL. That's why it's NFL-Europe. It's the NFL Minor league in a way. You wouldn't have a AAA and a major league baseball team play for the league title.

Baseball and soccer are the only true sports who play the same game with the same rules worldwide. European hockey plays different rules than the NHL (most of it offsides/icing I think). The NHL players modify slightly for IIHF tournaments.

Basketball is the same worldwide except in North America. They all play with the trapedoizal free thrown lanes (check out the FIBA rules). Again, NBA modifies its style for the players to play internationally.

[Discrim]

the Cup winner...callin themselves "World Champ" would be gettin a little ahead of themselves, you figure the Russian or Swedish league's best teams can hang for 60 minutes with the Lightning. and who's to say the Yomiuri Giants can't take a few from teh Marlins? on the flipside, although our style of football IS played in some other countries (there's even an international federation), the only teams that would even resemble belonging on the same field as the Patriots would be a German national team. ain't their fault though, i blame soccer (mainly the people who run it-i'll delve into that later) and the fact that any grassroots movement, such as in Germany or Russia, is likely barely over a decade old if that. and the Pistons could beat the Euroleague champs but they'd be game though.

[jkrdevil]

the Cup winner...callin themselves "World Champ" would be gettin a little ahead of themselves, you figure the Russian or Swedish league's best teams can hang for 60 minutes with the Lightning. and who's to say the Yomiuri Giants can't take a few from teh Marlins? on the flipside, although our style of football IS played in some other countries (there's even an international federation), the only teams that would even resemble belonging on the same field as the Patriots would be a German national team. ain't their fault though, i blame soccer (mainly the people who run it-i'll delve into that later) and the fact that any grassroots movement, such as in Germany or Russia, is likely barely over a decade old if that. and the Pistons could beat the Euroleague champs but they'd be game though.

Now way could a Russian or Swedish Elite team beat the lightning in a best of 7 series. Same thing goes for the Yomiuri Giants facing the Marlins. Those leagues aren't on the same level. The Euro hockey leagues and Japanese leagues are like minor league teams to the NHL and and MLB. Think about all the best Euro hockey players now play in the NHL. The best player on the Giants the last 10 years now is playing Left Field for the New York Yankees. The great Japanese players are coming over to play in MLB and why there are a few All-Stars there are a few who bombed (Irabu). If the Cup Champ played a European champ in a seven game series, I think the cup champ would win in at most 5 games. Same thing if the World Champs played the Japanese champs.

[Saintsfan]

As I kinda said before, I genuinely doubt any of the American champs could really be challenged as 'world' champions by anyone else from around the world. Even in baseball, with the best of Japan in the MLB, I doubt very much if any japanese team could havnge with a middle ranked MLB team for very long. If you stuck, say the LA Clippers or any other mediocre NBA team ionto the olympics as the US team they would still take gold I dare say.

I think thats why sometimes the MLS struggles, because the US is used to watching the vewry best, and in all fairness the MLS isn't near the best soccer tournament in the world.

[TFoA]

If you stuck, say the LA Clippers or any other mediocre NBA team ionto the olympics as the US team they would still take gold I dare say.

Now that's stretchin it... If an "all-star" team finished 6th in the Worlds in 2002, then The Clippers would finish dead last

[Pat]

Why arent there plans for the Grey Cup champ to face off against the worst NFL team? come on Eskimos vs Chargers? Like the day before the SuperBowl or something? Im sure they could agree on some rule changes to fit CFL and NFL sides

[Saintsfan]

If you stuck, say the LA Clippers or any other mediocre NBA team ionto the olympics as the US team they would still take gold I dare say. 

Now that's stretchin it... If an "all-star" team finished 6th in the Worlds in 2002, then The Clippers would finish dead last

I still think if you put a mediocre NBA team into a world championship, ahgainst a croatia national team etc etc etc then they would sweep the floor. how many other teams would be able to play 12 NBA team players.

What the USA has playing in World championships and whatever is a scratch team, not use to playing with each other and yet still wth all the pressure on them! There isn't another league in the world to match the NBA, there just isn't. Even the Euro super leagfue or whatever its called doesn't come close. When I was growing up they had a 'World Club championships' played in London every year, and scratch team of college players from America won it every year! You guys are brought up on the game, whereas Europeans aren't!!

[TFoA]

True, but times are a-changin now... I believe that since the American game IMO has deterioated {spelling} to the point where most of the players coming up get their stuff from the And 1 Mixtape a.k.a. street ball, instead of the fundamentals from back in the day. But that's why everyone is all of a sudden catching up with us in the international scene of things because the world is taking what we used to learn back in the day and teaching it to the international players... Is the U.S. still a powerhouse in the world? Hell yeah, we'd wipe the floor with most of the FIBA... But is everyone getting closer to us? Slowly but surely...

[Saintsfan]

True, but times are a-changin now... I believe that since the American game IMO has deterioated {spelling} to the point where most of the players coming up get their stuff from the And 1 Mixtape a.k.a. street ball, instead of the fundamentals from back in the day. But that's why everyone is all of a sudden catching up with us in the international scene of things because the world is taking what we used to learn back in the day and teaching it to the international players... Is the U.S. still a powerhouse in the world? Hell yeah, we'd wipe the floor with most of the FIBA... But is everyone getting closer to us? Slowly but surely...

Thats true, the rest of the world is catching up with the USA, but thats like saying that the continents are getting close together. I am sure that eventually a few countries will catch up, but the USA is THE country that embraces the game. And I think that will always be true!

[Discrim]

As I kinda said before, I genuinely doubt any of the American champs could really be challenged as 'world' champions by anyone else from around the world. Even in baseball, with the best of Japan in the MLB, I doubt very much if any japanese team could havnge with a middle ranked MLB team for very long.  If you stuck, say the LA Clippers or any other mediocre NBA team ionto the olympics as the US team they would still take gold I dare say. 

I think thats why sometimes the MLS struggles, because the US is used to watching the vewry best, and in all fairness the MLS isn't near the best soccer tournament in the world.

i'll concede that as far as futbol goes, although MLS is getting better, i think. they need time to grow, and it seems the powers that be understand that. as i saw when i was still in high school(mind you, 3 years ago), a "fairy" stigma remains...it's obviously not as prevalent as it was 30 years ago but it's still there.

anyways, the Clips wouldn't even win once...a lot of good having NBA players did us in the World Championships. they used to teach a game of five players playing as one unit...nowadays they forget to teach that part, so it's usually just five guys playing as five guys.