NBA and MLB where amazing happens -PART 5- JAKE

NBA and MLB where amazing happens -PART 5-             

 HAN SI HUN (JAKE)

Two years ago, I went to the Boston garden, which is one of the famous basketball team, Boston Celtics’ arena. Standing in this arena that was 50 times larger than my home, I felt like a needle in a haystack. So about 25,000 people surrounding me it’s like I’m one grain of sand in the ocean. The people around the arena form a black and yellow checker board. Their clothing engaged and looked like a throw. Smelling the concession stand made me feel like a starving child. The smell of hotdogs and Italian sausage reminds me of a back yard grill. The smell of melted cheese on nachos made my stomach growl wishing I had some. I was able to get a taste of the pretzels as a man and child walk by me with one. The warm bread with coarse salt was delicious.

        Then, a man on a microphone yelled out loud for the players to come out. The roar of the people surrounding me was like being right behind the jet of an airplane. The deafening noise made me squint my eyes. I clapped my hands along with other fans, and my hands felt oily after just eating a hot piece of pizza. My mouth was still filled with the sauce, saucy taste of the slice in my mouth. I looked down towards the court where the players have now started shooting baskets.  Their green coloured uniforms stand out in the glare of the spotlights above. The court had a waxy look, like it has just been swept, and the glass backboards, had a shine just as bright as a new car.

      The game ended after that. Every single person in the crowd wore smiles on their face as if they had just won a prize. Few others screamed and showed displeasure as they swayed down the stairs to the doorway.  The noise had greatly decreased that gave my ears a rest.  It was down to a dull roar, like a breeze blowing around leaves. My feet and hands were in pain from being pounded for nearly three hours.

This shows how impeccable the NBA can give to the American people. Stadium or arena remains a very clear indicator of economic development to the cities this day. Regular season games and year-round franchise prompt eye-popping estimate of potential benefits. For example, the NBA’s Oklahoma City claimed that they pumped $22.6 million into the area’s economy annually. The presence of stadium and team do not only have economic benefit from the team but also they can let the citizen to be proud of their own cities. [1](Phil Caldwell,Jan2011)

Many people believe that Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are very different. However, besides their obvious differences, they do have a certain level of similarities. First of all, both of them are two of the five highest grossing sports leagues in the United States. They are very popular and they both draw in very large crowds. These two sports have been around for many years, and they both look to have promising futures later in the world.[2]( Alan Wirzbickiv.Aug.2011) [3] (Susan Cohen-Dickler.Apr.20120

According to ESPN, about 29% of players in MLB and NBA are foreign players. Whether players from Korea or any other country which manage to become a MLB or NBA player, people will tend to assume that they do their country proud. However, I wonder the reason of why people assume that foreigners who are able to play in the America League considered a success? And why are NBA and MLB the biggest and interesting leagues in the world? [4](Associated press. Aprill.2012)

                                    (this graph shows the rising of the foreigner in the league)

 I think the answer for my first question is as capitalism drives the world virtually in every aspect, the most important thing in sports is the money. Another driving factor is the fame and reputation involved. We can say that the country that leads the world current era is the United States. The United States is pouring in a lot of capital in such leisure and sports. Therefore, once foreigners are able to play in the American league, they can earn a lot more money in the United States than their native countries. For example, the Korean famous baseball pitcher, Park Chan Ho used to get $17,000 in Korea; he was considered the highest salaries at that time in Korea. However, once he went to the Major League Baseball team, La Dodgers, his salary became $126,000. Korean people considered him the hero of the baseball because I think the money that he earned shows how good he is in that sport.[5](Song.1996)

       I think Basketball and baseball have become one way of achieving American dream. Through basketball and baseball, many people have achieved greatness (fame, and money) and most people use basketball and baseball through the NBA and MLB. Basketball and baseball are enjoyed by spectators all around the world because it gives people a common interest. Basketball and baseball are also enjoyed because it shows people enjoying the American dream and that can motivate people to chase their dreams, because basketball and baseball stars are usually the person you here about on the news in a rags to riches story, which can further inspire people. Basketball and baseball are sports that can show team work and a common goal. They can also relate to the American dream because it is something people can relate to.


Jason Thompson & Tyreke Evans- American Dream created by Elijah Everett

Even in countries when soccer is more famous than baseball and basketball, the interest shown in the game and the activities surrounding in the game are an important commercial message from the United States. However, the connection between the international fans and the team members was anything but commercial. The fans knew the team members and their playing style; they knew the colours and jersey numbers of favourite players, and they were enthusiastic in their support both for the team members as well as for the game. This is how impeccable of the NBA and MLB both domestic American and people around the world.

Another reason that the America has the biggest league in the basketball and baseball is because the explosion of interest and love in sports are bigger than any of the country in the world. I think the capital that they invested in scouting talented players is beyond comparison with other countries in the world. With the amount of money invested, naturally, the standard of the game will go up. Ultimately, players’ performances in the game meet the expectation of the fans.

In conclusion, we have to wait for the sphere of interest to increase the league’s standard or the interest from the fans. What makes the MLB and NBA interesting is the passion of the fans interest. I think other than the United States’ league; we need a lot of passion to increase the standard of the league. Even though MLB and NBA are two different things, they still have some similarities.

Reference

1.     Phil Caldwell. Oklahoma City Thunder: New Forbes NBA Numbers Certainly Nothing To Celebrate!. Bleacher report. (Jan.28.2011) Retrieved from  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/588737-oklahoma-city-thunder-new-forbes-nba-numbers-certainly-nothing-to-celebrate

2.     Alan Wirzbicki. The NBA is the world’s top basketball league but maybe not much longer. Boston.com (Aug.4.2011) Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/blogs/the_angle/2011/08/the_nba_is_the.html

3.     Susan Cohen-Dickler. Major League Baseball Is the Best Sports League in the World: A Fan’s Take. Yahoo sports. (Apr.6.2012) Retirieved from http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-11198396

4.     Associated press. Percentage of foreign player rises. ESPN.(April.2012) Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7779279/percentage-foreign-major-league-baseball-players-rises

5.     Song Che Soo. Park Chan Ho’s salary becomes $126,000. Kyung Hyang Newspaper. (April.1.1996) Retrieved from: http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1996040100329117003&edtNo=40&printCount=1&publishDate=1996-04-01&officeId=00032&pageNo=17&printNo=15726&publishType=00010