U.S. Sports Across The Globe

For those who aren't aware, I am taking a training course in Abu Dhabi, UAE for one month. It is an incredible area, with Dubai rapidly becoming the most impressive city in the world. But the most shocking thing I've seen came about after turning on the television and finding myself staring at the Memphis-Tennessee basketball game. Sure it was a replay, but the fact that the Arabian version of ESPN showed the #1 vs. #2 in American collegiate sports again could be considered fairly significant. At first I assumed the channel existed purely for foreign tourists, but then I rememebered that not many Americans come to this training facility, not to mention the facilty in France I had previously stayed at didn't televise a single U.S. sporting event in two months. Eh, I'm probably giving U.S. athletics more credit than it deserves; I'm sure 97% of the people here don't give a damn whether or not Roger Clemens really took steroids...

But when it comes to the NBA, the world pays attention. (And coincidentally, most of America doesn't.) Before my trip here I spent two weeks in China on vacation. Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian are everywhere. Integrating a couple key Chinese players into the NBA has to be the best thing to ever happen to that league. I was amazed at how many games are televised around the clock in China. At a Japanese restaurant, the owner commented on how Garnett was the top vote getter for the all-star game. While I was there I had the privelage of watching the "Chinese Superbowl" as Yao's Rockets played Yi's Bucks. It was available in every household with a tv. And then two days later was the American Superbowl, which was not televised.

I heard the Giants won. Good for them...