Ravens are the "Reigning World Champs"

**saintmatthew** · 12-27-2013, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Irish Raven

World Champions of a national league

I'm not looking to get flamed, just saying it's a bit bizarre

That DOES admittedly play a couple games in London & Toronto.....

**lobachevsky** · 12-27-2013, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Irish Raven

World Champions of a national league

I'm not looking to get flamed, just saying it's a bit bizarre

Then again, is anyone playing American football (not some significantly-different variant like the CFL) anywhere else on the planet at anywhere near the same level as the No Fun League? (Although "Reigning Super Bowl Champions" would probably be slightly more accurate.)

The incongruity is of course much worse with MLB, since there's good beisbol in Latin America & on the Pacific Rim.

**HotInHere** · 12-27-2013, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Irish Raven

World Champions of a national league

I'm not looking to get flamed, just saying it's a bit bizarre

Europeans HATE that we do that in America. NFL, MLB, NBA -- all of them. John Cleese once said, "When we hold a World Championship for a particular sport, we invite teams from other countries to play, as well."

Several people I know from other countries think it is really annoying and arrogant. I can't come up with a good reason to disagree with them.

**NCRAVEN** · 12-27-2013, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by HotInHere

Europeans HATE that we do that in America. NFL, MLB, NBA -- all of them. John Cleese once said, "When we hold a World Championship for a particular sport, we invite teams from other countries to play, as well."

Several people I know from other countries think it is really annoying and arrogant. I can't come up with a good reason to disagree with them.

The only one I could really see a case not to be called World Champions is MLB.

For the others though, until some other country can play at or even near the level the USA does in Football (American) or Basketball, I'm okay with them being called World Champions.

**HotInHere** · 12-27-2013, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

The only one I could really see a case not to be called World Champions is MLB.

For the others though, until some other country can play at or even near the level the USA does in Football (American) or Basketball, I'm okay with them being called World Champions.

The thing is, you don't know. You could have said that about the USSR hockey team in 1980. No one could compete with them. Until they lost.

**NCRAVEN** · 12-27-2013, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by HotInHere

The thing is, you don't know. You could have said that about the USSR hockey team in 1980. No one could compete with them. Until they lost.

Well, no one does play football other than us, at least not the same version. Do they?

Basketball? - See Olympic results when the best go to play.

Summer Olympic Games
Appearances 17
Medals Gold medal.svg Gold: 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012
Silver medal.svg Silver: 1972‡
Bronze medal.svg Bronze: 1988, 2004

**lobachevsky** · 12-27-2013, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

Basketball? - See Olympic results when the best go to play.

More to the point, IMO, is that the best players from everywhere else in the world come to (get paid damned well to) play in the NBA. It kinda ends up almost like an all-star league. Same with MLB with the major exception of Cuba (& that's in flux). NHL, maybe less so...but then again, how do you justify calling a league that has always been at least as much Canadian as USAn the National Hockey League? I mean, which nation, hosers? Da noive!

**NCRAVEN** · 12-27-2013, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by lobachevsky

More to the point, IMO, is that the best players from everywhere else in the world come to (get paid damned well to) play in the NBA. It kinda ends up almost like an all-star league. Same with MLB with the major exception of Cuba (& that's in flux). NHL, maybe less so...but then again, how do you justify calling a league that has always been at least as much Canadian as USAn the National Hockey League? I mean, which nation, hosers? Da noive!

Do they call the NHL World Champions? I thought they called them Stanley Cup Champions...

**lobachevsky** · 12-27-2013, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

Do they call the NHL World Champions? I thought they called them Stanley Cup Champions...

They do--& there is an official world championship in ice hockey (I happened to be in Prague when the Czechs won it a few years back). I was more alluding to the fact that the best players in the world gravitate to the NHL as they do to the NBA for the salaries--& then go home to play for the national sides.

**NCRAVEN** · 12-27-2013, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by lobachevsky

They do--& there is an official world championship in ice hockey (I happened to be in Prague when the Czechs won it a few years back). I was more alluding to the fact that the best players in the world gravitate to the NHL as they do to the NBA for the salaries--& then go home to play for the national sides.

Noted.