"World" Champions?

For the time that the moniker World Series was created, it was certainly a fair one. Still, I don't think there is much of a problem with those names as the bulk of the world's best players are playing in Major League Baseball and the NBA.

Don't you know? Where the US goes, so goes the world. And that includes sports! :)

Believe me it does... (perhaps not "bother", more "confuse") John Cleese said "The difference between Britain and America, is that when we have a World Series, we invite other countries to take part." I think "World Champion" should only be reserved for international events, i.e. when you represent your country. That way, by beating all the other countries, you are the World Champions. They could justify it mainly because the American sports have Major Leagues, and all the others are below it, and just graduating steps towards it. So as they are the at the top anyway, they may as well call themselves the World Champions. The best players come from the US in Football because it's only the US that play it. So they probably are World Champions. It just seems a foreign term to the rest of the world, that reserves that title for international events, such as, like you say, the World Cup (in any sport, not just soccer).

To me, baseball seems to not fit in with the logic of Alex's argument though. It does not have a tradition of international competition (it lost its Olympic spot, which hasn't happened to a sport in decades, just to show you), and to that end most of the championships that are held are poorly run and never hold the same "official" that an event like the World Cup has. Besides there can be two world champions in a sport: the national team one and the club/team one.

Well, baseball is closer than any other sport. You said that it's well known that the best baseball players aren't in the US. That's flat wrong. They may not be US born, but the vast majority of the best players are living and playing here. On any given team you'll find players or managers that are American, Mexican, Cuban, Japanese, Canadian, Dominican, Venezeulan, Korean.... The teams that play in the "World Series" may not be based in different countries, but they certainly are made up of the greatest players from around the world.

Second, the NBA's ultimate series is called the "NBA Finals", the NBA "World" Championship.

However, the NBA is quickly becoming the same deal as the MLB. Sure, many of the best basketball players are not American, but they play here nonetheless. The Germany Mavercks weren't playing in the NBA Finals, but Germany was represented. Canada, China, several eastern european countries, France ect all had players in the playoffs.

Despite a number of good foreign players in the US, US still considers itself superior. It is most evident in Olympic basketball, and we know how that turned out.

Yeah I always thought it shouldn't be Worls Champions, however the MLB is of the best players in the World (except Cuba), players in other countries want to come here, and the World Series is so old and gotten used to it shoudn't be changed.

True, I know that with the Cuban boxers, if they turn pro they are never allowed to return to their country. I imagine it is the same with baseball. I suppose national greatness was the trade off for money and national humiliation. Let's hope North Korea becomes democratic, so the sorry Cubans are left on their own in the world. I see what you mean though.

"They may not be US born, but the vast majority of the best players are living and playing here. On any given team you'll find players or managers that are American, Mexican, Cuban, Japanese, Canadian, Dominican, Venezeulan, Korean.... The teams that play in the "World Series" may not be based in different countries, but they certainly are made up of the greatest players from around the world." Couldn't have said it better myself...

You have drifted from the original topic but all have failed to recognize the fact that there never has been a WORLD Champion in any sport.

The reason is quite obvious. We live on the Earth. The Earth is a miniscule part of the universe. The universe, and that which might exist beyond it, is referred to, quite properly, as the WORLD.

Until baseball, or any other sport, allows "aliens" to participate, no team has ever been a true WORLD Champion.

For example, the 2005 White Sox were EARTH CHAMPIONS, not WORLD CHAMPIONS.

Glad to help.