Originally posted by Niners99:
A championship in the best league in the world for any given sport should be considered "World Champions".
The best football league in the world is the NFL. The best baseball league is MLB. The best basketball league is the NBA. The best hockey league is the NHL. The winners of those leagues are the World Champions.
You won't get an argument from me. Just curious as to the mindset and think it a little presumptuous.
In soccer they have they EUAFA Cup. Where they players of the winners there could probably say they are the world champion since that has the best competitions in the world where the best players come from everywhere to play. And yet South Americans are often World Cup winners. Africans are also prominent.
Baseball has other countries do well in Olympics and those Japanese are fanatics. One day that comp may have superior players. Would the Baseball comp in the us change the name?
Basketball is truly international with many countries matching the level of what was the dream team.
If the American sports you mention (ice hockey Canadian?) are the the worlds best and I am sure they probably are what would it take to challenge that?
And if Americans believe that they have world champion competitions then wouldn't it be a better statement that they are American champions since it would be assumed that they are the best? Otherwise it would appear insecure.