Top 4 Sports in the United States

Sports are a big deal all over the world and most definitely in the United States, where some of the biggest sporting events in the world are held. Here is a compiled list of some of the most popular US sporting events and some information about them.

American Football

 The most popular sport in the United States is none other than American Football. It is also a popular sport played all around the world including countries such as Australia, Mexico, Japan, and Austria. The main league is the NFL (National Football League) where some of the biggest stars in sport have played including Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Reggie White, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Jerry Rice.

Thousands of people come to venues all around the US to watch the sport and it boasts the most attendance of any other sport in the world with an average attendance of nearly 68,000 people on average in 2012. The game requires an incredible amount of strength and stamina with players maintaining top form throughout the season and even in the off-season. Some of the highest-paid athletes in the world are NFL players and millions of people around the world tune in to watch these top-level athletes play each week.

Baseball

Baseball, although known as ‘America’s national pastime’ is also popular in countries such as Cuba, Australia, and South Korea. The most successful teams in the league include the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Mets. The game is thought to be derived from the English-invented game of rounders and the first official baseball game played in the United States was in 1846. There have been many films that have been the subject of baseball including Moneyball (2011) starring Brad Pitt, Field of Dreams (1989) starring Kevin Costner, and Major League (1989), starring Charlie Sheen.

Basketball

Basketball is actually a relatively new game in the world of sports, having been invented by a Canadian in Massachusetts in 1891. Many household names have become champions of the game including the likes of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, to name just a few. It’s worth checking out the NBA playoffs odds if you are inclined to take a punt on who will be the ultimate winner. The NBA playoffs are watched by millions of people around the world. Although the game has always been popular, it really took off in the 1970s and 1980s when it first gained worldwide attention

The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most famous thoroughbred horse races in the world and is the oldest continuously held race in the United States. It is known as “The most exciting two minutes in sports” and the “Run for the Roses”. The total prize purse for the race is currently US$3,000,000 and is run left-handed on a dirt track. The first race was held in 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, where it is still held to this day. It was first won by Aristides. The current race is held on a dirt track and is 1¼ miles or 2000 meters in distance. Champion racehorse Secretariat won the race in 1973. Medina Spirit was the latest thoroughbred horse to win the race in May of 2021.

With the US being as large and diverse as it is, there are literally hundreds of popular sports to choose from. The sports in this list are merely an example of how sport-loving the US is as a nation.