The Biggest Sports In North America
North America is a continent within the Northern and Western Hemisphere. Dubbed as the Northern subcontinent of Americas, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South America to the southeast, Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south. Twenty countries are listed under the North American Territory, which include a mix of sovereign states and dependent territories. Some of the sovereign states in North America include Canada, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Belize, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica and the United States, to name a few. Meanwhile, some of the dependent territories that can be found in North America include Bermuda, Greenland, Aruba, Anguilla, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, and Virgin Islands.
Sports has become a vital part in the North American culture and because of this, there are four popular team sports that were developed here which includes baseball, ice hockey, basketball and American football. These sports are regulated by major leagues namely the Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League and National Hockey League.
Major League Sports in North America receive massive media exposure and are often televised on national TV. To get to know these sports better, here is a brief overview on each of them.
Baseball
Major League Baseball is divided into two categories — American League and National League. The World Series of MLB is played between the winners of the two aforementioned leagues. It is consists of a best-of-seven playoff where the ultimate winner will be determined. Some of the most notable baseball players in American history include Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Pete Ross. Baseball, along with its variant softball, is a participatory sport that is also popular in other countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba and Japan.
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey is a sport that is very popular and also originated in North America. Ice Hockey in North America is divided in three subcategories, Ice Hockey in Mexico, Ice Hockey in United States, and Ice Hockey in Canada. The National Hockey League is comprised of 7 Canada-based teams and 23-US based teams which will all compete for the Stanley Cup.
Basketball
This is a famous sport not only in North America but also in other parts of the world. Basketball in North America is governed by the National Basketball Association, the premiere and major league of men’s basketball in the continent. Basketball is also being played in high school and colleges.
American Football
Like basketball, American football, or simply known as ‘football’, is a big and major sport in North America. It is played not just in a professional level but also at both high school as well as college levels.