SPORTS: Nationalism and Internationalism--Soccer and Baseball

Should Miles Seeley be called Mild Seeley? He says:

"I mildly disagree with your wanting to stress the globalization of soccer and examine the reasons it spread so quickly. In every country where I served, it was obvious why soccer and track were national sports: they cost almost nothing for equipment and places to play. Little boys kicked a bundle or rags if they could not afford a ball. Any street or field could be the pitch. Runners, especially distance runners, could just take off and run all day at no cost, etc. So soccer became the international team sport. Like our sports, it also became a source of great wealth for some and a place where the frustration and rage of fans was expressed violently.The problem is, this is all so well known and publicized."

My comment: Nationalism blinds Miles to the obvious fallacy in his argument. All one needs to play baseball is a ball and a stick. the leads us to another nationalist myth. Baseball developed from the English game rounders, which I played as a child. Americas could not bear the idea that baseball was not born in America that it invented the myth that it was invented by Abner Doubleday in 1839. Doubleday was a Civil War hero, but he had nothing to do with baseball. As promoter of the idea that sports promote internationalism, Miles has the duty to dispel these myths.

Ronald Hilton - 10/23/00