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There is a never ending array of facts and stats and emotional reasons given by Roarers to prove ‘my sport is better than your sport’ or that ‘my World Cup is better than Your World Cup’.
Some of these arguments and the winners are:
We have the most participants – football wins this but so what? This just proves that more people play it, not that it’s better.
My sport is played in more countries – football wins again, but again who gives a…
If you love your sport it doesn’t matter if it is only played in Wollongong by Aunty Jack, you will still love it.
More teams can win our World Cup – and so?
Only one team will win it.
Sonny Bill Williams plays our sport. Only in the short term, buddy.
Our sport doesn’t need SBW – but he may be playing it next year and you will be happy about it.
Our game is older than your game – so that means sprinting and wrestling that were apparently around 17,000 years ago therefore are the best sports in the world!
We get the largest crowds – AFL wins this but again, so what. Lots of people might go to the game but lots of people don’t play it
– Interestingly AFL has the world record for the largest crowd to a game in 2013 (the grand final with 100,007 people) but that just proves that they have a bigger stadium.
– AFL also rank No 3 in the top leagues in the world for average attendance per game behind the NFL and Bundesliga.
– The largest average attendance to an international tournament is the Six Nations Rugby (the 2012 Six Nations beats the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup by 18,000 per game and the 2010 FIFA World Cup by 19,000 per game!).
Most private schools involved? Union wins this but apart from bringing in the money it just means the crowds are a bit ‘stiff’ compared to A-League but more sober than league crowds (I haven’t really seen this fact quoted anywhere but thought that it would be fun to throw into the debate).
Most failed attempts at a national league? Basketball, but it is still going. You can’t kill of this game with an axe.
Best format? Cricket wins, you can’t beat a game that goes for five days and can have no result.
Cricket also has four formats of the game: just in case a five day Test is not enough, there is four day First Class games and One Day games and Twenty20s.
Best atmosphere? The A-League wins hands down. Not fact based but, anyone that argues against this is simply not alive or totally emotionally dead.
For the doubters, go to an A-League game with an open mind and have your eyes opened to a different world.
As a side note, I thought that AFL was crap until I saw it live – it’s heaps better live than it looks on TV which is possibly why Melbournians go to the games in such large numbers.
Most exciting – whichever sport floats your boat?
For me, I’d rather watch nil all football game (often described as watching paint dry) than watch the Kangaroos beat Fiji by 30, but I still love league.
A great union game is a great game but unfortunately if you do not have pay TV in Australia you don’t see great games as the Wallabies are never in them (the Shute Shield is OK but not great),
And then there’s that atmosphere at the A-League.
I would also prefer to watch my beloved Rabbitohs lose a semi to Manly than see the Socceroos beat Samoa by a cricket score but I still love football.
Any and all sports will have some boring games but any and all can also have great games with a great atmosphere.
Your supporters are trolls. That’s a toss up between football, league, union and AFL on any given day.
My stats are better than your stats – cricket fans win hands down when arguing between themselves.
It never ceases to amaze me that five different cricket fans can produce five different sets of stats to prove the worth (or lack of worth) of any given player.
Just read any forum debate on Shane Watson and Mitch Johnson to see proof of this.
Your sport is not a real sport. If this is aimed at International Rules then you are right, there is no arguing with this one.
The so called facts in this article are from Wikipedia and also from what I have seen quoted in discussions on The Roar plus a few that I threw in to stir the pot.
But guess what? These facts and stats and my opinion are irrelevant because we do not love any given sport because it has more players or more fans etc.
We love it because of an emotional attachment that we have formed with it through family, friends, playing it or just having good times and getting enjoyment from it.
No amount of facts or stats or trolling will sway us from loving our sport.
So, it is true that my sport is better than your sport – but only in my mind.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.