At the end of my presentation I will show you some of the 'states' nicknames' and write a little about most popular sports in U.S. Last week I think, in the presentation about physical activity, someone of you guys wrote a little about PE in schools in Poland. And if I remember properly some of us didn't like very much this subject, maybe because we couldn't choose what sports we would like to play. In U.S students have so many possibilities so they can choose sports they really like to do. But let's start from these nicknames I mentioned.
I wouldn't write about all of them but maybe about a few most popular.
Virginia - 'Mother state' first state to be colonized
New York - 'Empire state' describes vast wealth and variety of resources
New Jersey - 'Garden state'
Iowa - 'Hawkeye state' called after Indian Chief
Kansas - 'Sunflower state' from the official state flower
California - 'The golden state'
Missouri - 'Show Me State' after Congressman Van Diver's stubbornness and devotion to simple common sense
Minnesota - 'Land of 10,000 lakes' (actually 12,000 lakes)
Tennessee - 'The volunteer state' because of volunteer soldiers of the War of 1812
Georgia - 'Peach state' because of high quality fruit which are produced there (peach even became the official state fruit, 1995)
Florida - simply 'Sunshine state' everybody knows why:)
And about sports in America. First of all you need to know that American people treat this subject very seriously. They have an obsession with winning at any cost. The most popular sports are baseball, American football, basketball and ice hockey. What is very characteristic for an American sport scene is that there's almost no international opposition. Americans like to name their competitions the World Championships even if no teams from outside USA compete in them. What is worth mentioning, only basketball was invented in U.S., other games, mostly have their roots in Europe. Such an attitude is the main reason why athletes are very often treated like national heroes. The great examples are Joe DiMaggio - hero of the Italian minority who became a national icon, Babe Ruth from lower class achieved success thanks to his talent and maybe a bit of luck as well. Everybody knows Michael Jordan, a star of NBA who played in Chicago Bulls team.
Why sport is so famous in U.S? Maybe because of presidents of America who loved many various sports. For instance Roosevelt liked boxing, Quincy Adams was a great swimmer and so on. Even Barak Obama admits that he really likes basketball.
For me always the biggest problem was to understand the difference between football and soccer. If someone is lost in this subject, soccer is like football in Europe. And a football in America looks like the British rugby: the players wear helmets and special uniforms.
Have you ever played some of these sports?
Do you know some other interesting states' nicknames?
Which state would you like to visit and why?
Do you find baseball interesting? Do you know the rules? (it seems to be very complicated)
Sources:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLJcLNU7AvE/TZ-FGBSdYiI/AAAAAAAABvQ/LWZ4oyFXrqg/s1600/Marilyn+Monroe+and+Joe+DiMaggio+-+Marilyn+Monroe+-+Madness+and+her+last+days.jpg
http://www.nba24.pl/Gwiazdy
http://www.50states.com/nickname.htm
http://www.50states.com/bio/nickname1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_United_States
I've never played hockey or American football, but I try to play soccer with my sons sometimes. They are already much better than me, so my efforts are quite poor. I used to play basketball at school and later on with my friends, but not very often.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't know much about states' names.
I think I would like to visit Alaska, Minnesota or Texas because of their nature and specific character, but I'm sure there is a lot to see in many places I just don't know.
Basketball is fine game to play, I don't find it so complicated. Still, I've never enjoyed to be a coach potato - I prefer playing sports than watching it.
Yes, I have played basketball and I realy like it.
ReplyDeleteI would like to visit california and florid, and why?? Because I would like to see their beaches, cars, girls:), space ships, FIT and I like warm places.
Hmm for me baseball is strange and I don't know its rules, but certainly If I have the chance to try I surely would try.
Once, during a kravmaga training, the coach told us to play rugby, isn't it the same that american football?
ReplyDeleteAmong the states I'd like to visit are:
-The northern states: Montana, Dakotas, Minnesota, Wyoming - for their natural beauty
- Arizona, Colorado - the same, but different kind of landscapes: more deserts, more mountains and the Canyon
- California and NY - for it's meaning in the world of culture
- Florida - surfing!!
- Hawai - girls, relax, party:D
I would like to visit all states, but if I had to choose, I would definitely go to New York and California.
ReplyDeleteNew York, especially New York City, because of the numerous shops, brands, lots of tourist attractions as well as due to the never sleeping city.
California, especially the Silicon Valley, because of the biggest IT companies located there: Adobe, Apple, Cisco, eBay, Facebook, Google, HP, Intel, Yahoo and so on.
This sport enthusiasm and real passion about it is what i like. They are great in making huge shows from sports events. It is also amazing that on old continent people practice and love different sports than in USA. Baseball rules i know only from some video games, but i think that on the playground there are much more controversy, and that it could be as great to watch as football.History of baseball is great and suitable to this country as any other. The inventor of it was some caretaker who made first baskets from bin. And it became so popular! Country with unlimited possibilities.
ReplyDeleteWe used to play hockey at primary school. It was hockey on a grass - called uni-hockey, actually not on the grass but on a gym hall but doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteAnd I used to play basketball. I really like this game. Now, unfortunately I don't have enough of time.
@Jakub
Rugby isn't the same as american football. Rugby came from UK and it's much less brutal then football. You can observe that players don't need to be armored, rather slim and fast. Americans wear plastic covers on the whole body, they're monstrous big.
I would like to take a trip from state to state to see all places around whole US. Texas. Why? I'm very fascinated about their tone of speak "Howdy Geirls, howdy Bohys".
See that movie. How to talk in US:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiNsyXHBZak
In my opinion baseball is effective game, really nice to watch. I don't now all the rules, yeah they could be complicated.
I play basketball usually, which I really like, and sometimes football (European one) .
ReplyDeleteI did not know which state to choose so once again I made a little research. And what? If I had to leave I would choose Utah. Why?
„Utah earned the highest marks. Here residents reported a high level of satisfaction in several areas, including work environment, emotional health and their local communities. One major factor for Utah's strong performance might be its unemployment rate: When last reported in January, it was 4.6% compared with a national rate of 7.6%.”
You can read whole article (America's Best States To Live) here - http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/11/united-states-healthy-lifestyle-health-healthy-living.html ;)
Do I find baseball interesting? Well, I think that has something interesting itself but not enough to absorb my attention for longer..
Yes I have played basketball for fun with my friends, however nowadays I don't have much time for such pleasures.
ReplyDeleteI would like to go to China or India because those are quite interesting countries for someone from West and what is more with not much of our money we can live like kings upthere.
I think that the basketball is an interesting sport and that almost everyone should know its rules because it is very popular on PE lessons in polish schools.
In the past, in high school I played basketball, but this sport is not for me:) I'm just too "small":):)
ReplyDeleteWhich state would you like to visit and why? Hmm, maybe I would like to visit one of the peaceful state like Minnesota or Missouri.
Big cities and known places do not interest me, in my opinion is the same as we have just maybe a little bigger ...
I know the rules of basketball. The rules of basketball are not complicated.
Yes, I can admit that I like baseball. Not to mention how he affects on the lives of Americans from an early age. In my opinion, he would create a sensation in Poland. I truly want to play it.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, we have our equivalent of a little baseball, which in Poland is called "Palant". As a young boy I played a little on my estate.
I would love to see Alaska, Florida, and of course I will certainly visit Chicago and New York.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to see land that great canyon and the city of eternal Vegas entertainment.
I always facynowala basketball, so I would like to take a picture of Michael Jordan's dowry.
As I wrote in the comment to the second part of the presentation, I went to a baseball match but I still don't understand how this game works. The matches are a spectacular show, the interaction of the game and the public is something really unique to this game and even if you don't know the rules, you just can't be bored on a match, sitting in your favorite team's t-shirt, seeing your face for a split second on the giant screen.
ReplyDeleteI love ice skating, therefore I think out of all mentioned sports I would most like to try out ice hockey.
When it comes to the US, I just have to visit literally everything; I would like to hitchhike from one state to another. But I would like to return to California the most.