Professional Sports in American Culture

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Professional Sports in American Culture
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National Football League (NFL)

• Regular season
• Late-August December
• Playoffs in Dec./January
• Star players
• Peyton Manning, Ladainian Tomlinson
• Business aspect
• 32 teams, 2 conferences AFC NFC
• Contracts are not guaranteed money
• Most popular teams
• Dallas Cowboys Americas Team Oakland
  Raiders Bad Boys
• Championship
• Super Bowl, first one in 1966
• First Sunday in February

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Major League Baseball

• Regular season
• April September
• Playoffs in October
• Star players
• Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Johan Santana
• Business aspect
• National League (16 teams) American League (14
  teams)slightly different rules.
• Guaranteed contracts, free agency, waivers,
  arbitration, salary cap, luxury tax.
• Most popular teams
• New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs
• Championship
• World Series began in 1903
• Last week of October
• First to win 4 out of 7 games
• Yankees have won 26 times

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National Basketball Association (NBA)

• Regular season
• November - April
• Playoffs in April/May
• Star players
• LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson,
  Shaquille ONeal
• Business aspect
• 30 teams, 2 conferences Eastern Western
  Conferences
• Contracts are guaranteed money
• Most popular teams
• Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls Jordans team
• Championship
• NBA Championship, Best 4-of-7
• June

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National Hockey League (NHL)

• Regular season
• October April
• Playoffs in April/May
• Star players
• Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr
• Business aspect
• 30 teams, 2 conferences Eastern Western
• 3 divisions in each conference
• Most popular teams
• Montreal Candiens, Detroit Red Wings
• Championship
• Stanley Cup, 1892 held in June
• Montreal Canadiens, 24 titles
• The cup travels throughout the year lost in a
  poker game

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Other pro sports

• WNBA Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes
• NASCAR Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon
• Golf Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods
• Soccer Pele, Freddy Adu, David Beckham
• Boxing Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali Cassius Clay,
  George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson
• Tennis John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert
  Lloyd
• Bowling, Arena Football, Lacrosse, etc.