Upsetting as that last statement may be, I really do believe it's the most watched sport but I don't understand why (and I really tried). The South Africans love the sport as indicated by all the TVs in the office tuned to the tournament all day. Furthermore, my client counterpart plays for the South African women's national team and my Indian colleagues wouldn't even pretend to work when the Indian side played, their chairs would be turned towards the TV for the duration of the game... and its a 6-8 hour game. Lastly, to top it off, I had a cricket fantasy team. How's that for getting involved?!
In the spirit of cricket I found an especially British narrator explaining how they invented the sport: Cricket Explained. The game is so English its scary, there are even defined breaks for tea. Contrary to popular American belief most of the current versions of the sport are not played over multiple days. The World Cup and Indian Premier League (IPL) are both shortened and last the course of an afternoon or half a day. The athletic principles of the game are very similar to baseball but the rules are very different (Google the longer explanations if you are still interested).
Although I won't be a lifelong cricket aficionado, I have a new respect for the sport and it was another authentically South African experience. I had a great time talking the game, knowing the players, and I even got 2nd in our fantasy league (I didn't have the bias of some of the other players as I was definitely the only team with both Pakistani and Indian players). I have even been invited to play in my coworkers' Saturday pickup game which I am sure will be humbling.
I had boasted that this year's Super Bowl was the most watched sporting event in history but it appears that the India vs. Pakistan semi-final definitely surpassed that mark with an estimated 1-2 bil viewers (Wikipedia: Most Watched Television Broadcasts). That's impressive even for a baseball fan.
Bonus knowledge:
In the top 45 prime-time network telecasts in the US are 22 Super Bowls. After this year's game, the 49ers vs Bengals in Super Bowl XVI had the most viewers. 49% percent of American households tuned in.
In the spirit of cricket I found an especially British narrator explaining how they invented the sport: Cricket Explained. The game is so English its scary, there are even defined breaks for tea. Contrary to popular American belief most of the current versions of the sport are not played over multiple days. The World Cup and Indian Premier League (IPL) are both shortened and last the course of an afternoon or half a day. The athletic principles of the game are very similar to baseball but the rules are very different (Google the longer explanations if you are still interested).
Although I won't be a lifelong cricket aficionado, I have a new respect for the sport and it was another authentically South African experience. I had a great time talking the game, knowing the players, and I even got 2nd in our fantasy league (I didn't have the bias of some of the other players as I was definitely the only team with both Pakistani and Indian players). I have even been invited to play in my coworkers' Saturday pickup game which I am sure will be humbling.
I had boasted that this year's Super Bowl was the most watched sporting event in history but it appears that the India vs. Pakistan semi-final definitely surpassed that mark with an estimated 1-2 bil viewers (Wikipedia: Most Watched Television Broadcasts). That's impressive even for a baseball fan.
Bonus knowledge:
In the top 45 prime-time network telecasts in the US are 22 Super Bowls. After this year's game, the 49ers vs Bengals in Super Bowl XVI had the most viewers. 49% percent of American households tuned in.
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