Sports Culture: filling in the blanks

I learned from a student this year why nobody cares about sports leagues in China. I've heard students say that Chinese soccer is "rubbish" and nearly nobody attends the soccer games in town. I've just never got a straight answer when I ask, "why."

I have enjoyed watching the Nanchang team "八一组" play. The small crowd that does go is intense. The teams still play hard because they are just playing to keep their jobs. There are quite a few international players in the Chinese leagues too.

The Nanchang Crowd

I have come to games with students and had a lot of fun cheering for the Nanchang team. Probably the one place I feel at home in a culture that is naturally subdued.

But apparently in Chinese leagues there are certain teams that are supposed to win - typically from big money cities like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. So things are fixed one way or another and it must be pretty obvious since nobody cares about domestic sports leagues. Sad.

Nanchang is the "reddest" team!

(most passionate)

I think this magnifies the interest in national sports, NBA, or the Premier League (British Football) too since it's the only legit stuff they get to watch. The North Korean team beat the Chinese team to quash their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. Ironic.

The North Korean Team