American Sports The United States is a sports-loving nation. Sports in Americatake a variety of forms: organized competitive struggles, which draw hugecrowds to cheer their favorite team to victory; athletic s,played forrecreation anywhere sufficient space is found; and hunting and fishing. Mostsports are seasonal, so that what is happening in sports depends upon the timeof year. Some sports are called spectator sports, as the number of spectatorsgreatly exceeds the number playing in the . Baseball is the most popular sport in the US. It is playedthroughout the spring and summer, and professional baseball teams play wellinto the fall. Although no other is exactly like baseball, perhaps the onemost nearly like it is the English of cricket. Football is the most popular sport in the fall. The originated as a college sport more than 75 years ago. It is still played byalmost every college and university in the country, and the football stadiumsof some of the largest universities seat as many as 80, 000 people. The isnot the same as European football or soccer. In American football there are 11players on each team, and they are dressed in padded uniforms and helmetsbecause the is rough and injuries are likely to occur. Basketball is the winter sport in American schools and colleges.Like football, basketball originated in the US and is not popular in othercountries. Many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoorsthroughout the winter and because it is a faster . It is a very popular with high schools, and in more than 20 states, state-wide high schoolmatches are held yearly. Other spectator sports include wrestling, boxing, and horseracing. Although horse-racing fans call themselves sportsmen, the accuracy ofthe term is questionable, as only the jockeys who ride the horses in the racescan be considered athletes. The so-called sportsmen are the spectators, who do"not assemble" primarily to see the horses race, but to bet upon theoutcome of each race. Gambling is the attraction of horse racing. Basketball in American is so popular with universities thatnationwide university matches are held yearly.