Macabee Basketbal Win

[Dr. Dan]

I don't understand something and  I know Chaim touched upon it on askJTF.

What's the point of rooting for your team if hardly anyone on the team is an Israeli or Jew?  It's like Mexico winning the world cup when there is only one Mexican on the team and the rest are either Peruvian, American, and Spaniard and citizens of their own countries.

Where is the national pride these Israelis and Jews have? 

One might argue that NBA teams and NHL teams and MLB teams have people from different countries playing for certain teams.  I say, yes, but the NBA, NHL and MLB teams are from different cities in the SAME country!! Maybe with the exception of Toronto some canadian hockey teams, but it's not about countries.

[Manch]

Israel overjoyed by Maccabi's basketball title

[Zelhar]

It's not a national team but a basketball club competition. I wasn't all that excited and I don't follow the euroleague but I did watch the semifinal and final games and wanted a Maccabi win. It's like many football (soccer) clubs in Europe are based on foreign players from different countries, or like most NHL teams in the US barely have any American players, and often none from the local state, yet they still have local fan support.

[Dr. Dan]

It's not a national team but a basketball club competition. I wasn't all that excited and I don't follow the euroleague but I did watch the semifinal and final games and wanted a Maccabi win. It's like many football (soccer) clubs in Europe are based on foreign players from different countries, or like most NHL teams in the US barely have any American players, and often none from the local state, yet they still have local fan support.

But NHL isn't between countries.

[IsraelForever]

What's the point of rooting for your team if hardly anyone on the team is an Israeli or Jew? 

I did not know this until reading it just now.  I would be much happier if the team members were all Jews.  But, then, a second later I thought the following:  If the Israeli flag is raised in victory, then good for Israel!  And it makes me happy!  Why should Israel be different from any other country where players are not necessarily native to the country/team they play for? 

I'm more familiar with baseball than any other team sport.  But so many baseball players (playing in America) not only speak with foreign accents, but can hardly speak English to begin with!  If this is how it's done, then let Israel do it as well and be victorious! 

Raise that Israeli flag in victory!!

[Binyamin Yisrael]

I don't understand something and  I know Chaim touched upon it on askJTF.

What's the point of rooting for your team if hardly anyone on the team is an Israeli or Jew?  It's like Mexico winning the world cup when there is only one Mexican on the team and the rest are either Peruvian, American, and Spaniard and citizens of their own countries.

It wasn't the Israel national team. It was Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Israeli National Soccer Team is made up of Israelis. Each local soccer team signs players from wherever.

The Mexican National Soccer Team is all Mexican players.

One might argue that NBA teams and NHL teams and MLB teams have people from different countries playing for certain teams.  I say, yes, but the NBA, NHL and MLB teams are from different cities in the SAME country!! Maybe with the exception of Toronto some canadian hockey teams, but it's not about countries.

The cities are in the same country but the players are the best in the World. The best baseball, football, hockey, and basketball players in the World come to play in the American major leagues. They also include many Americans and Canadians. In hockey, there are more European players than Americans but overall, there are more Canadians. Many baseball players come from Latin America and East Asia. Many football players come from Samoa and there are a few foreign players in basketball (Some black giraffes from Africa and a few European and Oriental players. Even an Israeli signed with an NBA team.). But all these foreign players do not play for the US in international competitions. In the Winter Olympics, the hockey teams were like NHL All-Star teams. Some NHL teammates played each other because they were playing for their home countries. The same goes for soccer in the World Cup. Players such as David Beckham signed with teams outside of England but he only played for England in the World Cup.

The Israeli basketball leagues are for Israeli professional basketball players and for foreign professional players who are not good enough for the NBA.

Israel also had a baseball league mostly made of American Jews. Israel also has such leagues for American football and for hockey. But basketball in Israel is mainstream like soccer, not just for American olim. Hockey is also for Russian olim.

[Binyamin Yisrael]

But NHL isn't between countries.

The NHL is between the US and Canada. Seven of the thirty teams are from Canada. MLB and the NBA are all US teams except each has one team in Toronto.

I'm not sure how it works for Israeli teams. I'm sure there is a national basketball league in Israel but I guess some of the teams are also allowed to compete in international leagues. In the US, it doesn't work that way. The teams only play in their own leagues. In Israel, teams can be ranked into higher leagues based on their performance. There is no minor league system like in the US. In the US, the minor leagues have teams that are owned by major league teams for player development.

[Zelhar]

But NHL isn't between countries.

So is the Euroleague- like I said it is a club tournament, similar to the NBA and NHL etc. It's not a national teams tournament.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Most non-US born players on the big pro sports teams here come from Canada, various European countries, etc. and are not sworn mortal enemies of the US. Also, typical sports teams here do not purport to represent us as a nation.

[mord]

It's a private team owned by a private person it's there to make money.At least if the black players were Jewish.I think 2 are Jewish born Jewish

[Binyamin Yisrael]

I think there is a rule that only 4 foreign players are allowed per team. So no more than 4 of the players are foreign blacks. The rest of the players are Israelis and/or Jews.