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Mexican Sports: Bullfighting, Football, Boxing, Soccer And Athletes
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Published: December 11, 2007
Mexican sports interest mostly revolves around soccer, baseball, and boxing. Soccer is the most popular of Mexican sports, deeply woven into the fabric of the country's culture. Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice, most recently in 1986. As is common in Latin America, the country takes its national soccer team very seriously, often coming to a halt when the World Cup is in progress.
The sport is widely televised, with successful professional leagues around the country. Mexico City is home to the second largest soccer stadium in all of Latin America, known as the Estadio Azteca. American football doesn't have much of a presence among Mexican sports yet, though the National Football League has been making inroads into the country in recent seasons.
Bullfighting has a long tradition among Mexican sports, and is common even today. Despite this, bullfighting doesn't hold the national spotlight the way it once did. While thriving in its native Spain, the sport has been on the wane in Mexico in recent years. Bullfighting has come under fire from anti-cruelty groups lately, and on the whole, the sport isn't taken as seriously in Mexico as it is in Spain. Nonetheless, bullfighting rings are a staple of Mexican cities, and the fights still draw a crowd.
Boxing also has deep roots among Mexican sports, as well as some of the greatest contemporary athletes. The greatest Mexican sports hero was Julio Cesar Chavez, who dominated the boxing world in the 80s and early 90s. Unlike bullfighting, boxing thrives today in Mexico, behind only baseball and soccer in popularity. The boxing ranks are filled with successful Mexican fighters, known for their ability to take punishment and still maintain their rapid pace. Boxing is an inexpensive sport to learn, so many young Mexican athletes will begin at an early age.
While not as old as some of the others, baseball is currently one of the most popular Mexican sports. Baseball came to the country sometime in the late 1800s, and the Mexican League formed in 1925. Today the league consists of 16 teams across the country, and several of its athletes have gone on to play Major League Baseball in America. The first was Baldomero Almada, who first played in 1933 for the Boston Red Sox. Over 100 players since then have joined him in crossing over from the Mexican League to the Major Leagues.
All of these Mexican sports are easy to attend, though soccer tickets are best purchased ahead of time. Mexican sports aren't limited to the large cities, either. Soccer, baseball, bullfighting, and boxing are common just about anywhere in the country.
Sources:
Asseo, Kevin. "Boxing The Mexican Way." BBC Sport. 31 March 2001. 9 Dec. 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/1253016.stm .
Cohen, Bob. "Mexican Boxing: A Phenomenon." Banderas News. April 2005. 10 Dec. 2007. http://www.banderasnews.com/0504/nr-mexbox.htm.
"Information On Mexican Soccer." About Mexico. 2007. Your Travel Guide. 10 Dec. 2007. http://www.aboutmexico.net/mexico/soccer.asp.
"Mexico." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 9 Dec. 2007. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-259837/Mexico .
Sanchez, Jesse. "History of Baseball In Mexico." MLB. 7 Jan. 2004. MLB Advanced Media. 9 Dec. 2007. http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20040107&a mp;content_id=626058&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.j />
Sherwood, Lyn. "Bullfight World: The State of Bullfighting in Mexico and Spain." LaPrensa San Diego. 22 Aug. 2003. 9 Dec. 2007. http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/august22 -03/sherwood.htm.
Bullfighting has a long tradition among Mexican sports, and is common even today. Despite this, bullfighting doesn't hold the national spotlight the way it once did. While thriving in its native Spain, the sport has been on the wane in Mexico in recent years. Bullfighting has come under fire from anti-cruelty groups lately, and on the whole, the sport isn't taken as seriously in Mexico as it is in Spain. Nonetheless, bullfighting rings are a staple of Mexican cities, and the fights still draw a crowd.
Boxing also has deep roots among Mexican sports, as well as some of the greatest contemporary athletes. The greatest Mexican sports hero was Julio Cesar Chavez, who dominated the boxing world in the 80s and early 90s. Unlike bullfighting, boxing thrives today in Mexico, behind only baseball and soccer in popularity. The boxing ranks are filled with successful Mexican fighters, known for their ability to take punishment and still maintain their rapid pace. Boxing is an inexpensive sport to learn, so many young Mexican athletes will begin at an early age.
While not as old as some of the others, baseball is currently one of the most popular Mexican sports. Baseball came to the country sometime in the late 1800s, and the Mexican League formed in 1925. Today the league consists of 16 teams across the country, and several of its athletes have gone on to play Major League Baseball in America. The first was Baldomero Almada, who first played in 1933 for the Boston Red Sox. Over 100 players since then have joined him in crossing over from the Mexican League to the Major Leagues.
All of these Mexican sports are easy to attend, though soccer tickets are best purchased ahead of time. Mexican sports aren't limited to the large cities, either. Soccer, baseball, bullfighting, and boxing are common just about anywhere in the country.
Sources:
Asseo, Kevin. "Boxing The Mexican Way." BBC Sport. 31 March 2001. 9 Dec. 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/1253016.stm .
Cohen, Bob. "Mexican Boxing: A Phenomenon." Banderas News. April 2005. 10 Dec. 2007. http://www.banderasnews.com/0504/nr-mexbox.htm.
"Information On Mexican Soccer." About Mexico. 2007. Your Travel Guide. 10 Dec. 2007. http://www.aboutmexico.net/mexico/soccer.asp.
"Mexico." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 9 Dec. 2007. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-259837/Mexico .
Sanchez, Jesse. "History of Baseball In Mexico." MLB. 7 Jan. 2004. MLB Advanced Media. 9 Dec. 2007. http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20040107&a mp;content_id=626058&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.j />
Sherwood, Lyn. "Bullfight World: The State of Bullfighting in Mexico and Spain." LaPrensa San Diego. 22 Aug. 2003. 9 Dec. 2007. http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/august22 -03/sherwood.htm.
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