Open Mic: What If the U.S. Was Like the Rest of the World?

The United States has produced some of the world's most recognizable athletes, even while playing almost none of the world's most popular games. Players like Michael Jordan, Alex Rodriguez, and Tiger Woods have all captured the world's imagination during their careers, but none in the way that Pele, Maradona, or Zinedine Zidane did. 

The world understands football in a different way than the U.S. understands any individual sport, so the idea that simply incorporating the best athletes into the U.S. team would propel the U.S. to the top of the rankings is a little short sighted.

There would have to be a very fundamental shift in the way the U.S. regarded their team and how they understood themselves. Sport is part of identity in Europe in much the way religion is in the U.S.

Additionally, there is an unbelievable amount of infrastructure at work in places like Argentina, England, and Germany to find and train the best young players, even before they are gobbled up by clubs like AC Milan, FC Barcelona, and the EPL's big four.

If, however, there was a concerted effort on the part of the U.S. to create such a program and to steal players like Dwyane Wade, Adrian Peterson, or Joe Mauer before they picked up a ball, bat or stick, the US would certainly field an interesting side.

Even fielding the all-talent team, and even if they were trained from an early age like European players are, the U.S. wouldn't automatically rise to the top. It would take a national focus driving the players on and, of course, a bit of good luck in the actual matches for the U.S. to finally hoist the FIFA World Cup trophy.

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