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Honestly it is the first time I read volleyball mentioned as a top-tier sport. This must be a regional thing because in most countries volleyball is totally ano

Honestly it is the first time I read volleyball mentioned as a top-tier sport. This must be a regional thing because in most countries volleyball is totally anonymous.

The_Colonel 2y ago
Pretty much all sports (soccer might be a singular exception) are "regional" in this sense.
- lmm 2y ago
  I don't think it's quite that limited. Basketball is pretty much worldwide, so is tennis (and golf, up to a point at least). Cricket is played in a minority of countries, but those countries are scattered across the world so it's not exactly "regional".
  - The_Colonel 2y ago
    > Basketball is pretty much worldwide Is it played worldwide? Sure, but so is volleyball. It's certainly not a culturally significant sport everywhere. I think my country has a basketball league, but I don't know literally anything about it. The only player I can recall the name of is Michael Jordan. > is tennis (and golf, up to a point at least) Both are sports for rich (countries) only. How many tennis players you know are from Africa? > Cricket is played in a minority of countries, but those countries are scattered across the world so it's not exactly "regional". You can think of the Commonwealth as a "logical region". Cricket is popular only in a couple of countries with common history.
    - lmm 2y ago
      > so is volleyball Is it? I've never played volleyball and I never met anyone who had until I moved to my current country. > Both are sports for rich (countries) only. How many tennis players you know are from Africa? Fair, but that's a little different from "regional".
      - The_Colonel 2y ago
        > Is it? I've never played volleyball See, I've never played basketball or golf. > Fair, but that's a little different from "regional". "regional" is very vague. The point is that these sports are far from global.
    - prmoustache 2y ago
      > Both are sports for rich (countries) only. How many tennis players you know are from Africa? I don't think this matter. Most people have ever heard of at least one of the grand slam Tennis tournament that happens every year: Wimbledon, US Open, Rolland Garros or Australian Open. Same for Golf, in my case I can name the British and US Open. In cycling, most people not even interested in it can name the Tour de France. Everyone knows the NBA basketball league, the Soccer World Cup and a number of majors teams from the UEFA and/or their own continent. Volleyball? I don't think there is any major tournament broadcasted and advertised all over the world. You only really hear about it during olympics alongside a number of other collective and individual sports.
      - The_Colonel 2y ago
        > Most people ... from your social / regional bubble. I know Tennis tournaments since tennis is somewhat popular here. Golf? Nope. > Everyone knows the NBA basketball league I don't, apart from those 3 letters. And not because it's a popular sport around here, only because of US popular culture influence.
input_sh 2y ago
Team sports always matter more because every player on the roster gets a medal. Exact rules vary between sports, but winning a volleyball tournament = winning 12 gold medals, not just one. That's what makes it a top tier sport. There are even more fringe ones which aren't particularly important under any other circumstances, but matter a lot in the Olympics: water polo (13 players), field hockey (16 players), synchronised swimming (8-10 players) etc.

Honestly it is the first time I read volleyball mentioned as a top-tier sport. This must be a regional thing because in most countries volleyball is totally anonymous.

The_Colonel 2y ago

Pretty much all sports (soccer might be a singular exception) are "regional" in this sense.

lmm 2y ago
I don't think it's quite that limited. Basketball is pretty much worldwide, so is tennis (and golf, up to a point at least). Cricket is played in a minority of countries, but those countries are scattered across the world so it's not exactly "regional".
- The_Colonel 2y ago
  > Basketball is pretty much worldwide Is it played worldwide? Sure, but so is volleyball. It's certainly not a culturally significant sport everywhere. I think my country has a basketball league, but I don't know literally anything about it. The only player I can recall the name of is Michael Jordan. > is tennis (and golf, up to a point at least) Both are sports for rich (countries) only. How many tennis players you know are from Africa? > Cricket is played in a minority of countries, but those countries are scattered across the world so it's not exactly "regional". You can think of the Commonwealth as a "logical region". Cricket is popular only in a couple of countries with common history.
  - lmm 2y ago
    > so is volleyball Is it? I've never played volleyball and I never met anyone who had until I moved to my current country. > Both are sports for rich (countries) only. How many tennis players you know are from Africa? Fair, but that's a little different from "regional".
    - The_Colonel 2y ago
      > Is it? I've never played volleyball See, I've never played basketball or golf. > Fair, but that's a little different from "regional". "regional" is very vague. The point is that these sports are far from global.
  - prmoustache 2y ago
    > Both are sports for rich (countries) only. How many tennis players you know are from Africa? I don't think this matter. Most people have ever heard of at least one of the grand slam Tennis tournament that happens every year: Wimbledon, US Open, Rolland Garros or Australian Open. Same for Golf, in my case I can name the British and US Open. In cycling, most people not even interested in it can name the Tour de France. Everyone knows the NBA basketball league, the Soccer World Cup and a number of majors teams from the UEFA and/or their own continent. Volleyball? I don't think there is any major tournament broadcasted and advertised all over the world. You only really hear about it during olympics alongside a number of other collective and individual sports.
    - The_Colonel 2y ago
      > Most people ... from your social / regional bubble. I know Tennis tournaments since tennis is somewhat popular here. Golf? Nope. > Everyone knows the NBA basketball league I don't, apart from those 3 letters. And not because it's a popular sport around here, only because of US popular culture influence.

input_sh 2y ago

Team sports always matter more because every player on the roster gets a medal. Exact rules vary between sports, but winning a volleyball tournament = winning 12 gold medals, not just one. That's what makes it a top tier sport. There are even more fringe ones which aren't particularly important under any other circumstances, but matter a lot in the Olympics: water polo (13 players), field hockey (16 players), synchronised swimming (8-10 players) etc.