No professional sports in the United States

Suppose United States is still the only super power. However professional sports never take off. Instead of watching sports, people compete in various age related sports in their local area. Beyond that fact the United States would have healthier citizens. Where do you see the money used to fund stadiums, advertising, sports salaries, and gambling transfer in a United States without no professional sports? Do you think we have a friendlier or a more divided country?
Instead of sports heroes what fills the void? Would that alternate United States be unrecognizable?
 
Here's a thought... professional sports never becomes the way to make millions for athletes.

Basically, butterfly the 1980's and TV contracts distorting the $$$ available to owners, and getting the various players' unions striking for their share of the pie.

Imagine the elite players in various sports making what minor-league baseball, hockey, basketball, and arena football players make now, maybe 100K.

They play b/c they love the game, want to show how good they are to an audience and have their day in the sun.

You'd see a lot less folks thinking it's the route to riches. Egoboo for being awesome at something for a time, sure.
Players have a lot more reason to plan for their lives after playing.

Endorsements are a big end-around for athletes to make more $$$ no matter what their salaries are, but the sheer number of folks and regionalism of various sports would dilute the impact.

YMMDV but that's how I'd butterfly pro sports going berserk.
 
Suppose United States is still the only super power. However professional sports never take off. Instead of watching sports, people compete in various age related sports in their local area. Beyond that fact the United States would have healthier citizens. Where do you see the money used to fund stadiums, advertising, sports salaries, and gambling transfer in a United States without no professional sports? Do you think we have a friendlier or a more divided country?
Instead of sports heroes what fills the void? Would that alternate United States be unrecognizable?

No professional sports in the USA w/o altering the nation beyond recognition is ASB, especially post-1900.
 
If the Yanks never develop any professional sports leagues of their own, ones from Canada will just expand south like the NHL did.
 
Professional sports in the United States dates back to the 1870's in major league baseball. To find a way to prevent the rise of ANY professional sports in the US will require a series of or a single massive POD. From what I understand, there was the possibility of professionalism developing earlier had the Civil War not interupted that development.

Military conflicts have served more as a way to spread sports than it has been a way to eliminate them,(again see the spreading of baseball, football, etc.) so war alone would not be enough unless it is a massive POD like an atomic war.
 
The Interstate Commerce Commission was established in 1887. So, suppose they slapped regulations so strict that paid athletes would be highly regulated. It might not eliminate all professional sports, but it could hold back the teams and leagues as we know them.
 
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