Learn English via Listening - Level 3 - Professional Sport in Canada | Текст песни

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• Learn English via Listening - Level 3
• Professional Sport in Canada

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Canada is a relatively young country, existing as a separate national and political entity
only since 1867. As a result, its sporting traditions are relatively young as well. Most of
the professional teams and leagues in Canada developed only in the last 30 years or so.
However, athletes playing their respective sports for money dates back to the late-
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Canada has six National Hockey League (NHL) teams, eight Canadian Football League
(CFL) clubs, two Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs, and one National Basketball
Association (NBA) team. There are also smaller professional soccer and lacrosse
leagues in Canada. It is estimated that professional sports and leagues throughout the
country contribute over $600 million in value to the country's economy, and account for
over 23,000 jobs.
Of the professional sports, hockey has the longest history and the greatest cultural
influence on Canadians. The NHL has been in existence since 1917; however, organized
professional and amateur leagues existed in Canada long before then. Many small-town
teams competed for local or provincial championships, and had a strong influence on
those Canadians who had little access to, or knowledge of, big-city teams in Toronto or
Montreal. In fact, it was not until NHL games were broadcast on the Canadian national
radio "Hockey Night in Canada" radio broadcasts that many Canadians had experienced
an NHL game. Indeed, despite the fact that the NHL was considered Canada's most
prestigious league, it was not until the advent of television in the 1950s that most
Canadians had even seen an NHL game.
Today, all professional sport in Canada is in one way or another affected by the more
powerful American leagues. In the sports of baseball and basketball, Canada has no
professional leagues of its own. Instead, Canadian teams play in the American-
dominated leagues. These leagues require a large concentrated audience in order to
generate revenues for the team and, in turn, the league in general. As a result, the major
team franchises exist in the large urban centres: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Even
between those cities, the teams are not evenly spread. Probably the most famous teams
in the American-dominated leagues are both Toronto teams: the "Blue Jays" in Major
League Baseball and the "Raptors" in the National Basketball Association.
Many Canadians worry that the American dominance of professional sport is a threat to
Canadian independence. As an important component of national culture, sport reflects
and reinforces the norms and values of Canada. However, the most sought-after and
visible teams in Canada are ones in American-dominated leagues. Even the National
Hockey League-once considered a secure Canadian sports icon-has its corporate offices
in New York. Debates about the threat of American-dominated professional sport to
Canadian sovereignty will undoubtedly continue in the future.