The teams are randomly placed into eight groups. In each group, teams play each other twice, once at home and once away. Each win earns a team three points, each draw one point, and each loss zero points. After the group stage, the two teams in each group with the most points progress to the second round. In this round of 16 teams, a second draw happens, and the teams are split into two brackets of eight. Up until the finals, the teams play each other twice in each round. Teams move on by either winning two games, by winning one game and drawing the other, or by scoring more goals than their opponents if they split the two games. Ultimately, the final consists of only one game played in a predetermined stadium that does not give either team home advantage.

For many, winning the Champions League is the ultimate goal in their soccer career. When it comes to conversations about who are the greatest players in soccer, people like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Johan Cruyff come
up — all of whom have won the Champions League. The conversation also extends to teams. The greatest teams in the world have
won the competition multiple times, like Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona. In total, 23 different teams have won the competition, the most recent being Manchester City with its first win.

Real Madrid has won the competition a record 14 times and holds the title of the first team to ever win three in a row, winning in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The closest team to that record is AC Milan, which has seven titles. There are similar competitions in soccer, like the Copa Libertadores for South America, the African Champions League, the Asian Champions League, and
the Concacaf Champions Cup for Central and North America. They all follow the same basis: the top teams form national leagues and play in a continental tournament.

As mentioned, the Champions League is comprised of the European national leagues’ top teams. However, there are two other competitions for teams who were close to finishing in the top spots: the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. These two competitions have the same structures as the Champions League but consist of teams who have finished below the top spots of their leagues, often in either fifth or sixth place. The winner of the Europa League gets an automatic ticket to the Champions League the following season, while the winner of the Conference League gets one to the Europa League the next season. UEFA also hosts the Super Cup, a match between the Champions League winner and the Europa League winner. This year, it was Manchester City vs. Sevilla FC. Manchester City won, so it won both the Champions League and the Super Cup, an achievement few teams attain.

The Champions League came under threat a few years ago when some of the presidents of Europe’s biggest teams took is-
sue with how UEFA distributed the league’s revenue. Its income is distributed among all the teams, including smaller clubs that don’t regularly appear. In an act of protest, the presidents of these major teams announced the Super League, a competition containing only Europe’s most prominent teams. They aimed to keep all the revenue for themselves, with each elite team expecting a $400 million influx — four times what the winner of the Champions League earns. The backlash was intense: teams, fans, players, politicians, and managers all came together to denounce the Super League’s elitist and money-driven aims. Regardless, Fiorentino Perez, the chairman of the Super League and the president of Real Madrid, still supports its creation as he thinks the sport is “ill.” Perez is one of the many who have shown time and again how their focus is not on the sport itself but the business of it, which angers many fans worldwide. The Super League came to a halt after most of the teams withdrew their applications, since UEFA and FIFA threatened to impose strict sanctions on those who continued in the project.

The Champions League remains the pinnacle of global soccer, with players and teams fighting for top positions every year to get the opportunity to play on Europe’s grandest soccer stage. For fans worldwide, getting to see their favorite team in the Champions League is always an honor and privilege. The Champions League is well underway this year as teams head into their fifth week of group-stage matchups. Current champions Manchester City hope to retain their title but will come under threat from European giants like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.

“We’re running our best when it matters most,” Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Coach Ray Appenheimer wrote in an email to the Review. “It’s a testament to how hard they have trained and how well the team has taken care of themselves throughout the semester.”

The women’s team finished the competition with 99 points. Third-year Sage Reddish led the Yeowomen and finished in 23 minutes and 13.4 seconds, earning them second-team all-conference honors. Fourth-year Eliza Medearis and third-year Camila Ciembroniewicz both earned third-team honors, while fourth-year Margo Lee, second-year Amber Borofsky, first-year Sophie Mateja, and third-year Caleigh Lyons all made it into the top 50.

The men’s team finished the competition with 62 points. The team’s best performances came from third-years Walter Moak and Jonah Barber, who ran the 8K in 26:12.2 and 26:18.7 respectively, earning the pair first-team all-conference honors. Third-year Johnny Ragsdale was not far behind and earned third-team all-conference honors with a time of 26:42:5. 

“We couldn’t have asked for a more positive start, to be honest!” Ragsdale wrote in an email to the Review. “I think we all ran great individually, but more importantly we worked very well as a team on a difficult course. That’s what will help us most at regionals!”

Appenheimer was quick to credit the runners who were highlights for the team this past weekend.

“So many of the runners stepped up today,” Appenheimer wrote. “Up front Walter, Jonah, Sage, and Eliza did a great job leading. For both Camila and Johnny, it was their first time getting all-conference honors in cross country. Danny, Margo, and Aiden were also close and ran great for the team. It was a total team effort.”

Ragsdale echoed Appenheimer’s statements and was quick to highlight how highly each runner placed in the race. 

“It just shows the strength in depth we have on this team!” Ragsdale wrote. “Cross country isn’t about who has the fastest runner, but the fastest team. For both the men’s and women’s teams, that’s the case!”

The positive note set the team in a great position for their final two events, one of them being the NCAA regional championships.

“We are all super excited for regionals,” Ragsdale wrote. “It’s going to be a fast course and the feeling around the whole team is we are so amped to toe the line together! If we treat regionals like we’ve treated every workout and every other race this season, we are a dangerous team.”

“It feels great,” fourth-year Ruby Schreiber said. “We haven’t had a lot of home games this year, so it was nice to see some success on our turf and having family and friends coming out to support in the lead up to the end of the season.” 

Transylvania dominated possession in the first quarter of the game but never managed to get past the Oberlin defense. In the second quarter, Transylvania continued to control possession, but Oberlin’s second-year goalkeeper Janny McCormick made three saves to keep the game level. The third quarter brought more action as the Yeowomen were more involved in the attack, getting a few shots into the area and some corner shots. Finally, in the fourth quarter, the team was able to get the draw to force the game into overtime to try and get the win there.

“It was definitely mentally tough; staying in the game for a full 60 minute regulation and 20 minute OT had its challenges.” Schreiber said. “By the time shootouts rolled around and the scoreboard could finally match the success we were seeing on the field, we were all feeling happy and relieved.”

The first shot of the penalty shootout resulted in the game-winning penalty scored by fourth-year Abbie Patchen, who shot the ball into the right side of the cage. 

“Everyone worked hard for 80 minutes to put me in a position to score the shootout.” Patchen said. “Luckily, our team has a lot of experience taking games to overtime and shootouts, so I have been in that position many times before. It is thrilling and such a relief to score when it is your turn to go 1 vs. 1 with the goalie.”

Second-year Elly Scheer spoke about how she played a critical role in the game as the shot leader for the team with two shots.

“Being the shot leader for this game is so exciting,” Scheer said. “As a defender, I don’t get a lot of chances to be able to take shots, and when I did get the chance to take the ball on the offensive side of the field, I tried my best to work as hard as I could for our team.” Scheer said. “Regardless of whether it was myself or another teammate, having shots on goal is always an impressive feat, and I am so proud of my entire team no matter what the statistics say.”

The team’s final game of the season will also be their Senior Day, which will celebrate the five seniors on the team.

“I definitely have mixed feelings about senior day,” Schreiber said. “While I’m excited to play with the team for one last time and celebrate the four other seniors and the hard work we have put in, I will be sad that my Oberlin field hockey career will come to a close. It’s been such an amazing four years with the team, and I will miss them dearly.”

The final field hockey game of the regular season will be against Allegheny College this Saturday at 4 p.m. on Bailey Field.

Senior Staff Writer

Toy Story Funday Football

For the first time, a football game was played in Andy’s room from Toy Story. The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Atlanta Falcons 23–7 at the London Wembley Stadium, but ESPN, which had the rights for transmission, decided to put a twist on the broadcast. In a demonstration of innovative technology, ESPN was able to track the players on the field and project them as minifigures in Andy’s room in real time. The broadcast aimed to cater to a younger NFL audience and to get them more involved while watching games. The game also had a halftime show in which one of the Toy Story characters, Duke Caboom, attempted an incredible motorcycle jump.

The broadcast comes out of a continuing effort to make NFL games more enjoyable for children. Nickelodeon has been broadcasting a game called NFL Slimetime every year since 2021. The difference is that the Nickelodeon game places effects on top of the actual game.

Canelo Alvarez retains the Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship

In an incredible display for the undisputed super middleweight championship, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez beat Jermell Charlo unanimously. Canelo, who is now 33 years old, is regarded as one of the best boxers of all time. He has a record of (60–2–2, 39 KOs), with one of his losses being against Floyd Mayweather. On the other side of the ring was Jermell Charlo, who has a record of (35–2–1, 19 KOs). Charlo is also an incredibly skilled fighter and the light middleweight champion. Canelo won with the scores of the judges being 119–108 and 118–109 twice. It was clear that, after a few rounds of the fight, Canelo was dominating. Charlo was unable to land many punches: Canelo landed 134 shots, with Charlo only landing 71. Canelo landed around 35 percent of his shots throughout the match, besting Charlo and silencing recent rumors that he was losing his ability to fight.

Underdog Detroit Lions Beat Green Bay Packers

The Detroit Lions have historically been underdogs. Their last playoff win was in 1992, and they’ve yet to win a Super Bowl. Their biggest division rivals are the Green Bay Packers, who have a historically strong franchise. However, this season the roles have reversed. The Lions have gotten off to an impressive start with a 3–1 record while the Packers are 2-2. As usual, the Lions were deemed the underdogs; however, with impressive performances by quarterback Jared Goff and running back David Montgomery, the Lions beat the Packers 34–20.

The result is a demonstration of where each team stands. The Lions have a good roster this year, and under the coaching of Dan Campbell, they have been making strides towards greatness in the last few years. The Packers, on the other hand, have been on a decline. The departure of stars like wide receiver Davante Adams and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made it apparent that the franchise is entering a rebuilding stage with the hopes that rookies shine and that players with a couple of seasons under their belts, like quarterback Jordan Love, start to demonstrate what they are capable of. The Lions face the Carolina Panthers in the next game and are the favorite to win, as the Panthers have yet to win a game. The Packers face the Raiders in what should be an entertaining game.

Ronald Acuña Breaks MLB Record

Ronald Acuña Jr., a player for the Atlanta Braves, made history becoming the first player in Major League Baseball to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases. This is a significant accomplishment, as it is unusual for a player to possess both the speed to steal bases and the power to have a 40-home-run season. Not only that, but a 70-steal season is also rare. These two records certainly put Acuña in the conversation for Most Valuable Player of the Year, and with a team as good as the Braves, he could go on to win the World Series. Acuña is the fifth player ever to achieve a 40–40 season and the first to achieve 40–50, 40–60, and, of course, 40–70. The last player to get 40–40 was Alex Rodriguez with 42 home runs and 46 stolen bases in 1998.

“[QSAG] means that queer student athletes have a space for their identities, not only within the college but within their sports as well,” fourth-year track and field thrower Abby Cannon wrote in an email to the Review. “Obviously Oberlin is generally considered an accepting place for all identities, but I haven’t always felt like pride was something that could be celebrated in athletic spaces. It means a lot to me to be able to connect with other queer athletes and to make Oberlin athletics a more inclusive environment. I felt that in full effect at Pride Night. That was such a special event. It made my heart very happy to be able to combine my celebration of pride and my love for sports.”

Fourth-year Maggie Balderstone is one of the members of QSAG’s board, along with third-year swimmers John Roberts and Nora Holder and second-year tennis player James Foster. Their initiative, along with the drive of other student athletes, culminated in the creation of QSAG.

“I wanted to create a space and group of folks that felt safe and comfortable,” Balderstone wrote in an email to the Review. “It’s hard to find queer representation in sports, and the goal of creating this group was to allow other queer athletes to know they weren’t alone in their existence. It’s extremely meaningful to me to know that I will leave Oberlin Athletics with a group that emphasizes the importance of queer spaces and identity in a typically cisheteronormative field. We usually see athletics as a binary, hetero space, especially at Oberlin, but this group ensures that queer athletes don’t have to feel alone in their existence here.”

Roberts recalled how Balderstone connected with him to create QSAG. 

“Last semester Maggie, then on the women’s basketball team, reached out and asked if I was interested in creating a space for queer athletes,” Roberts said. “It was a super broad idea, but I told them I was definitely interested. We met as a board towards the end of the semester and started to narrow down what we wanted to do. We decided our goal was to celebrate queer athletes and queer joy. After that, we sent out an interest form and listened to what other queer athletes wanted in an organization.”

Since the group is still very new, they are still brainstorming what the future holds for them, what projects they are going to undertake, the responsibilities members will have, and what events they will have on campus. A lot of these responsibilities will be picked up by the board members of the group.

“Right now, we’re still figuring out projects and events we want to hold, so my responsibility has been to come up with ideas and listening to what other people want to see,” Roberts said. “We just had our first Pride Night on Wednesday. That was really fun and successful, which I helped brainstorm and plan. We’re hoping to hold more of those and host more events as well.”

In the recent women’s soccer game against Heidelberg University, QSAG held its first Pride Night, with people joining them for poster making prior to the game with the possibility of winning prizes. The group will also have regular meetings in which they discuss what they can achieve in the near future.

“The meetings are super laid back and informal. We sit in a circle and introduce ourselves with names, sports, and pronouns,” Roberts said. “After that, the board breaks down what events we have coming up or our ideas for plans, then we open the floor to what ideas other people have. Once we start to host more things, we’ll ask people to volunteer for events, but right now we’re really coming up with ideas and making QSAG what queer athletes want it to be.” 

QSAG is a very important addition to student-led groups, and all student athletes who are part of the LGBTQ+ community are encouraged to join the group. Students can find their Instagram at @oberlin_qsag where they will be able to join the mailing list and keep up to date with the latest news about the group.

The debate has recently come back in full force due to the injury that the New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered. Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP and a one-time Super Bowl Champion, suffered a season-ending injury last week against the Buffalo Bills on his fourth play. He tore his Achilles on artificial turf during the game and pointed to the lack of resistance turf has when playing in comparison to grass. At Rodgers’ age of 39, recovering from a torn Achilles takes a particular toll. Therefore, the National Football League Players Association came out with a statement calling for fields across the league to be made out of grass rather than turf. 

“Moving all stadium fields to high-quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make,” Lloyd Howell, the executive director of the NFLPA, said. “The players overwhelmingly prefer it, and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf. It is an issue that has been near the top of the players’ list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL. While we know there is an investment to making this change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our best players to unnecessary injuries.”

Data shows that the ratio of injuries suffered by players on turf fields vs. the injuries sustained while playing on grass fields in the last decade have increased, with 2021 being an outlier. The NFL and teams within the league still hold their position on the fact that turf fields do not play a significant role in the number of injuries, which furthers the discussion between players and the league. Nevertheless, another point brought up by the NFLPA raised a moral concern.

“It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes, or soccer clubs come to visit for exhibition games in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players,” Howell wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now.”

Howell pointed out that soccer is changing because of players who expressed their concerns. In previous years, many players who switched from European to American soccer were critical of the effect of turf on athletes. These concerns were raised after they played at NFL stadiums. Major League Soccer and the NFL share stadiums for the following teams: Atlanta United FC and the Atlanta Falcons, Charlotte FC and the Carolina Panthers, the New England Revolution and the New England Patriots, the Seattle Sounders FC and the Seattle Seahawks, and the Chicago Fire FC and Chicago Bears. Thierry Henry, largely regarded as one of the best French soccer players of all time, never competed on a turf field while playing for the New York Red Bulls from 2010–2014 due to fears of re-aggravating his injured Achilles. 

“Maybe I need to remind you turf is one of the most severe things I’ve seen for us to play in,” Henry said in 2011. 

Another superstar who came to play in the MLS and complained about turf fields was David Beckham during his time with the LA Galaxy. Beckham, widely considered one of the best English players of all time, expressed his worry for players on turf fields after experiencing horrible conditions himself.

“As a professional athlete, you can’t play a game of soccer on that sort of field,” Beckham said. “What it does to your body as a soccer player, you’re in bits for three days.”

Most recently, Lionel Messi, regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time and a player for Inter Miami CF, was asked about playing on turf fields in the MLS. He answered that he had previous experience on turf from his youth career, so he wouldn’t have a problem with them. Nevertheless, he didn’t play in Inter Miami FC’s first game on a turf field against Atlanta United FC, allegedly out of the team’s fear that he would get injured.

So why hasn’t the switch happened? Turf requires less maintenance than grass and many teams don’t want to cover the additional cost. To some extent, that argument is valid. Back in my hometown of Mexico City, schools, including mine, moved to a synthetic turf field to reduce the costs of maintaining grass fields. Nowadays, finding a well-kept natural grass field is a rare sight. Here at Oberlin, Bailey Field is made out of turf, possibly due to the toll the field takes, as football, field hockey, and women’s and men’s lacrosse all use it. According to Michigan State University, the annual cost of maintaining an artificial turf field can be around 10,000 dollars less than a natural grass field. So, the argument that maintenance of a turf field is more economically sound does have some substance.

However, Howell points out that the investment is necessary to protect players and ends up being a better monetary decision in the long run. The money teams spend on rehabilitation programs is significantly higher than the cost to maintain a natural grass field. According to Forbes, NFL teams spent more than $500 million on player injuries in 2019, and the average cost of maintaining a natural grass field every year can cost up to $48,960 dollars, according to Michigan State University. 

Players asking to switch to natural grass are calling on teams and stadium owners to stop looking at their livelihoods as a business and to instead actually protect the people involved. Since data backs up the argument of the NFLPA and doctors who have repeatedly supported grass fields, and since executives are willing to make the change for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, the adjustment should be imminent, and time shouldn’t be wasted.

“The team is adapting to Coach Pont’s new coaching staff very well,” fourth-year Jack Diskin said. “A handful of guys were able to work with him during last spring semester and get a kick-start on building chemistry with him.”

Diskin was one player who performed especially well in the game. He benefited from the outstanding performance of second-year quarterback Drew Nye, who threw 21 out of 33 pass completions for 231 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He earned the North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week award, establishing himself as a critical piece in the offense for the rest of this season. Along with a great game from Nye, third-year Evan Smith-Rooks hauled in eight receptions for 80 yards, and players like second-year Connor Steele, third-year Greg Lane, and Diskin caught key touchdown passes. 

Saturday’s win was the first at home in almost four years, with the last one on October 19, 2019 against the Hiram College Terriers. This has had a tremendous impact on the players — for upperclassmen players, it is their first home win, and the first win of any kind for first and second-year students. 

“Just winning this game was a big deal since we haven’t won a game in almost two years, which would’ve been my [second] year here at Oberlin,” Diskin said. “We worked hard for this one, and to see things come together is truly special. I’m really proud of the whole team for going out and battling on Saturday.”

For first-year students, like Jamykle Benison, it is a great way to start their football careers at Oberlin. Benison rushed for 47 yards and one touchdown in only five attempts, which certainly sets him up to be a star of the program in future seasons. He wasn’t the only one with an electric touchdown — Diskin had a great play, catching a 29-yard pass from Nye and following it up with a great pitch-and-catch touchdown, further cementing the Yeomen’s lead over the Cougars.

“It was a really special moment for me catching my first touchdown of the season in front of that crowd,” Diskin said. “Having the trust of my teammates and coaches to throw the ball my way means a lot, and it really speaks to the level of confidence we have in our offense.”

That confidence was also transmitted toward the stands, leaving the crowd buzzing with energy throughout the game. On the defensive side of the ball, third-year Brandon Hall made nine tackles and two tackles for losses, and second-year Solly Brennan grabbed a crucial end zone interception, which prevented a potential Cougars touchdown. Finally, second-year Hunter Green and fourth-year Jake Russell combined for four sacks and made seven stops each.

“The crowd energy this Saturday was the best I had ever seen here, and we definitely fed off that energy as a team,” Diskin said. “I hope to see more and more fans come to our home games this year to continue what we started on Saturday.”

With key players on the offense and the defense, outstanding performances by the incoming class, and a new coaching staff working hard, the team is headed in the right direction.

“The win was special for every member of our team,” Coach Pont said. “We played together, kept believing, and every piece of the team contributed to the victory. It was a great day for Oberlin football. I’m excited to see the continued growth and development of our team as the season progresses. We have formed strong bonds that I have no doubt will only grow stronger.”

Diskin believes the win will inspire the team throughout the rest of the season. 

“I truly do think this team can keep this momentum going and continue to win this season. This is one of the best Oberlin teams I’ve played on in my time here,” Diskin said. “With Coach Pont as our head coach, everyone feels way more confident to go out on Saturdays and play to the best of their ability. I’m really excited to see what more this team will accomplish this year, but I know for certain this season will be a special one.”

Catch the football game this Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. at Bailey Field against Denison University.

Another U.S. athlete who performed incredibly well was Noah Lyles in the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter races. Even though Lyles, 26, gave stellar performances in his events, his offtrack press conferences were controversial, to say the least. After one of Lyles’ events, he discussed what it means to him to be a world champion.

“You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the [National Basketball Association] Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head,” Lyles said. “World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong. I love the U.S. at times, but that ain’t the world. That is not the world. We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”

To some, Lyles’ comments naturally make sense. Teams within the U.S. compete only within its borders, except for a few Canadian teams. Lyles mentioned how he competes against other countries, as his rivals represent different flags from around the world. Nevertheless, many athletes disliked Lyles’ comments, especially NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green, and Damian Lillard. They reacted disappointedly towards Lyles, claiming they earned the right to call themselves world champions because they play in the world’s best basketball league.

While claiming the NBA is the best basketball league might be valid, it’s still ignorant toward other countries with distinguished basketball leagues. European basketball is extremely competitive; many NBA players came from European leagues, including France’s Tony Parker and Spain’s Pau Gasol, both of whom are Hall of Fame members. Even young players are competing in other countries to achieve their basketball goals, such as rising stars Luka Dončić and LaMelo Ball. When the U.S. basketball team plays in world competitions, they sometimes face difficulty against European and South American teams. Winners of other basketball leagues around the world don’t call themselves world champions — the label seems to only be a U.S. phenomenon.

Three sports within the U.S. call themselves world champions: basketball, baseball, and American football. Although basketball and baseball have internationally recognized leagues, American football isn’t regularly played in other countries. However, international leagues are forming quickly in Europe, Asia, and South America. The National Football League is making an effort to reach international audiences and recently started to schedule games in Mexico, Germany, and England.

Alternatively, baseball has involved audiences in countries all over Central America, with over 30 percent of MLB players coming from Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. In the World Baseball Classic, the equivalent of a baseball World Cup in which 20 teams compete, the U.S. lost to Japan in the final and Hispanic countries Cuba and Mexico made the semifinals. Nevertheless, the best players from each of these countries play for baseball teams within the U.S. Just like baseball, the best basketball players from international leagues and countries often end up in the NBA.

If the best players from each country play in U.S. leagues, does that give them the right to call themselves world champions? Regardless of international players’ interests in the U.S.- based leagues, that doesn’t mean they are world champions. First, U.S. teams are from different cities within each state, so there is no direct representation of other countries. Also, as previously mentioned, the majority of the players within these leagues are from the U.S.

Not even the most significant leagues in other countries call themselves world champions. For example, the biggest soccer league in the world that is not global is the Union of European Football Association Champions League. Here, the best clubs from different cities within Europe compete. The winners call themselves European champions.

Coming from an international background, I have felt this U.S. hegemony over the world of sports from the outside, and it can come across as ignorant. It also affects other industries, such as film and music. The Oscars, for example, are still dominated by Americans and have specific categories and awards for movies from other countries. Additionally, the Grammys and Emmys are still won primarily by Americans, relegating music from other countries to particular categories.

In a recent conversation about Lyles’ comments with friends from back home, we came across an interesting theory as to why some sports in the U.S. feel like they have the right to call themselves world champions. Being from Mexico, we’ve noticed how Americans have been involved in some sport, whether varsity or recreational, since they were kids. People have full-time coaching jobs, and the amount of money spent on careers since childhood is awe-inspiring. It’s no secret that sports are a big part of the culture within the U.S.

In Mexico City, sports are not pushed in that way; we do have school sports, but the inherent training and the seriousness of such teams is nowhere near the U.S. Naturally, a lot of money is injected into these programs, making the market of American sports unlike any other in the world. This led to kids in Mexico City dreaming about coming to the U.S. to play sports and being able to make a life out of it. Ultimately, the sports industry is also part of “The American Dream.”

Even in the world track and field championships, the countries with the most money win the most. This is prevalent in the Olympics — the amount of medals won by first-world nations is significantly higher than the rest.

In the end, regardless of the money, popularity, and market of U.S. sports leagues, they do not have the right to call themselves world champions. The claim is disrespectful to international athletes who compete in their own countries’ leagues and to athletes like Lyles, who take part in competitions where countries are represented rather than cities. Lyles’ comments challenge U.S. athletes to reconsider their position in the world and evaluate whether calling themselves world champions is true.