May 14, 2022

The perfect companion to a drink! 🍻5 popular sports in Southern California

Hello everyone. This is REIKA from the SOCALIZATION Marketing Department.

This may be a bit sudden, but how do you relieve the fatigue from your daily work or studies?

There are many ways to refresh yourself and prepare to move on to the next stage, such as going for a walk, going to a hot spring, or enjoying a hobby, but I recharge my energy by "watching sports"!

The 2019 Rugby World Cup, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and the achievements of Japanese players in Major League Baseball.

Watching an exciting game, eating and drinking with family, friends and colleagues, helps to blow away all the fatigue 🔥 Also, seeing the athletes trying so hard to achieve results through their hard work gives me energy.

So, this time we will introduce you to the sports that are popular in the United States, especially in Southern California, and where you can watch them. We hope that you too can feel refreshed and recharged through the sports culture of SoCal .

American football is currently the most popular sport in the United States. The regular season runs from September to early January . Of the 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL) , the major American football league, two teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers , are based in Southern California. The championship game to decide the NFL champion team is called the Super Bowl and is held every year on the first Sunday of February . In 2021 , the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl held in Los Angeles! By the way, their opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals , seems to have been practicing for the Super Bowl at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).

Baseball (MLB)

Baseball is also very popular in Southern California. In Major League Baseball ( MLB ), three teams are based in the area : the Los Angeles Angels , where Shohei Otani plays, the San Diego Padres , where Yu Darvish plays, and the Los Angeles Dodgers . The regular season runs from early April to early October .

The home stadium of the San Diego Padres is Petco Park, located in downtown San Diego. It is the venue for the first WBC (World Baseball Classic), in which Japan won, and is a memorable place for Japan as well. It is a unique stadium with an open-style roofless stadium, where you can see the beautiful cityscape and ocean of San Diego, a grassy hill, and a sandbox for children.

One of the great attractions of Petco Park is the large selection of local craft beers on offer. After all, San Diego is the mecca of craft beer ! Watching a game with a unique and delicious craft beer in hand is the best part of Petco Park.

If you're cheering on Yu Darvish from Japan, why not enjoy the SoCal atmosphere with a San Diego craft beer , available at SoCalization ?

Basketball (NBA)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is also very popular. The regular season starts at the end of October and runs through mid-April. Four teams are based in Southern California, and two of the strongest and most popular teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, are based in downtown Los Angeles.

The Lakers have won the NBA championship 17 times, tying the all-time record, and also boast the most wins, winning percentage, and most appearances in the finals. Currently, the team is home to superstar LeBron James, nicknamed "The King," who was the MVP in college and has achieved many accomplishments, including winning Rookie of the Year and championships after joining the pros.

The Clippers were originally based in San Diego, and their team name, which means a fast sailing ship, comes from a sailing ship that was active in San Diego. The team struggled with poor performance during their time in San Diego and for several years after moving to Los Angeles in 1984. However, in recent years, the team has been growing by making good use of player trades and other means, becoming a regular in the playoffs.

Hockey (NHL)

The National Hockey League ( NHL ) is also very popular. Ice hockey is also known as "the sport of martial arts on ice." Compared to other sports, it is not very familiar in Japan, but the competition between players, the intense chases, and the sense of speed and intensity excite American fans every day. There are two leagues, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, and the winning teams from each league compete in the Stanley Cup to determine the top of the NHL . The regular season runs from October to mid -April .

Southern California is home to two teams, the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks . The Kings are particularly strong, having won the Stanley Cup twice, in 2012 and 2014. The Ducks have also made it to the playoffs several times. The team has ties to Japan, as Japanese-Canadian Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya was on the team until 2003 and led the Ducks to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals.

Soccer (MLS)

Although not as popular as soccer in Japan, Major League Soccer ( MLS ) is also gaining popularity in Southern California. There are two teams, LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC 1.5.3 , which play in the regular season from March to October . In fact, FC Barcelona, the team that the famous Messi belongs to, seems to have often trained at UCLA before the pandemic.

College Sports

College sports are also popular in Southern California, and there are some of the strongest college teams in the United States, both for men and women. The PAC12 Conference is home to the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins , two rival schools based in Los Angeles. Football games are always a big hit. The Mountain West Conference is home to the San Diego State University Aztecs , a regular participant in the college basketball tournament March Madness , and a strong football team that is ranked in the TOP25 every year. A new stadium, Snap Dragon Stadium , is currently under construction.

UCLA has won national championships in a variety of sports, including softball, water polo, and gymnastics. The total number of victories exceeds 100 , making UCLA the first university to have won more than 100 times. The school has a wide range of sports facilities, and various sports games are frequently held there. The most popular sports are basketball and American football, and public viewing areas are sometimes set up on campus during American football games.

How to enjoy sports

American Football - Super Bowl

Football is very popular in America.
The biggest event for the American people is the Super Bowl 🏈✨.

What is the Super Bowl?

As mentioned above, the Super Bowl is the NFL final game. The Super Bowl has gone beyond being a sporting event and is loved by the American people as an important part of American sports culture.

The name "Super Bowl" is said to have come from an idea that the founder of the American Football League ( AFL ), which was established to compete with the NFL , had when he saw his daughter playing with a toy Super Ball.

The magic of the Super Bowl

The week in early February when the Super Bowl is held is called "Super Bowl Week," and the whole of the United States is filled with Super Bowl excitement. The Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event in the world, with a TV audience of over 40% . In the rankings of all-time viewership of American TV programs, the Super Bowl apparently occupies all of the top 10 spots .

The reason for this is not only the appeal of football as a sport, but also the entertainment value of the Super Bowl. Every year, a number of impressive artists perform at the opening ceremony, pre-game show, and half-time show. For example, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, and Mariah Carey performed the national anthem at the opening ceremony, showcasing their beautiful voices. In addition, top artists such as Michael Jackson, James Brown, Aerosmith, U2 , and Paul McCartney have performed at the pre-game show and half-time show. This year's half-time show featured hip-hop for the first time in Super Bowl history, with a lineup of impressive Southern California artists such as Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg .

( Click here to see the actual performance by Southern California natives Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)

Many people gather with family and friends to watch the game while drinking and eating. The fun, excitement and excitement that go beyond sports is what makes the Super Bowl so loved by people all over the United States.

Conclusion

Southern California has many professional sports teams, and people are passionate about supporting their favorite teams. Car license plates and stickers have sports team designs, and even everyday clothing is team-themed. If you are traveling or living in Southern California, why not experience the sports culture?

And when you're cheering on a Southern California team from Japan, be sure to try SoCalization beer and wine and feel like you're in Southern California!