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With the advent of satellite TV, families now have incredible access to a world of programming that previously was too expensive or just simply not available. From science programs to health channels, to gardening how-to's, to cooking tips from the hottest chefs in the world. Junky reality TV series can easily be avoided when there is typically a girth of excellent programming at your fingertips. One of the greatest resources that a list of extensive channels permits is not just opportunity to be entertained but to be educated. An underappreciated tool of cultural education the transmission of sports events has the power to reveal nuances of a nation and its efforts to promote goodwill.
With more exclusive packages than any other cable or satellite provider, DIRECTV offers viewers more access to activities as varied as NASCAR racing to baseball to European rugby. From cricket matches in Bangladesh or soccer finals in Argentina, a household TV becomes a transmitter of culture near and far. As it is with the United States, a nation's icons are often found on its fields. To know the champion of its soccer field is to be able to sit easier at a dinner and chat with a family in Mexico, or over a spot of tea in England.
Nelson Mandela once said: "Sports have the power to change the world! They have the power to unite people in one direction." It is no wonder then that UNICEF uses soccer stars and tennis champions to speak about the role of physical activity, group and individual, in the process of personal development. They call attention to the needs of children both in their own countries and abroad, by visiting field projects and emergency programs. In war-torn nations teams are formed with children of different religious backgrounds and ethnic groups as a simulation for what is possible nation-wide.
Domestically, the NFL Sunday Ticket features teams like the Dallas Cowboys, who used their annual Thanksgiving Day game to present the Red Kettle Kickoff, in conjunction with the Salvation Army. Since 1997 the joint effort has raised over $ 1 billion, and has been used to provide social services like food, clothing, and utility assistance to 30 million people each year. Another NFL star involved in social endeavors is the Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander. MVP Player of the Year in 2005, he has lent his support to Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" campaign, which encourages youngsters to stay active and healthy.
From Brasil's soccer to Canada's ice hockey, knowing a nation's preferred activity is having one foot into their culture. The saying goes that one should speak about religion or politics at the dinner table, but depending on the country and depending on the team, it might not be such a good idea to talk about sports either. Your team of choice may not coincide with the head of the family's and if you think the Protestant / Catholic debate is hot, try discussing your affiliation with Real Madrid at the table of fans of Atlético de Madrid. It will get complicated, fast.
Watching incredible play-by-plays in high definition is made even sweeter when you know the team's cultural value to their nation, as well as the social initiatives they support.
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