Italian Sports!!!

Italians don't live exclusively for soccer. It's more of a 360 degrees love for sports in general and even though the soccer ball remains the highest in the hit parade of our national desires, there is a good number of sports t hat still represent a traditional importance for all Italians. These professional activities have contributed building the history of our land just as much as soccer has. We won't be able to list all the of the games that have made this country great, especially if the little space given doesn't begin to grasp the vicinity of such a vast sight of traditionally popular Italian sports; but a well detailed analysis is definitely due for review for some of them. There will be a time and place, in this case many more reports to follow...

Right next to soccer, it is not an exaggeration to place basketball as the likeliest competitor for the title of most important agonistic vice for us Italians. Obviously too fresh of a sport do be even compared to the universe of NBA, the truest Olympus of American Basketball. The 'European red ball' has recently, without any doubt, felt the presence of a strong Italian group alongside countries like Ex Yugoslavia, the ex Russian Republics such as Latvia and Lithuania and naturally nations traditionally very capable in this sport - Greece and Spain in particular. Italian Basketball has recently changed connotations with the new arrival in NBA - Italian Serie A for Americans, of Andrea Bargnani (Andrea the giant for everyone else), roman and ex star of Benetton Treviso. Recently becoming also one in the Toronto Raptors roaster and notably changing the American point of view regarding Italian capabilities in this discipline.

A variety of sports could be mentioned right after basketball but one that deserves that spot right now is definitely cycling. Cycling means history - it is a piece of Italian life. It is enough to mention legends such as Coppi and Bartali, their duels, their victories to refresh our memory. Coppi and Bartali have represented an entire generation of cyclists and still today are the symbol of a cycling not yet ready for extinction. The face of this sport has suffered the loss of champions like Moser (due to age retirement) - maybe the last hero of the 2 wheels. With the tragic death of Pantani, passion for this sport has opened the doors to a brand new era of doping and drugs and leaving slim but substantial hopes that the truest spirit of this competition is yet to perish with him.