NEW YORK—For a city that has multiple pro teams in major sports, it would seem that sports is a pretty big player in helping to shape New York. The Epoch Times asked, “How important do you think sports is to New York’s culture?”
Darryl Wilson, 52, driver, Manhattan
It’s very important for the community and for bringing people together. New York sports is when everyone comes together like one big family you know. So we just need to win some championships and we'll be alright. The main thing is that it brings people together, especially when we’re winning. If we’re not winning, everyone is like down and depressed.
Laura Newcomer, 25, writer and editor, Pennsylvania
“I think that it probably depends on how important the individual decides to make it. You might like to focus on the arts and then that would be your thing, or if you decided to immerse yourself in the sports then that would be your whole thing. When I think of New York I don’t really think of sports.”
Jonathan Schaeffer, 28, Manhattan
“People come together. It has like a collective feeling, on a professional level. You know, like people who live in Queens [are] for the Mets, and everyone else in the world [is] for the Yankees; New York has their brand on it. So whether it’s the Jets or the Giants, or the Mets or Yankees, what is it the Islanders or the Rangers, you know, it gives you that sense of identity. That’s like one of the positive things about collectivism.”
Justin Reid, 28, video producer, Manhattan
“I play softball on Sundays in a park, I play on an all Puerto Rican team and then there’s me, so it’s good for the diversity of New York; although the Asian community might lose out with Jeremy Lin [leaving].”
Deirdre Folkers, 54, university faculty administrator, Pennsylvania
The Giants! … I’m from Penn City, so right now it’s a little ugly to talk sports. Sports are not a good thing at the moment [alluding to a big sports scandal at the moment]. I’m not from New York though; from the outside you’re thinking of almost things like the arts culture, shopping, walking, food…
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