Phenomenon
One of the biggest phenomenons in recent sports history would have to be the World Series of Poker. Now even though the World Series of Poker has been going on since 1969, the sport really hasn't gained huge attention until the 2003 World Series when amature player Chris Moneymaker won it all taking home 2.5 million dollars. That year, there were 839 people competing in the tournament, which at the time was the most contendants the World Series had ever seen by more than 200 people. After Moneymaker won the tournment, every man, woman, and child had the idea that with enough luck they could win the biggest jackpot of all, and with it come away with superstar status and fame. As long as you could pay the entry fee you could play, and so amatures from all over the globe have come to the tournament in hopes of winning it all. Now in the past World Series of Poker, 2006, there was a new attendance record set, and unprecidented 8,773 player, more than 8,500 people from 3 years ago, and the winner Jamie Gold, another amature, took home 12 million dollars. People are taking second morgages on their homes to play, students are risking the tuition to come to the tournament, and even celebrities are now coming to play in the tournament, names such as Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth, and many others. Many people have ideas for why this phenomenon has come about, which could be money, fame, but I think it is because anyone and everyone have a chance to compete with the best poker players in the world, and you actually have a chance to beta them. In what other sport could someone do that. Not football, baseball, tennis, golf or even Nascar; poker is the only sport where just about anyone has a chance to be crowned world champion by beating the best poker players in the world. And I guess the huge cash prize doesn't hurt either