It’s not really a thing, here, to do so. People will occasionally run off with sports balls, etcetera, but it’s not a commonplace thing.
Or is keeping these items just something we (people outside the US) see in movies or on news stories that make it seem like a regular thing?
When did it become a thing if it is a commonplace thing? Or has it always been a thing?
If it was always a thing, then isn’t it weird that the baseball league would be willing to let kids take home free baseballs when a famous athlete literally played in no shoes, and was nicknamed for it?
So many questions…
In: 0
Tennis balls get replaced during play the most. Once they get removed from play, because they are worn out enough to effect gameplay. Keeping a constant supply of new balls ensures a more consisted game. So tossing them to the crowd is just a nice souvenir for a spectator.
Baseballs similarly are changed out almost as often for fresh balls due to the damage they sustain. So it’s no big deal for the crowd to get a ball that is being removed from the game anyways.
The same with hockey. The pucks take damage, so keeping fresh pucks in the game ensures a more consistent game.
American Football balls are changed out to a much lesser extent but they are changed out during gameplay. So if a player score a TD and decides to toss the ball to the crowd, it’s really not a big deal.
I can’t speak for soccer, but i would think they would be changed out for fresh balls at least somewhat. They will also be taking damage over the course of the game. But I’ve never watched soccer so i have never seen it happen.
You generally won’t see this happen with basketball though. They do have a few extra balls that can be used, but since they take so little damage, there is little reason to change the ball out for a fresh one. You might see one tossed to the crowd after the game ends, especially if it’s a big game or had a big finish but they generally aren’t tossing them to the crowd because they aren’t getting replaced regularly like they are in other sports.
So it all comes down to just how often the particular item is replaced during gameplay. “Balls” that get replaced frequently, there’s no reason not to give them to a fan.
As far as the whole shoeless joe thing. That was a long time ago before baseball was a big money sport and really has no relation to what you’re asking about.
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