Not a Sports Fan, Then?
People love their sports, seemingly more so now than ever. Lately, we have countless television and radio stations devoted entirely to the topic. Magazine stands have entire shelves populated by nothing but sporting magazines. Book shops have sports sections. I don’t remember this always being the case, though I can’t hazard a guess as to why there has been an explosion in the popularity of sports.
I possess only a vague awareness of the sporting world. I can name a handful of teams for which I ostensibly root, though primarily because my father once pulled for them. I know that football success on the part of Rams and Raiders was lauded. The Detroit teams, especially the Redwings and Tigers, were beloved, and the basketball teams of choice were the Lakers and Warriors. Of course, my interest extends no farther than checking the standings of the teams once or twice per month, and smiling if any of the above teams rules its respective league. And while I don’t have the patience to sit through an actual match, I’m happy to look up the score of a particularly important game after it has been played. I have tried, but I just can’t bring myself to care about sports, so it all washes over me like some sort of soapy liquid. But then something else rinses me off, because I don’t feel soapy.
Most of the teams listed above seem to be successful. I’ve come to the conclusion that those are the worst teams to support, for success at any level other than an outright championship is downright disappointing. The Raiders made it all the way to the title game, but lost. How maddening! Second best feels far worse than last place. You get your hopes up, only to have them dashed at the last moment. At least I know the Detroit Tigers aren’t going to let me down. They’ll again be among the worst teams in baseball this year, possibly THE worst. Nothing in sports beats consistent and predictable mediocrity, at least in my estimation.
Today’s Question: How fond of sports are you, and do you root for any teams in particular?
If you do root for a team, does it bother you at all that your team’s roster changes drastically from year to year? At some point, professional sports switched from being athletics to being business. Massive paychecks and free agency became the norm, and it gradually became impossible for a team to retain its players for more than a few years at a time. The negative result of this is that your favorite player on your favorite team will almost certainly be starring for another team next year. I wonder, if you compared the roster of a team today to its roster of five years ago, how many players would be on both lists? Very few, I imagine. It’s impossible to be fans of the players anymore, only the corporate entity that is the team. Which means at the end of the day, you’re cheering for a helmet, logo, or color scheme, and not any specific group of athletes. Count me out, thanks.
On a lighter note, another silly thing I found online:
Click that line of text to find out what kind you are. It turns urns out I’m…
…A Golden Retriever!
No bones about it, you’re a popular, fun-loving Golden Retriever. Adored by all and too cool for school, you’re extroverted and enthusiastic. Your magnetic personality makes you the life of any bash. Since you’re a true people-dog, you genuinely love all kinds of social gatherings. Going to parties, dinners, and other shindigs is the best way to add faces to your constantly growing circle of friends. But besides being on the social A-list, you’re a confident, well-rounded pup who’s definitely something to bark about. Pretty accomplished at anything you set your mind to, your sunny nature and winning ways make you one of everyone’s favorite dogs. Woof!
I am a Pug
No bones about it, you’re an intelligent, playful Pug. Witty and charming, you’re a lot of dog wrapped in a small package. People just love you — a wonderful approachability and sense of humor put you at the top of everyone’s list. And because you’re smart and quick-witted, you attract a crowd wherever you go. (Have you ever considered running for office or starting a company? You’ve got the charisma for either.) But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a little naughty or mischievous when opportunity knocks — you’ve definitely got a nose for fun! A happy, optimistic breed, you’re admired and respected by all. Woof!
The World: morelikeyou(‘world’,’text’); 8% Pugs
They all sound the same, so everyone is a happy Woof woof. mmm…breaktime is over.
okay cuz it’s a cute entry…. I was sick this past week… I have no idea what is going on with my body, I’m rejecting the idea of graduating, hmm so as to say…. I prefer not to drink coke or pepsi, but if I was on a deserted island, I’d like to be stranded with coke… pepsi = more sugary than I would like…..
I am beginning to question my blogging technique. Four paragraphs, and a question, about the topic at hand, and the only two comments are about the throwaway quiz I appended at random, and someone’s preference of Coca Cola over Pepsi. Back to the drawing board I go…
I pay not much attention to American sports; never have. However, I do rather enjoy football (futboll). It is poetry on foot that speaks of fraternity, passion, and courage. It is a simplistic allegory to bravery and fair-play, and there is much to be learnt on the morality and duty of man from it. It reflects so much of humanity. One of the most beautiful sports, really.
And thus I would say that Barcelona is one of my favourite teams, and Lionel Messi my favourite player.