Does anybody else here not give a d*mn about watching sports?

I hate professional sports. I hate jocks and the jock mentality. When I was in high school and college it drove me nuts that the kids on the team, who were, generally speaking, the worst students AND the biggest assholes in the school, were held up as the ideals of what young men were supposed to be.
When one of these jerks would pick a fight with me and I'd kick their ass, it was always my fault because HE was on the football (basketball, wrestling) team and HE would never do anything wrong or antagonize anybody.

Kids look up to professional athletes as role models. Athletes are so highly esteemed in our culture that this comes as no small wonder. But when you look at the behavior of most of these characters, it's no wonder most young athletes are such selfish, arrogant and cruel pricks. That's what the TV is telling them a "real man" is supposed to be. I could have been a football or a basketball player or a wrestler but I chose not to because I hated the other guys on the teams. Why would I want to spend time with these people, so convinced of their superiority over their fellow men? I was on the swim team and swam all the way through college because I could get along with the other cats there.

Why do we have pep rallies? Why do schools force all of the kids to come together to applaud and cheer on the jerks who are making their lives miserable? Pep rallies are the reason things like Columbine happen, not Marilyn Manson cd's. There should be pep rallies for the championship debate team, or for when the SAT rolls around. (this sort of thing happens in Asian countries, part of the reason why their kids take school so much more seriously) There should be pep rallies for the school newspaper, or for the chess team, not for the drooling bullies in shoulder pads.

All that said, I have to admit that I do force myself to watch the NFL if for no other reason that it provides a commonality of experience that helps in otherwise awkward social or business situations. If you're an American male and you don't watch football, you are looked down upon by other men when you meet them. So I try to always have a basic understanding of what's happening with my local team and a rudimentary grasp of some of the stories that are being played out in the media, so I sound like I know what I'm talking about. I've found this to be invaluable time and time again.
 
I was never "forced" to go to a pep rally. But I would have had to be forced to go to one for the frigging newspaper crew. LOL. Take a deep breath, and let it go. Thats just too much hate to carry around.
 
Played organized football from the time I was able to hold my head up while wearing a helmet- Got into Rugby later & played till I was 37. I know all of the Rah Rah- Go Team Go- Sports Build Character stuff... the idea of Civic Pride isn't lost on me and that's fine. I'll watch my former Rugby club play when there's a home match or I'll catch it on cable as a distraction. I've been dragged to Baseball games & have gone out of politeness and been bored stiff. IMHO watching sports on TV, obsessively following stats & arguing over silly crap like who's gonna kick ass on Sunday is simply meaningless to me. Did fencing for a short while and have been throwing Boomerangs for a while. I guess I'm more into solo pursuits now & lack the tolerance for huddled masses...
 
I dislike sports on TV, I might catch the Superbowl, or MSU playing Ole Miss at Thanksgiving, but thats about it, but thats more of a fellowship thing with those long gone. Now if I can go to the game, I do love to watch football.

We have a minor league Baseball team here, and that's a nice evening.

As for the rest of it?:barf: :barf:
 
aproy1101 said:
I was never "forced" to go to a pep rally. But I would have had to be forced to go to one for the frigging newspaper crew. LOL. Take a deep breath, and let it go. Thats just too much hate to carry around.
Click to expand...

I was just trying to illustrate a point. I think it would be worthwhile for schools (and culture in general) to emphasize and value intellectual and artistic achievement rather than simply sports. It seems like there is a stigma attached to intellectual pursuits in American schools, that it is "uncool" to be a thinker.

This is not the case in other countries. In Korea for example, the heroes of the schools are not the athletes, but rather the kids who study hard and perform well on tests. This seems to be a healthier and more logical way of things. Schools are supposed to be there mainly to help kids learn, not to manufacture athletes. I wonder what the dropout or literacy rates in the inner city would be if it were suddenly "cool" to be a great student, if a really high score on the SAT would help a kid score with the chicks. Our entire culture would be transformed into a more thoughtful society if we could somehow de-emphasize the importance of sports to our children.

It is interesting to look at the decline of the Roman Empire, how it was inversely proportional to the popularity of spectacle in the circuses and arenas (sport). Of course the process was infinitely complex and involved dozens of other factors, but is this a mere coincidence? The more people became wrapped up in the "sport" of the day (chariot racing, gladiators etc.), the less concerned they were with the effective administration of their empire. Sound familiar?
 
Are there any people out there who still LOVE America and its culture as I do? I hate bullying same as you, and I got it pretty bad in school, but I wouldn't change much about our culture. I plan to prepare my daughter (soon to be 2) to handle bullies with a ball peen hammer. LOL. Nasty style. But other than the drugs and racism I wouldn't change much about our culture.

I am an electrical engineer. We meet with engineers from Asia quite often. They are paid nothing. They work LONG hours, even compared to American engineers (we work long hours too). They sit in a line of desks, and have to raise their hands to go piss into a hole in the floor. Naa, you can keep thier idea of ideal. I'll just watch football and enjoy being American.
 
Personally, I could care less about watching most sports. If they televised more Judo, wrestling, and MMA they'd have more of my attention. As it is though I could care less about football, basketball, baseball, etc. Which is kinda ironic, because everyone who looks at me assumes I'm a big football fan cause of my size. Nope. Not my thing. Never will be.

That being said...My son is hugely interested in football, loves playing it, watching it, practicing, talking about it etc. The first time he ever attended a practice he clearly enjoyed football more than he's ever enjoyed Judo. This is fine with me, and a good thing. He was the best player on his team, and I will continue to help and encourage him, if that's where his interest lies. *sigh* I may even have to learn to pretend that I enjoy watching football with him.
 
I don't watch much television, but when I do it's usually PBS. Love the programs on nature/science, historical documentaries, and shows like "The Woodwright's Shop" (Roy Underhill is da man). Funny thing, PBS programming doesn't include sports coverage. I guess, they, like me, got better things to spend their time on.

Sarge
 
Runs With Scissors said:
if that's where his interest lies. *sigh* I may even have to learn to pretend that I enjoy watching football with him.
Click to expand...

You da man bro. You da man. Come winter we get you back full time right? I, personally, can't wait.
 
Thanks friend, that's awful kind of ya'.

It looks like I'm hooked up on the slope indefinitely. (woohoo!)

They are telling me that I'll be working a 2wk on 2 wk off hitch starting soon.

(I've been working 4-6 wks on and 2wks off, good for money, bad for time)

can't wait to have more time to spend on the important stuff. (friends and family- It's been nice to catch up on all the backbills and such, but overall I'm finding money to be a little over rated):D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top