Well now that football is about to start

[vt_maverick]

Wow - I think this is the first thread I've found since joining the board where I completely disagree with most of the posters.

People watch sports for entertainment, the same reason others watch movies or reality shows, read a magazine, follow an auto forum (), etc. As for why sports are so prominent in our country? Because competition is a pervasive theme in our society. Capitalism, democracy, individual achievement (career or otherwise) - these American ideals all involve some level of competition, whether that be between businesses, political parties, or colleagues.

But the fascination with sports is a world-wide obsession, so there has to be more to it than that. I would suggest that the reason is that sports are (99.99999% of the time) unscripted dramas where no one knows what's about to happen next. How could you not be attracted to the drama of Federer v. Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon Final (longest final set tie break in tennis history), the Giants pulling perhaps the greatest football upset of all time by beating the 18-0 Patriots in 2007, the infamous Cal v. Stanford band-storming-the-field-during-the-last-play game, etc.?

But hey, to each his own. Sports, like most things in life, interest some people more than others. And there's nothing wrong with that, mmmkay?

[nfpgasmask]

Not everyone is a brain-dead sports fan. There are millions of us who can't stand professional sports or loud, ignorant sports fans

Yeah I can just feel the love. That is one site that has Nazis and the KKK beat for vile, biased and intollerant attitude towards a group of people,

Yeah, that was just a random find. I have no idea what kind of people haunt that forum. I just thought it was funny.

People watch sports for entertainment, the same reason others watch movies or reality shows, read a magazine, follow an auto forum (), etc. As for why sports are so prominent in our country? Because competition is a pervasive theme in our society. Capitalism, democracy, individual achievement (career or otherwise) - these American ideals all involve some level of competition, whether that be between businesses, political parties, or colleagues.

You are very right, sir. But some of those very reasons are why I hate sports.

But the fascination with sports is a world-wide obsession, so there has to be more to it than that. I would suggest that the reason is that sports are (99.99999% of the time) unscripted dramas where no one knows what's about to happen next. How could you not be attracted to the drama of Federer v. Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon Final (longest final set tie break in tennis history), the Giants pulling perhaps the greatest football upset of all time by beating the 18-0 Patriots in 2007, the infamous Cal v. Stanford band-storming-the-field-during-the-last-play game, etc.?

I disagree there. Because I DO know what is going to happen. Someone is going to throw the ball, then someone may or may not catch it and run with it. Its the same damn thing, EVERY YEAR. So, the people are different and a different team wins most of the time but in a nut shell, its the same game, played over and over and over. Do you think you could watch people play Monopoly every year? Would that be exciting? No more so than Football, as far as I am concerned. Its like watching people play poker. I mean, COME ON, do people really sit there and watch people play poker for hours on ESPN2?

But hey, to each his own. Sports, like most things in life, interest some people more than others. And there's nothing wrong with that, mmmkay?

You are right there my friend, but that touches on one of the main reasons I hate sports. Because I am a man, I am socially obligated to like sports. And because I don't, the first thing people think is that there MUST be something wrong with me, or I must be gay, because I don't like sports (when in fact watching a BUNCH OF DOODS chase eachother around and touch eachother for 2 hours seems a lot more gay to me than NOT watching sports). Now, I am no homophobe and I have nothing against gay people at all. I just don't understand the global addiction to something so mundane and pointless. Just as much as I think Paris Hilton's latest homemade porn video is not news, neither is sports. But like you said, it's entertainment, and this country pays WAY to much for it, as far as I am concerned.

Furthermore, I think most (<--- I said most) sports fans are just shallow individuals who give in to the social pressure to conform and be accepted by everyone else, because they are too spineless to be there own person. I however, LOVE when people ask me who I am rooting for in the Super Bowl and I tell them I don't even know who is playing. That cock-eyed look I get is just priceless. Superbowl Sunday is like the best day ever to go hiking, or go somewhere that is usually crowded, because 90% of this country is sitting on the couch watching "the big game".

But no offense to any sports fans out there. I think for me, it's mostly personal, because I was forced into playing 3 years of baseball and 2 years of football when I was a kid and I HATED every minute of it. Its the same social obligation that my own father forced down my throat as a kid. I probably would have flourished more in piano classes or something, I don't know...but ANYTHING other than baseball would have been nice.

And on another note, being a ridiculous sports fan vs ACTUALLY PLAYING sports are two COMPLETELY different things. I really have NOTHING against sports themselves. Its great to "play games" and get outside and get exercise and enjoy time with your friends/teammates/etc. But everything else I talked about above is what annoys me.

to another good conversation.

Bart