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Pro/Anti Sports Discussion — Page 2

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we forgot one diversion C3PX has(and we all have).  How much time does he(and the rest us) spend in this forum, when instead we could be out "saving the world"?   If we only did the things that were important and didn't have our diversions, the world and lives would be very boring.   It would not be a world I'd want to live in.

Vaderisnothayden, may I remind you that the pro-sports people didn't start this discussion.  I created a thread to discuss whether or not College football should have a playoff system.   C3PX and Gaffer came into the thread and talked about their dislike of sports and asking what the big deal about it was.  Then in order to separate the two subjects, Gaffer created this thread.  If you are going to come in a thread discussing a subject you don't like, and say that you like it , say why you don't like it, and ask what the big deal about it is, you can expect to be told by those by those that do like the subject, why they like it and what the big deal is about.   It would be one thing if the pro-sports people suddenly created a thread and lectured those that didn't like sports as to why they are wrong.   It is another thing to simply reply to those who post anti-sports opinions.   If you don't like sports that's fine.  But don't come into a sports thread, post anti-sports opinions and expert to not get responded to.

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There may be something to this whole Phillies thing after all. ;-)

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Warbler said:

we forgot one diversion C3PX has(and we all have).  How much time does he(and the rest us) spend in this forum, when instead we could be out "saving the world"?   If we only did the things that were important and didn't have our diversions, the world and lives would be very boring.   It would not be a world I'd want to live in.

Vaderisnothayden, may I remind you that the pro-sports people didn't start this discussion.  I created a thread to discuss whether or not College football should have a playoff system.   C3PX and Gaffer came into the thread and talked about their dislike of sports and asking what the big deal about it was.  Then in order to separate the two subjects, Gaffer created this thread.  If you are going to come in a thread discussing a subject you don't like, and say that you like it , say why you don't like it, and ask what the big deal about it is, you can expect to be told by those by those that do like the subject, why they like it and what the big deal is about.   It would be one thing if the pro-sports people suddenly created a thread and lectured those that didn't like sports as to why they are wrong.   It is another thing to simply reply to those who post anti-sports opinions.   If you don't like sports that's fine.  But don't come into a sports thread, post anti-sports opinions and expert to not get responded to.

It's not a sports thread (in the sense of a pro-sports thread). It's a thread for discussing whether you like or dislike sports and I just did as people are supposed to on this thread and posted my feelings on sports. I did no harm, but somebody got all defensive about it. And I didn't simply get responded to, I got this whole "there's nothing wrong with liking sports" defensive thing, as if I had said nobody else was allowed to like sports, which I didn't. Nothing in what was said to me in the other guy's post was necessary. All of it was obvious and just defensive defense of liking sports. It wasn't a case of anybody telling me anything insightful about their liking of sports. It was just the theme of "it's ok to like sports", which was a defense that wasn't necessary, because I never said it wasn't ok for them to like sports.

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EDIT: I give up.  I'm going to go watch some sports and listen to John Tesh.

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Vaderisnothayden, you correct.  This is not a sports thread.  But the thread this discussion originally started in, was a sports thread.   It was started in the "I've said it before and I'll say it again: College Football Needs a playoff system" thread.   Please read it to see how the discussion began.  The stuff Frink said in response to your post, didn't seem that bad to me.  He even said he has no problem with people who dislike sports.   You did ask "who cares?"   That was worth responding too.   Giving what this thread is about, I don't see what is so wrong with someone trying to say why he likes sports and why its ok to watch them.   I reread you post and can see that you certainly did not say it wasn't ok to watch sports.   Maybe what Frink said wasn't meant just for you was just to the anti-sports people in general.  In any case, its not worth any of us getting upset at each other.   So lets all calm down.   

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John Tesh sucks.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

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Vaderisnothayden said:

Nothing in what was said to me in the other guy's post was necessary. All of it was obvious and just defensive defense of liking sports. It wasn't a case of anybody telling me anything insightful about their liking of sports.

Why don't you just put me on ignore already so you don't have to read my unnecessary posts anymore?

Warbler said:

Maybe what Frink said wasn't meant just for you was just to the anti-sports people in general.  

It was only directed at VINH with respect to him saying "who cares?"  When he says that, it sounds like he's implying that not only does he not like sports, but anyone who does like sports is wrong.

Damn, I said I was giving up.

xhonzi said:

John Tesh sucks.

What?  I'm outraged!  I feel a certain non-word forming on my lips.  (should that be fingers rather than lips?)

 

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Perhaps we are due for a "Pro/Anti John Tesh Discussion" thread?

 

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Wow, this thread has caught on!  Thanks for all the different views, guys.  I actually really enjoyed Anchorhead's initial post on this, and it did make sense.  Not enough to make me a sports fan, but... ^_~

Anyway, I do have a question for Warbler.  If it seems like I'm picking on your posts, I'm not.  It just seems you say the things that make me want to start a discussion.  It's about the whole "supporting a team because you live there," thing, which I admit is something I've never really gotten either.  Yes I can certainly see where you're coming from, especially given the mentality of "the team represents me."  Maybe it's just because I see sports fans as being big into stats (not to mention winning) and pulling for their team, that it makes more sense to me to get a good idea of which team in the league you truly consider to be "the best" and root for it.  Just rooting for a team because they're in the same general vacinity almost seems lazy to me (not that I'm calling you lazy, but that's just the way it's felt to me).  I say this particularly because I consider a team representative of the individuals who make up that team.  If a team has long since lost all the players, changed managers... are they the same team anymore?  If you admit that the team you're rooting for sucks to the point that you don't even like them anymore, or that the players make you want to throw a brick at your TV, while all your favorite players from your home team have been traded to a different team...?  Well, I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.  I know you're using hyperbole and don't really mean it, but to label someone a "traitor" for daring to like a "foreign" team just seems silly, especially considering the high possibility of people living in different regions of the country throughout their lifetime.  Are they supposed to just give up their previous team and start rooting for whatever team they happen to live near at any given time?

And I certainly see how watching the Olympics you take a bit of satisfaction in seeing America do well.  I rarely watch the Olympics either, but maybe I'm just more of an individualist in that sense.  If I see an athlete I like, think is really good, or just somehow hooks me, I'm not going to care what country they come from, I'm going to root for that athlete.  After all, it's just a game!

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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let me clarify,  you are not a traitor if you come in lived in Dallas, move to Philly and continue to cheer for the Cowboys.  You are a traitor if you've lived ALL you live in the Philly area and decide  to cheer for Cowboys.    It's easy to cheer for "the best" team.  Its hard to stay a fan when you team stinks.  That takes loyalty.   The players change, the coaches change,  the owners change, but the colors and team name usually stay the same.  They represent the part of the country I live in and therefore, I cheer for them.   

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Okay, I get where you're coming from.  I don't completely agree, but I certainly see what you mean.  But based off of that, I do have another question.  You pretty much answered my last question that you believe that the team is still the team no matter who plays in it, as in the Phillies from the early 20th century are still the Phillies now.  I'm curious if you feel that way about all organizations (probably don't, but I'd just like to throw it out there for fun).  Like bands, for instance.  If "The Beatles" reformed with all new members, would you still consider them The Beatles?  The Beach Boys have gone through a lot of different configurations.  Are they all The Beach Boys, or do you consider any one of those configurations more The Beach Boys than the others?  And if yes to any of those questions, what makes sports teams different?

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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All I know about sports is, never bet on the Gungan.

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Anchorhead said:

C3PX said:

In an ideal world, none of us would feel the need to "escape" in some artificial way.

 

For me, baseball is much more than an artificial escape. It's an appreciation for, a sort of connection to, a skill I don't have. As well as a deep interest in a contest of differing strategies. It's also a connection to the history of the game. It's hard to explain to people who don't feel it.

Interesting that video games have come into the conversation because I feel about them the same way several people here feel about sports. I don't get the devotion or interest. Sitting in front of a computer monitor for hours seems as uninteresting to me as going to a baseball game would seem to some people.

Not to mention, sitting in front of your monitor playing a video game - you have to cook your own hot dogs. ;-)

 

My last two posts in this thread were thrown together in quite a bit of a rush. Now that I have a few minutes, maybe I can explain my position more clearly.

I agree that video games are a waste of time, and just as much of a meaningless time waster as sports. I guess the biggest difference is that I rarely have random strangers coming up to me and saying, "Did you play Halo last night? Man alive! How about that red team! They were somethin' weren't they?!"

Even if you were a big Halo fan, a random stranger striking up this sort of exchange while waiting in the grocery que would be awkward, right? But for some reason it seems like I am always having random people I don't know try to strike up a conversation with "last night's big game" and I never have a clue what game they are talking about.

I think it is also worth noting that I have never had an encounter like this with baseball or basketball or any other kinds of fans other than football fans. They seem to be the only ones who really lack that ability to see past their hobby and realize that not everyone shares those same interests as them. When I think of baseball fans like Anchorhead, I really feel nothing different toward them than I do toward anyone else who is really passionate about something they love. But football (and Twilight) fans rank very high on my list of "Most Annoying Things On The Planet"

 

Warbler said:

If we only did the things that were important and didn't have our diversions, the world and lives would be very boring.   It would not be a world I'd want to live in.

 I feel very much the opposite way. I feel that it is our affixiation with materialism that makes life boring.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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C3PX, I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that point.  Don't know what else to say. 

Gaffer Tape said:

Okay, I get where you're coming from.  I don't completely agree, but I certainly see what you mean.  But based off of that, I do have another question.  You pretty much answered my last question that you believe that the team is still the team no matter who plays in it, as in the Phillies from the early 20th century are still the Phillies now.  I'm curious if you feel that way about all organizations (probably don't, but I'd just like to throw it out there for fun).  Like bands, for instance.  If "The Beatles" reformed with all new members, would you still consider them The Beatles?  The Beach Boys have gone through a lot of different configurations.  Are they all The Beach Boys, or do you consider any one of those configurations more The Beach Boys than the others?  And if yes to any of those questions, what makes sports teams different?

Sports organizations are different from bands.  For one thing, turnover is the norm, especially high school and college teams.  They do a complete turnover every four years.    But, they still were the same uniforms call themselves the same name and play for the same school/college/city.  In the world of sports, even though the players change the team is still the same team.  They are still the Philadelphia Phillies or Eagles.  For instance, even thought the players on both teams are all gone,  I want to see the Eagles play the Raiders in another Superbowl and get revenge for Superbowl 15(the Raiders beat the Eagles in that game 27-10).  I want revenge.   In this years World Series I was hoping to see the 1950 Phillies avenged.   They lost the 1950 World Series to the Yankees.     I guess the difference is this.  The band is the people singing in it,  the sports team is the team and not just the players playing on the team.   I don't what else to say.

 

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I still don't get it. Bunch of idiots, running around on a field, hitting each other, and everybody cheers for a game no one remembers a week later. Okay. Whatever.

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not all games go forgotten.  I remember many games from years ago. 

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May 16, 1999

 

What was the difference between a sports fan and a sci-fi fan again?

My outlook on life - we’re all on the Hindenburg anyway…no point fighting over the window seat.

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C3PX said:

I think it is also worth noting that I have never had an encounter like this with baseball or basketball or any other kinds of fans other than football fans. They seem to be the only ones who really lack that ability to see past their hobby and realize that not everyone shares those same interests as them. When I think of baseball fans like Anchorhead, I really feel nothing different toward them than I do toward anyone else who is really passionate about something they love. But football (and Twilight) fans rank very high on my list of "Most Annoying Things On The Planet"

 Do you happen to live in the southeastern US?

 

ferris209 said:

I still don't get it. Bunch of idiots, running around on a field, hitting each other, and everybody cheers for a game no one remembers a week later. Okay. Whatever.

Whereas I see it as a bunch of men who have a physical (and in some cases mental) talent, executing schemes that have been practiced for a week in advance (if opponent specific) or all season long, while people who appreciate that sort of thing get to watch it all unfold within an exciting atmosphere.

If some people don't care for it, i understand that too.  I don't understand the appeal of certain sports, but I assume there is something appealing there on some level, otherwise people wouldn't watch it.

As for not remembering the game one watches, that is really hit or miss.  I've always said that live sports are risky.  You could wind up seeing a pitcher throw a perfect game and NEVER forget it, or you could see a sloppy basketball game where it didn't seem as though anyone was trying and you wish you hadn't wasted your time.

I love live music more than just about anything.  But a concert is relatively safe as far as live events go.  Sure, the band can have an off night.  But as far as a particular tour goes, you can read reviews from previous shows to see if the band still has their chops and get a general idea of what you can expect.

But when you are a live witness to greatness*, be it music or sports, it will certainly make a lasting impression on you.  So sometimes the risk is worth the reward.

 

*not a Colts fan, but Peyton Manning has made many such lasting impressions on me due to the precision with which he orchestrates an offense.

 

Pink Floyd -- First in Space

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auximenies said:

 Do you happen to live in the southeastern US?

Nowhere near it. Though I am very curious as to why you ask.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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C3PX said:

auximenies said:

 Do you happen to live in the southeastern US?

Nowhere near it. Though I am very curious as to why you ask.

I live in Atlanta, having moved here from California back in 2000.  I've learned that college football is like a religion to many people, beyond what I've seen for any sport where I grew up.  Maybe in California we were simply more laid back (exception: crazy Oakland Raider fans).  But on "football saturday" they mount flags bearing their team's logo on their porch, and drive around in their cars (SUVs, mostly) with little flags affixed to their windows.

(American) football is my favorite sport, and the college football fans tell me why their version of the sport is better than the pros, which is my preference.  They cite the "purity" of the players motives (yeah, because NONE of the college kids are getting kick-backs) and other such esoteric reasons.  I just tell them that since I enjoy watching football, I prefer to watch it played at the highest level of skill, hence professional.

My point is, they are more passionate about college football than I have seen people about pro football.  So your comment about the overzealous fans made me think "Southern college football fans".  I suppose if i had moved elsewhere in the country i may have encountered similar zeal for another sport.

Pink Floyd -- First in Space