Why Do Some People Hate Sports?
I've never understood the hatred some folks have for professional sports. And it's always people who love films and music and other types of entertainment. They are not simply disinterested in sports, but actually hate them and feel they are somehow evil. They would be ecstatic if their local pro team ceased to exist.
I find this odd on a number of levels. One, is that there are plenty of things in the category of 'entertainment' that I'm disinterested in, like opera or the Renaissance Fair, but I don't hate them or want them to go away. I even dislike certain sports, like soccer and NASCAR racing. But I just don't give them a lot of thought, at least not on an emotional level.
Two, is that sports offer the greatest drama, which is something a film buff should appreciate. Unlike a film or play where the actors and even members of the audience know what's going to happen, nobody knows how a sporting event will unfold. Just ask anybody who's lost money on a game.
And three, people who hate sports are often the same people who admire the talent of an actor or artist. But hitting a curveball or throwing a perfect pass under pressure is an even rarer talent than being a top notch musician.
I think the reason is the whole 'freaks vs. jocks' thing that goes back to childhood. At some point, these folks began to associate sports with the mean gym teacher or the jock that bullied them at school. But there are bad people everywhere. Sports doesn't have a corner on the market. And I've heard plenty of stories of how thoughtless and cruel people in show business can be. But it doesn't make me hate movies and television.
Another thing that bugs the heck out of me is when sports comes up in a conversation and the person I'm talking to says, 'I like to play sports, but I don't like watching them.' Okay, first off, I don't get the connection. It's like saying, 'I don't like reading books, but I like to write'. It's apples and oranges. And second, it's a jab at sports fans and insinuates they are couch potatoes who never do anything athletic and get their ya-ya's out by watching others do it.
But enough. I have to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and my bowl of chips. Over and out.
I find this odd on a number of levels. One, is that there are plenty of things in the category of 'entertainment' that I'm disinterested in, like opera or the Renaissance Fair, but I don't hate them or want them to go away. I even dislike certain sports, like soccer and NASCAR racing. But I just don't give them a lot of thought, at least not on an emotional level.
Two, is that sports offer the greatest drama, which is something a film buff should appreciate. Unlike a film or play where the actors and even members of the audience know what's going to happen, nobody knows how a sporting event will unfold. Just ask anybody who's lost money on a game.
And three, people who hate sports are often the same people who admire the talent of an actor or artist. But hitting a curveball or throwing a perfect pass under pressure is an even rarer talent than being a top notch musician.
I think the reason is the whole 'freaks vs. jocks' thing that goes back to childhood. At some point, these folks began to associate sports with the mean gym teacher or the jock that bullied them at school. But there are bad people everywhere. Sports doesn't have a corner on the market. And I've heard plenty of stories of how thoughtless and cruel people in show business can be. But it doesn't make me hate movies and television.
Another thing that bugs the heck out of me is when sports comes up in a conversation and the person I'm talking to says, 'I like to play sports, but I don't like watching them.' Okay, first off, I don't get the connection. It's like saying, 'I don't like reading books, but I like to write'. It's apples and oranges. And second, it's a jab at sports fans and insinuates they are couch potatoes who never do anything athletic and get their ya-ya's out by watching others do it.
But enough. I have to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and my bowl of chips. Over and out.
posted by John Goins at 7:28 PM
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