Guys who don't care about sports?

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2005-01-25 11:15am

Frank Hipper wrote:I rather enjoy Greco-Roman Wrestling, Men's Gymnastics, and Men's Diving...

I bet you catch the begining of the men's swiming events too?

Frank Hipper wrote:Honestly, I've tried to develop an interest in American Football in the past out of peer pressure. Tried, and failed. Bo-RING!

Baseball is absolutely somnorific.

Actually being at a stadium for a sporting event makes watching them considerably more entertaining, though.

I like American Football, more college than Pro but I've been finding that my interest has been fading over the years as I've been less able to watch on a regular basis.

Baseball is really boring and you are right that being in the stadium can help but even then I can only take baseball about every 10-15 years or so.

My father watches the ocassional football game but it's been something he has picked up more later in life. He really was too busy when he was younger to spend much time watching sports. At one time he started purposely watching more sports so he could follow a bit more what the guys at work were talking about. Considering he owns a shitload of guns, hikes, hunts and does a lot of wood working he should be "manly" enough without any interest in sports.

I still generally follow sports a bit more than he does but mostly I just keep a vague idea on how my "favorite" and the local teams are doing. Personally I think sports are much better in hightlights. Something I noticed a long time ago when I used to watch "This Week in Baseball" on weekends when I was a kid. Now I love stuff like Sportscenter during football season but they rest of the year I can leave it.

Thinking about Coyote's original comments I'd add that second to sports the next thing supposedly proving a person's manliness is the appreciation of beer. I absolutely hate beer and I don't much like alcohol in general. Which may explain why I can't watch baseball.

Anyway, Coyote I was wondering if being in the Army ups your "manliness" quotient with civilians any even though you don't like sports? It probably doesn't help much with your fellow soldiers but I was wondering if it counted more than liking sports when it came to civies.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2005-01-25 12:17pm

the funny thing is, my love of football came not from playing it (i played soccer) but from being in the Marching Band. Every Saturday in the fall was spent in the bleachers with the band watching the game and playing pep tunes, and performing the halftime show. Sure, i was a casual Patriots fan at the time, but that is when I really got into the game.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-01-25 12:32pm

Tsyroc wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:I rather enjoy Greco-Roman Wrestling, Men's Gymnastics, and Men's Diving...

I bet you catch the begining of the men's swiming events too?

Nah, they shave their entire bodies. It's like watching a bunch of giant ten year olds.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2005-01-25 12:42pm

Bluech, sports. I thinks it's way over-rated. And it's not because I can't effectively participate, because I certainly can, it's just that I find the concept rather boring and pointless. Yeah, chasing a ball, that's so much fun! Even more fun to watch other people chase a ball

Of course, we played soccer, basketball, handball, indoors bandy (that's apparently not a very well-known sport), and things like that, three times a week for three years in High school, so it may be that I've kind of had enough of it...

And I also find a striking similarity between people who say "How can you not like sports?!" and "How can you not believe in God?!". Perhaps sports are our new religions...

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2005-01-25 12:44pm

I generally hate sports. However I dont mind ASU sports, mainly because I have a level of pride in my university. And at least on the girl's volleyball team, know a couple of the players.

Other than that, I can neither play nor watch sports with any sort of interest.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2005-01-25 12:54pm

Col. Crackpot wrote:the funny thing is, my love of football came not from playing it (i played soccer) but from being in the Marching Band. Every Saturday in the fall was spent in the bleachers with the band watching the game and playing pep tunes, and performing the halftime show. Sure, i was a casual Patriots fan at the time, but that is when I really got into the game.

Yeah, that's how it's been with me, too. Band geeks, especially in college, are actually quite prone to becoming fanatical football fans.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2005-01-25 12:57pm

Joe wrote:
Col. Crackpot wrote:the funny thing is, my love of football came not from playing it (i played soccer) but from being in the Marching Band. Every Saturday in the fall was spent in the bleachers with the band watching the game and playing pep tunes, and performing the halftime show. Sure, i was a casual Patriots fan at the time, but that is when I really got into the game.
Yeah, that's how it's been with me, too. Band geeks, especially in college, are actually quite prone to becoming fanatical football fans.

So very true.

And to Hell with georgia.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2005-01-25 01:03pm

31-17
51-7
34-17
19-15

Ah, one for each of my undergraduate years at UGA...life is sweet.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2005-01-25 01:07pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:However I dont mind ASU sports, mainly because I have a level of pride in my university. And at least on the girl's volleyball team, know a couple of the players.

In my case at the University of Ottawa, I slept with a couple players on the women's volleyball team.
Amanda & Crystal, yeah, baby!

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2005-01-25 01:11pm

Col. Crackpot wrote:Here is something interesting because i think I see a parallel here. Do those here who destest sport, athletics and athleticism suffer from an inablity to effectvely participate? Would that then make them akin to those who detest academics, intelectuals and intelecualism because they suffer from an ability to effectively participate in intelectual pursuits? hmmmmm, makes you think.

or did they not develop an ability to participate cuz they think its a ridiculous waste of time?

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-01-25 01:13pm

i like soccer but there are lots of men around here who are totally desinterested in sports and no body gives a fuck. it´s nothing unusual.

Post by **Coyote** » 2005-01-25 01:28pm

Col. Crackpot wrote:Here is something interesting because i think I see a parallel here. Do those here who destest sport, athletics and athleticism suffer from an inablity to effectvely participate? Would that then make them akin to those who detest academics, intelectuals and intelecualism because they suffer from an ability to effectively participate in intelectual pursuits? hmmmmm, makes you think.

Well, growing up as I described, with no one my age to interact with, pretty much meant that team sports was a non-issue. I'd do my own thing-- play in the yard or on my own in a field we had behind our house. I'd also do a lot of drawing or plastic models-- stuff that can be done alone. I came to see that is 'normal'.

In junior high and high school the macho-superiority attitude of a lot of the other boys really turned me off to any sports, and since I was used to being on my own I just continued that trend. I do a lot of hiking and after Basic Training the importance of physical fitness was made obvious. I shed the 'fat kid' (not so much fat as pudgy/chubby, to be accurate) pounds I grew up with.

As I grew up I realized what it was about sports I didn't like-- I'm not competitive. I have no 'competition' drive, especially when it comes to physical activity. Fitness is important to me but I brush off challenges or contests or 'lifting the most' activities.

So I'm pretty fit, and active, I just have no patience for the head-knocking "we're the best/my team's the best" energy-wasting that goes with it.

Post by **Coyote** » 2005-01-25 01:42pm

Tsyroc wrote:Anyway, Coyote I was wondering if being in the Army ups your "manliness" quotient with civilians any even though you don't like sports? It probably doesn't help much with your fellow soldiers but I was wondering if it counted more than liking sports when it came to civies.

Well, obviously as folks grow older differences like that fade in importance. Guys I know today like to talk sports because it is something they usually have in common and it is a relatively 'safe' subject (since politics and religion usually aren't).

But it's funny... some people do indeed see military service as 'manly' but having done it myself I realize anybody can do this, barring any particular physical impairments, as surely as anybody can do sports if they want to. There's geeks and fatsos and delicate-looking women here and as long as they can keep up, well, they do.

A couples years or so ago there was a woman on campus who was an activist-- she dealt with abusive relationships and raising awareness for people trapped in them. She was able to get women to participate without a problem, but she had trouble getting men to participate.

I told her about my past problems with an emotionally and psychologically abusive girlfriend I had and said I'd be more than happy to let her write down or record what I had been through. She commented that she'd only gotten two guys willing to talk about being victims of abuse from women-- myself and a guy that was a linebacker for a semi-pro team.

She felt that we'd 'already proven ourselves' in ways typically acknowledged as 'manly' and that gave us the security to go ahead and speak openly about it, whereas other guys might feel a bit more hesitant.

I don't know if she was right, I didn't really care, I just wanted to do what I could for the situation. But I know a lot of self-confident guys that are successful in other ways, even if it is just being decent human beings...

...but in the US, liking sports (you don't even have to play them) is somehow seen as 'macho'. I just find that odd, and wondered what others' perceptions were.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2005-01-25 01:56pm

I hate sports, always have and probably always will. Though that said, I do sometimes get into it when everyone's watching the world cup.

I would much prefer to watch music videos of bands I like or play some red alert 2 or some other really engrossing game instead of watch sports. Always hated PE, it was full of dickheads, never liked football since I was a little kid, and never enjoyed playing any sports even when it was just a piss around with some friends.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-01-25 02:07pm

Anyone is capable of participating; the question is how much effort he puts into it in order to become good at it. I had all the genetic markers to do that if I wanted to; above-average musculature for my size, fastest sprinter in the class, very strong legs, etc.

I just never gave a shit, and as the years passed, the skills of those who really cared about sports began to steadily pull away from mine. Endless practice will tend to do that, and if you're the kind of person who actually thinks it's an intellectually stimulating activity to run around a field kicking or throwing a ball for three hours, you'll do it a lot and you will eventually get pretty good at it.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2005-01-25 02:25pm

I still play in the college band and enjoy getting pretty good seats at the basketball games absolutely free.

Jim Raynor · Post by **Jim Raynor** » 2005-01-25 02:25pm

Wow, so many people here. I thought I was the only one. I never cared much for sports either. My parents weren't into sports, and I was never brought up watching or playing sports like most other kids. I could never understand why people were so obsessed with a bunch of grown men playing games. I always thought it was funny when people spoke about athletes as if they were heroes, warriors, or mythic figures.

Besides how glorified and overrated sports are, most of them are just plain boring. Golf and baseball are a lot of standing around, American football always stops the action after a mere two seconds, and hockey and soccer are so low-scoring that you can come back after missing 90% of the game without seeing any changes in the score. The only major pro sport I can watch is basketball, which my friends got me into. I find it a lot more entertaining because there's more scoring, and the game is played with more artistry and flare than other sports. Except for basketball and the Olympics, I just don't care about sports.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2005-01-25 03:31pm

I never played on an organized team when I was growing up--we never really had the money to get into a league, and my parents weren't sure I was interested enough to make the investment. I got into football by playing sandlot games in my neighborhood--I hit puberty early so for a while I was the biggest kid around, so I would play running back and drag defenders into the end zone with me. My record, I think, was four, two on each leg.

Unfortunately, I stopped growing and everybody else didn't. I was too small to be a linebacker and too slow to be a running back, so I never played in high school. But at that point, I had become interested in pro football. Not college, because there aren't any big time programs around me unless you count Temple, which nobody does, or Penn State, which is 300 miles away. My grandfather has been a diehard Eagles fanatic since they got started--he remembers going to Frankford Yellowjackets games in the 20s, before Bert Bell bought the team and renamed it the Eagles (Frankford is a neighborhood in the Philadelphia today; back then it was more like a town within Philadelphia County).

I picked a bad time to start following the Eagles, unfortunately. My entire high school career, they won one playoff game and went 3-13 my senior year. If you told me then they'd be in the Super Bowl by 2005, and they'd just barely miss going the three prior years, I'd have checked the papers to see if any mental patients had escaped.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-01-25 03:45pm

I got nothing against sporst (I do it myself), but its damn boring to watch it (any competition sport)

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2005-01-25 03:50pm

Sports? Wha? I have little interest in playing sports and even less interest in watching.

McC · Post by **McC** » 2005-01-25 04:13pm

Only interest I have in sports is when the Red Sox play, and that's only since coming to Boston. I care far less about the sport or the game and much more about the ambience of the town and the atmosphere of comraderie that materializes around them.

Shark Bait · Post by **Shark Bait** » 2005-01-25 04:58pm

not really a fan of sports however I have often enjoyed going to baseball games in the stadium because its kinda an atmosphear thing its pritty niffty, and I did have the privalage of watching the AZ diamondbacks win the world series which was cool but since then they have managed to fall to lovely levels of suck.

felineki · Post by **felineki** » 2005-01-25 05:29pm

I'm male as far as I can tell, and could care less about sports. As far as I can remember, I've really only played them in gym class and such, and I never watch sports on TV or follow teams' games, etc. But I don't -HATE- them, per se... I know other people get great enjoyment out of participating in or simply watching others participate in them, and that's just fine.

Executor32 · Post by **Executor32** » 2005-01-25 05:38pm

No interest whatsoever. In fact, this thread is boring me because I find sports so boring.

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2005-01-25 06:18pm

I've never cared much about sports. I may watch part of the Olympics when they come round. And if I'm somewhere where others are watching, I can endure it. But although I've always enjoyed playing certain games, watching them usually bores me to tears. Even when I was fencing competitively, when our team would throw a party, and someone would pull out a video they took of the latest tournament, or of some other fencing match they had a recording of, my eyes would glaze right over.

When I was living in Ireland, I very briefly had a roomate who literally spent himself into penury because he would travel all over Europe to see soccer games. He thought it was truly unpatriotic not to go and watch the Irish team at away games, and to him soccer was possibly the most important thing in the world. He couldn't tell you who the prime minister of Great Britain was during WWI, but he could tell you more than you ever wanted to know about soccer, scores of various games going back decades, various teams, players, past and present, and their stats, etc.. I cannot fathom the mind that thinks like this. A hundred years from now, who is even going to remember, much less care which team won a certain match on such and such a date in 1992? I cannot understand devoting so much of oneself to something that is ultimately so insignificant. I am not talking about fans who simply enjoy the games, but the people for whom sports occupies the place that in other people's lives is occupied by religious faith.