Yeah, you read that right. I have little to no love for sports. On occasion I might be coaxed into playing basketball, but that's a rare event. By and large I get no enjoyment from playing or watching sports. It's not for lack of trying, mind you. I played soccer for about five years total, though I really only enjoyed it for the times I would goof off with friends. I even aspired to be a basketball player for a few months when I was about 9 or 10, but that had more to do with my liking Space Jam than anything else.
So why do I hate sports exactly? I had to sit down and really give it some thought, but I found it beneficial to reflect on it. I'll start from my earliest childhood memories and I guess work up from that.
1. My neighbor
From the ages of 4-7, I used to spend time with a boy named Adam who had a first love in sports. We were friends but our playtime was dictated by him primarily. Where I wanted to used my imagination and go on adventures and be a hero, he would want to play baseball. If I wanted to play video games, he would decide that we would be playing baseball. I was with a friend who wanted to participate in what I considered to be under-stimulating activities, so I was naturally soured to them. It was further ruined by his demeaning and bullying over my preferences for video games and use of imagination.
2. I'm non-competitive
No one likes to lose. I'm no exception to this and I've been on the receiving end of it plenty. Furthermore, I don't like seeing people lose. Not that I'm a "trophy for everyone" kind of guy. I hate that. But what I hate even more is gloating. I really hate people who gloat and rub it in. That just pisses me off.
I was reading some forums that were discussing this entry's same topic and someone used the perfect word: tribalism. By and large, I hate conflict. I'm not a confrontational person. Tribalism are just those things. Now some may find this ironic in that I love action movies and video games, but there's a distinction. It's not real. I also don't enjoy competitive video games, generally speaking.
3. Its ubiquity
The assumption that everyone enjoys sports and those that don't are heathens permeates our culture. I'll use an example. Every news channel has a sports anchor. If you really think about it, that makes no sense. It's not news. We don't have an anchor that reports on the latest episode of The Walking Dead, do we? Of course not. Because it's not news, it's a pastime and so are sports.
The only experience that I can equate it to is of is finding someone that doesn't like Star Wars or The Beatles. Those individuals make no sense to me. I make no sense to the world.
4. My parents forced me to play
I mentioned earlier that I played soccer for five years. Every year after the first one had been forced on me. I can remember the captain of the high school team telling me I should just tell my mom I don't want to play. "Yeah, sure that works!" said no one ever.
5. Class warfare
The section title is dramatic, I'll admit, but fitting. Sort of piggy-backing onto the tribal issue I mentioned in section 2, I feel for those put lower on the social ladder for harboring certain passions and proclivities. I can't abide people getting harassed over stupid things, and being targeted for choosing band or theater is a stupid thing. I didn't see this too much, thankfully, but enough that it solidified my desire to not associate.
6. I'm creative
From as far back as I can remember, I've always loved using my imagination. Whether it's been playing pretend or acting or writing, it's always been a part of me. That's what really stimulates me. There's no place for that in sports. It's not a creative outlet, so it doesn't appeal to me.
7. I'm an intellectual
As much as I hate the label with all its preconceptions, I still get pigeonholed as an intellectual. I guess I'm stuck with the label. How often do you see two hockey teams debate over the existence of God during a game? When in the history of the NBA has there been discussion over the merits of post-modernism? The answer to both is never.
I like thinking about things, deep and shallow. But, like creativity, the intellect is not something that belongs in the sports world. I'm going to take heat for this most likely, but I'd argue that sports are anti-intellectual. The fact that a college's level of prestige is based so largely on the success of their athletics department is ironic. Colleges and universities are establishments meant to cultivate the mind, not diminish its importance. But our culture has done just that. It's no wonder we have an education problem in this country.
I may or may not expand on this entry at a later date, depending on how self-righteous and/or pretentious I'm feeling at the moment.
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