telling friends and family about lack of sports interest

[ChrisOH]

Hello again all!

This is really just a continuation of my previous post, but I broke it down for the sake of length.

Given my previous comments about losing interest in sports, is there an appropriate way to "come out" to friends and family as an "ex-fan"? My wife, when I've discussed this with her, told me it was never sports per se that she had any issue with (although she's in general agreement about the abuses and excesses of sports culture), only the amount of time it took up and took away from other activities with her, our families, etc. However, some family members have bought me sports paraphernalia (shirts, caps, mugs, etc.) in the past because of my interest in sports (even if they weren't that interested themselves). Others have asked me about sports conversationally, and sometimes we have gone to games as a social outing.

I certainly don't want to seem ungrateful when someone has taken the time to select a gift for me, or to engage me in conversation about something I'm interested in. I would, however, like to send a message that there are other interests I have and other gifts I would enjoy -- just to do that in a diplomatic way. I don't want to come across as "weird" or "radical" or anything like that -- because essentially, I haven't changed who I am; the way I see it, I'm allowing other parts of personality and other areas of interest to be expressed, where I had allowed sports to become my "default" interest in the past.

I do remember what Ray said in one his previous responses to me, although he wouldn't go out of his way to make waves, he wouldn't fake liking sports just to fit in. I guess that's how I would like it to be for myself.

Thoughts, anyone?

[i_like_1981]

I personally would just let it simmer down over a long period of time. I've never had this issue, as I've despised the sports culture for just about as long as I can remember, but I can imagine it would draw quite a considerable shock from your peers if you were to suddenly announce you've gone off sports. I think you should gradually lessen your involvement with the sporting world over a period of time - like if someone asks you to a game, tell them that you're busy that day. If there is a sports conversation going on, just talk when asked and don't try to pretend you're obsessed with something you've lost interest in, or that you've suddenly turned on it. If someone buys you a piece of sports-related memorabilia, just say "Thanks" and leave it on display for a while, even if you don't actually use it. Try not to be too outspoken in your sudden change of attitude towards sports but I wouldn't act as if nothing's changed. I would take the diplomatic route as well if I suddenly went off old music... but I don't have much in the way of friends or family to hide anything from.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[ChrisOH]

Hello 1981!

Thanks for the input -- actually, I'm pretty fortunate in that neither my family nor my in-laws, with the exception of a couple people, are big "sports fan" families, so not watching a game probably wouldn't be a big issue. As far as the gifts, game tickets, etc., go, I think your idea makes a lot of sense -- maybe politely declining due to prior commitments or if I do accept, doing so without as much "eagerness" for the game and focusing more on the people I'm with than on the game itself; and doing a courtesy display of the gifts, while at the same time, expressing interest in other items when asked about future gift ideas. Hopefully if I don't make a big issue of it, they won't either.

Thanks again for the input and advice!

[i_like_1981]

No problem. Glad I could help. I forgot for a while that you, like recovering_fan, were a fan of sports in your earlier days... I noticed how a lot of our recent members have been ex-fans like yourself. What exactly precipitated all this loss of interest in sports all of a sudden? Yeah, if I was in your position, I'd go for the more diplomatic method of gradually letting my interest in something simmer down over time until I'd detached myself from it, instead of expressing a complete reversal in my thoughts out of the blue and probably shocking and even upsetting a few people I knew. I have heard how sports can create pretty strong bonds between people and how supporters of the same team can even grow to feel like brothers... I've never experienced any of this first-hand but I can imagine it's not just something you can break away from like that. So, keep us posted on how your gradual drive to turn away from the world of sports is going.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Fat Man]

As for me, I never had any problem telling my family that I didn't like sports. I was virtually born hating sports.

When I was just a little kid, I never played with balls, except to use them to make a model of the solar system, ya know,a beach ball for the sun, a baseball for Jupiter, a tennis ball with a cardboard ring attached for Saturn, a couple of golf balls for Uranus and Neptune, a couple of large glass marbles (plunkers) for Earth and Venus, a small red marble for Mars, and a couple of hard white peas for Mercury and Pluto. OK, marbles, plunkers, and hard white peas don't exactly count as balls, but you get the general idea.

As for friends, well, I didn't really have any friends in school, so I just told everybody I knew that I hated sports, so, fuck 'em!!!

After having the holy crap beaten outta me a few times, I would say, "Well, that's a find way to inspire enthusiasm for sports! Eh?"

Uh huh! Nothing like a kick in the teeth to get one to love sports!

Yeah! Works every time!

NOT!!!

[i_like_1981]

After having the holy crap beaten outta me a few times, I would say, "Well, that's a find way to inspire enthusiasm for sports! Eh?"

Uh huh! Nothing like a kick in the teeth to get one to love sports!

I don't get it with these jock bullies either. I mean, their unconditional demand is that everybody like sports, right? That's their aim in life, isn't it? So what kind of "service" do they think they are doing to the popularity of their best games by tormenting and even physically attacking those who aren't interested in them? Surely that's going to make the non-fans have even more contempt for them and their beloved sports?

If this is the sort of thing that sports do to people's minds, it makes me quite proud of the fact I never liked them.

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Fat Man]

After having the holy crap beaten outta me a few times, I would say, "Well, that's a find way to inspire enthusiasm for sports! Eh?"

Uh huh! Nothing like a kick in the teeth to get one to love sports!

I don't get it with these jock bullies either. I mean, their unconditional demand is that everybody like sports, right? That's their aim in life, isn't it? So what kind of "service" do they think they are doing to the popularity of their best games by tormenting and even physically attacking those who aren't interested in them? Surely that's going to make the non-fans have even more contempt for them and their beloved sports?

If this is the sort of thing that sports do to people's minds, it makes me quite proud of the fact I never liked them.

It's like religion.

If you don't believe in God, then when you die, he's going to send you to Hell where you'll burn for ever and ever for all eternity.

But he loves you!!!

Same with sports. If you don't like sports, you'll get beaten and harassed and perhaps driven to suicide.

Love sports or else!

[ChrisOH]

It's like religion.

If you don't believe in God, then when you die, he's going to send you to Hell where you'll burn for ever and ever for all eternity.

But he loves you!!!

Same with sports. If you don't like sports, you'll get beaten and harassed and perhaps driven to suicide.

Love sports or else!

Yes...if you don't accept our point of view voluntarily, we'll impose it on you through fear and intimidation!

Some people just can't stand the idea that other may have interests that differ from their own, I guess.

[i_like_1981]

It's like religion.

That's exactly my point. Over the last... century or so, our society has practically gone and turned sports into a worldwide RELIGION. The appreciation of physical activity is fine, but now that people are getting paid millions to play and transformed into idols by the media of their countries, it's gone way, way too far. People are getting harassed because they don't believe in how "wonderful" and "awe-inspiring" sports are. I don't know who's more to blame - the sheepish fans who can't so much as imagine life without their wonderful "team" to keep them going, or the worldwide media that creates such overwhelming hype around what are merely games.

Best regards,
i_like_1981