Lost interest in sports

[ChrisOH]

Hello all!

Well, it finally happened. One day last week, I picked up the morning newspaper and didn't feel like looking at the sports section, so I didn't. And I haven't any day since. I've also un-bookmarked the sports sites I had on my web browsers. In short, I seem to have lost interest in sports -- even the critical aspects of them seem rather mundane to me now -- it's like, ho-hum, more overpaid athletes, more hype, more athletes getting preferential treatment, etc. I had a feeling this would happen one day, I just didn't think it would be this soon.

For any newcomers who aren't quite familiar with my background, here's a brief summary: I found this site in December of last year after I felt my sports-watching habit was getting out-of-hand and I was growing tired of it. At that time, I thought the correct approach was to "wean" myself off it -- cutting down to only the "big games", limiting it to one game per week, things like that. But there's always a big game, it seems -- a championship, a playoff-deciding game, a season opener or playoff opener, a "rivalry" game, a star player playing against his former team, some record that is likely to be broken -- there's a "big game" at least once a week, if not more. Finally, I just grew weary of paying attention to it.

I realize, though, that problems with the sports culture don't just go away because I choose to not be interested. I know students still get bullied in school over sports and PE classes, that sports continues to dominate the media and push more important news and issues into the background, and that athletes still get preferential treatment by society and by the law; among other problems with the culture.

So, therefore, I've decided to remain on the forums so that hopefully I can be a resource to others like myself, who wish to pull back from the sports culture. Besides, I've had more than a few interesting discussions on here (including many that haven't even been sports-related) and "met" some good people (although none yet in person)!

So, thanks to all, and I look forward to continuing posting!

Thanks to all

[i_like_1981]

I'm glad to hear that your sports addiction is wearing off on you. I actually forgot for a while that you used to be a big sports fan, much like recovering_fan was. I suppose some people would laugh over something like this, saying "If you're not interested in it any more, then just don't do it... how hard can it be to put something behind you?" but if you've spent years being a big fan of something and you decide your interest in it has got to subside, weaning yourself away can be a very hard job. I know I wouldn't find it too easy to subdue my interests in the old music and learn to accept new music, as my mind has become so accustomed to functioning this way that it would find it hard to adjust to a sudden change. Maybe even impossible. Congratulations on ending your sports addiction and I look forward to reading more posts from you on this website. There really aren't that many of us around here, so all contributions are appreciated (as for these "new human being here" spammers, I'll make an exception!).

Best regards,
i_like_1981

[Ex fan]

Dude, I am about to tell some of my football fan friends that I won't be attending any games because A I have a new girlfriend who lives 100 miles from me and is very important to me and knows I only followed football to please the herd B The cost of going to a game even in a part of England where there is only lower league football is astronomical C I am sick of the damn game, its greed, media overkill and money mad players D I am changing my car and don't relish the back seats being coveted in spilled beer. Well D is a minor point, but the cost of visiting the new girlfriend and replacing the car to replace my ageing and tired Nissan means I'm not keen to have to have the new car valeted after a game.

[Ex fan]

It's hard as I know the Socceristas aren't happy. One has even called me a traitor for saying the start of the season doesn't interest me any more and others will probably be displeased that I no longer sit and orgasm over the day's match stats like an idiot( deep down I was wanting to say I found the stats as exciting as watching grass grow but couldn't). For once I want to make a clean break, see more of my girlfriend and enjoy things the Socceristas either regard as weird or gay like sci fi and culture. Also next week when the hallowed season starts, there's a car show locally that I want to see.

[ChrisOH]

Hello Ex Fan!

I'm glad you've found more interesting and important things to do with your time! Funny, isn't it, that the things "socceristas" think gay or nerdy are things that might actually help you learn something or make you use your mind, instead of watching people play a game that a five-year-old can play?

Best wishes to you in your separation from this mindless culture!

[Ex fan]

Hello Ex Fan!

I'm glad you've found more interesting and important things to do with your time! Funny, isn't it, that the things "socceristas" think gay or nerdy are things that might actually help you learn something or make you use your mind, instead of watching people play a game that a five-year-old can play?

Best wishes to you in your separation from this mindless culture!

Managed to do two interesting things last weekend that weren't sports related: saw a display of sixties and seventies Volkswagen camper vans and saw an exhibition of medieval dancing and foot combat at a local castle. How much more rewarding for the fairly low entry fee and pleasant than being herded into some prison like football ground for a king's ransom every few weeks. This week I'm attending a display of new and classic cars on the local harbour for free while the football fans are hitting an orgasmic frenzy as Saturday marks the start of a new season.

[jockocaust]

It's not enough to merely stop. The logical conclusion is to state it openly to those around you. The quality and character of virtually every sport has gone way down anyway. I think that one has to be away from it in order to TRULY understand just how absurd it really is.

[Earl]

Wow! This is really neat! The date of your last post is March 5, 2008 -- which is more than a year before I even discovered this website. Glad you've come back.

I noticed your last message was "I don't watch sports so I guess that makes me a homo." Please check my last post in the topic that is listed immediately below this one. It's relevant to your last message.

I hate to be the last poster in this topic so your name doesn't appear in the topic menu as the most recent poster; so, by all means, post again!

But for now ... gotta go.

[ChrisOH]

It's not enough to merely stop. The logical conclusion is to state it openly to those around you. The quality and character of virtually every sport has gone way down anyway. I think that one has to be away from it in order to TRULY understand just how absurd it really is.

Hello Jockocaust!

I pretty much gave up on sports close to a year ago, for various reasons, and I no longer watch games or read the sports section the paper, etc., but still it seems inevitable that sports intrudes even into non-sports areas of life. Yesterday on the front page of our local paper, (not the sports section, but the VERY front page) there was an article about the Cleveland Browns starting football practice this week, and how fans were showing up early to get in line to watch the practice. Watch a PRACTICE? Is there any more boring way to spend a summer Sunday? And why does this even rate as news, much less the front-page variety? You're right, the further one is removed from sports immersion, the more ridiculous the culture seems.

[Fat Man]

It's not enough to merely stop. The logical conclusion is to state it openly to those around you. The quality and character of virtually every sport has gone way down anyway. I think that one has to be away from it in order to TRULY understand just how absurd it really is.

Hello Jockocaust!

I pretty much gave up on sports close to a year ago, for various reasons, and I no longer watch games or read the sports section the paper, etc., but still it seems inevitable that sports intrudes even into non-sports areas of life. Yesterday on the front page of our local paper, (not the sports section, but the VERY front page) there was an article about the Cleveland Browns starting football practice this week, and how fans were showing up early to get in line to watch the practice. Watch a PRACTICE? Is there any more boring way to spend a summer Sunday? And why does this even rate as news, much less the front-page variety? You're right, the further one is removed from sports immersion, the more ridiculous the culture seems.

Watching football, or football practice, is about as exciting as watching paint dry, or sitting there watching the grass growing before you need to get out the lawn mower again.

HO HUM!

[Ex fan]

Medieval foot combat, where guys dress up and act like Medieval knights, is way better than any mindnumbing team sport. Also it is part of your country's history as well, so serves an educational purpose.

[Fat Man]

Medieval foot combat, where guys dress up and act like Medieval knights, is way better than any mindnumbing team sport. Also it is part of your country's history as well, so serves an educational purpose.

Yeah! I have seen a few examples of that on some educational TV programs.

You have to design and build your own suit of armor and make your own sword, pounding the metal on an anvil.

You get to do it the way they use to do it back in medieval times.

Sounds like a cool hobby!

[Ex fan]

Medieval foot combat, where guys dress up and act like Medieval knights, is way better than any mindnumbing team sport. Also it is part of your country's history as well, so serves an educational purpose.

Yeah! I have seen a few examples of that on some educational TV programs.

You have to design and build your own suit of armor and make your own sword, pounding the metal on an anvil.

You get to do it the way they use to do it back in medieval times.

Sounds like a cool hobby!

Everything looks authentic and I know the guys who do medieval sports spend weeks preparing. Also it's a bit of fun that no one takes seriously unlike it was a football derby.

[Agent 47]

One has even called me a traitor for saying the start of the season doesn't interest me any more

A traitor. Gee, that reminds me of the last time I played a season of team sport. Before the main winter season of the game was even over, they went around signing up people for the summer, indoor version of the game, and I simply said no thanks. They asked why not, and I politely explained about a project I was working on that I wanted to spend more time on instead.

I didn't think that would be any big deal, but because I wasn't interested in their game anymore, they suddenly turned on me and started insulting my project. I usually got along well with all of them, but they suddenly reacted as if I had personally insulted all of their families or something.

It was all quite puzzling at the time, but I see now that getting involved in the sports culture is like joining some sort of religious cult-from-which-there-is-no-escape. Or so they would have you believe.

[Fat Man]

One has even called me a traitor for saying the start of the season doesn't interest me any more

A traitor. Gee, that reminds me of the last time I played a season of team sport. Before the main winter season of the game was even over, they went around signing up people for the summer, indoor version of the game, and I simply said no thanks. They asked why not, and I politely explained about a project I was working on that I wanted to spend more time on instead.

I didn't think that would be any big deal, but because I wasn't interested in their game anymore, they suddenly turned on me and started insulting my project. I usually got along well with all of them, but they suddenly reacted as if I had personally insulted all of their families or something.

It was all quite puzzling at the time, but I see now that getting involved in the sports culture is like joining some sort of religious cult-from-which-there-is-no-escape. Or so they would have you believe.

No, it is a religious cult from which very few escape.

It's only going to get worse in the future. Yes, I see a dark and dismal future for humanity because of sports.

It will get so bad, some day, you will see many sports fans getting in line to drink poison Kool Aid laced with cyanide after their favorite team loses the big game of the season.

NO WAIT! I TAKE THAT BACK!

It will be a very bright future for all humanity after all the sports fans drink the poison Kool Aid and die!

This is how all true sports fans must show their solidarity. They must all commit mass suicide when their favorite team loses a game.

I just hope they leave their children out of it, then their children should be adopted by well educated people, you know, like scientists, like astronomers, physicists, paleontologists, biochemists, etc. etc.

I think sports should be taken out of our schools, because sports is a religion, and having sports in our schools violates the separation of church and state.

The great big sports arenas are actually churches where all the drooling morons go to worship animals who chase balls.

So, sports is a pagan religion.