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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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 Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:26 am Post subject: |
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| JMO wrote: |
Well that was just an example actually of reducing something to its basic level as a reason not to like it. I don't dislike anything categorically.
I guess I was looking for a deeper reason for your dislike of sport.
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| I am able to pretend to like this and that sport when in the company of sports fans |
Well I doubt you are convincing. I'm pretty sure after 5 minutes of conversation with someone on premier league soccer for example, I would know they are bluffing. I don't like being patronised in that way either. |
Here in America (altho I suspect things are much the same on the Isles) sports are THE male pasttime. Those of us not into it are a little bitter about being on the outer edge. Especially when we try to talk about politics and are judged elitist or pompous. No, I am not making this shit up. I had to stop talking about politics DURING THE AMERICAN ELECTION b/c people would get insecure about it. Jesus H. Christ, I'm at a law school. It makes me indignant just thinking about it. No, I did not pay all this tuition to come here and talk about sports. That is so undergraduate.
Wow that kinda turned into a rant. Anyway, note I never called sports fans jerks or any of that. Its just that I have a problem sitting through an entire sports game now. I know there's some homework or something better I could be doing. |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Location: retired
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Some people like to watch strangers play a game and others like to argue with strangers on the internet about politics. To each his own.
The tribalism of sports really annoys me. Maybe that is why I am so opposed to participating as a spectator now. The Onion said it best:
The athletic team from my general geographic region is better than the athletic team from my general geographic region. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| Especially when we try to talk about politics and are judged elitist or pompous. No, I am not making this shit up. I had to stop talking about politics DURING THE AMERICAN ELECTION b/c people would get insecure about it. |
I've basically given up talking politics with anyone who doesn't approach it with my degree of interest. With 99% of people, the diccussion usually tapers off into awkwardly expressed cliches like "oh well, you know, they're all crooks" or "I get so tired of the way they're always attacking each other". Or else someone just says "Ahh politics!", the implication being that he wants us to get onto something else.
When I discuss politics in free-talking class, I usually don't make a concerted argument for or against anything. Good-natued Socratic ignorance is about as confrontational as it gets for me, since I don't think the purpose of an ESL class is to convince anyone of my opinion. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:02 am Post subject: |
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There is a McLaughlin-type TV show on the sports network in Canada where they talk about sports, but also about the social and cultural issues that are linked to it. And they often have guests from outside the world of sports. I heard about, but never saw, an episode where the two guest panelists were Preston Manning, a well-known evangelical Christian political leader in Canada, and Ron Jeremy.
Anyway, I actually like this show, even though I'm not into any of the sports they talk about. |
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
"Sports fans are generally jerks" says nothing about whether one participates in or enjoys sports, JMO.
You and others here chronically demonstrate an inability to stay on point. |
I wasn't actually responding to your point. Sports fans may or may not be jerks. I suspect most people are in their own way and I definitly am when I don't catch myself.
I have never been known to stay on point, that is true.
Last edited by JMO on Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:17 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Kuros wrote: |
Here in America (altho I suspect things are much the same on the Isles) sports are THE male pasttime. Those of us not into it are a little bitter about being on the outer edge. Especially when we try to talk about politics and are judged elitist or pompous. No, I am not making this shit up. I had to stop talking about politics DURING THE AMERICAN ELECTION b/c people would get insecure about it. Jesus H. Christ, I'm at a law school. It makes me indignant just thinking about it. No, I did not pay all this tuition to come here and talk about sports. That is so undergraduate.
Wow that kinda turned into a rant. Anyway, note I never called sports fans jerks or any of that. Its just that I have a problem sitting through an entire sports game now. I know there's some homework or something better I could be doing. |
To an extent sports are a safer topic I suppose, although god knows not in northern ireland.
I find that politics is always a touchy subject in some way because people think about in a very us and them way. The few people who don't think like that probably find it hard to meet each other casually. |
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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| mises wrote: |
Some people like to watch strangers play a game and others like to argue with strangers on the internet about politics. To each his own.
The tribalism of sports really annoys me. Maybe that is why I am so opposed to participating as a spectator now. The Onion said it best:
The athletic team from my general geographic region is better than the athletic team from my general geographic region. |
In most sports I'm what is called in Free Darko speech, a liberated sports fan. Especially in american sports.
I have the same problem with sports as Kuros has in politics. Everytime I say something like " wow, maybe this could be an indicator for the next game because they just can't convert on 3rd downs". Someone interjects with 'home team rules' or something along those lines.
Free Darko is a very intelligent blog written on the NBA, check it out.
I suppose you are opposed to Classical music on the same grounds, last night at the proms and all that. |
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| On the other hand wrote: |
There is a McLaughlin-type TV show on the sports network in Canada where they talk about sports, but also about the social and cultural issues that are linked to it. And they often have guests from outside the world of sports. I heard about, but never saw, an episode where the two guest panelists were Preston Manning, a well-known evangelical Christian political leader in Canada, and Ron Jeremy.
Anyway, I actually like this show, even though I'm not into any of the sports they talk about. |
There is a lot of writing online like this. For example, Malcolm Gladwell in a recent New Yorker article comparing the ability to play NFL QB to being a teacher(as in, until they do it, you don't if they are any good). Check it out. My buddy, who doesn't watch sport at all, found it interesting.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/15/081215fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all
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| This is the quarterback problem. There are certain jobs where almost nothing you can learn about candidates before they start predicts how they�ll do once they�re hired. So how do we know whom to choose in cases like that? In recent years, a number of fields have begun to wrestle with this problem, but none with such profound social consequences as the profession of teaching. |
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