I'd like to address the conversation from yesterday's comments. I'm 100% opposed to keeping sports in perspective. "Perspective" is poison for the entire sporting culture, both as a fan and as a participant. Every once in a while when I'm watching a game I get a thought that "these are just a bunch of jerks running around on a field that has no impact on my life." That's terrible, and I briefly feel like a moron, until I extinguish that thought from my head.
Even as a player, "perspective" is a killer. Ted and I are still pissed that we lost our soccer game on Wednesday, even though it has no bearing on any tangible part of our lives. But we want to win, and that makes it more fun.
Yeah, I agree with Jerry. Perspective makes sports far less interesting an important. Will the Magic's performance tonight have any real impact on my life? No. Is it the most important part of my day and dominating much of my thoughts today? Yes.
Perspective's impact on the player depends on the player though, no? There are plenty of guys (including yours truly) who perform at a much higher level on the field of play when they stop pressing or holding on to tight. It's not that they're thinking about their taxes or cease caring entirely; but allowing themselves to somewhat disengage can often lead to uninhibited and instinctive performance - which most athletes will tell you is when they are at their best.
Good point. Depends on the guy though. I have a guy that I play city league ball (6'6", 260)who I pretty much have to curse/yell at/insult his manhood in order to get him to play with any level of ferocity in most of our games. In my opinion, he often has "too much" perspective and thus isn't adequately motivated to beat on people in order to secure a victory. Of course, once he wants to slap me then he usually plays pretty well.
I am, surprisingly, getting some work done. I don't care about a player's perspective. That's not my point.
Maybe I'm getting old. Maybe I work too much to follow sports closely any more. Maybe I followed sports too closely and got burned out. But I find most sports journalism to be too hyperbolic these days.
I honestly don't give a shit about how we should look at a modern baseball player's numbers, or how we should compare them to players from the 1930's or 1960's. I don't buy into the "sanctity of the game" horseshit that people like Costas talk about. I also don't care about "the children." Manny Ramirez should not be your child's role model, for many reasons besides his atrophied testes.
I've said it here before, but I'll say it again: where's the outrage over Rodney Harrison and Shawn Merriman? The baseball/steroids stories are manufactured nonsense.
I still like to watch sports, preferably live. I still want my favorite teams to win and I'm still pissed when they lose. I will never, ever, stop being bitter about Super Bowl XXV. I just don't give a fuck about the players. I have no emotional interest in them. I don't care what they do unless they're on my fantasy team. I only have a vested interest in my desired outcomes of games. I just don't understand how adult men can write 2000 words about how passionate they are about the actions of some guy they never met.
I can tell you that I was disturbed by how the death of Sean Taylor impacted me...and how pissed I was when there were rumors of Chris Cooley potentially being traded.
Geoff, when you say rumors about Cooley being traded, are you referring to a TJ YouTube post about Dom Deluise's death entitled "Adios Captain Chaos"? 'Cause we can censure TJ for that.
I'd like to address the conversation from yesterday's comments. I'm 100% opposed to keeping sports in perspective. "Perspective" is poison for the entire sporting culture, both as a fan and as a participant. Every once in a while when I'm watching a game I get a thought that "these are just a bunch of jerks running around on a field that has no impact on my life." That's terrible, and I briefly feel like a moron, until I extinguish that thought from my head.
ReplyDeleteEven as a player, "perspective" is a killer. Ted and I are still pissed that we lost our soccer game on Wednesday, even though it has no bearing on any tangible part of our lives. But we want to win, and that makes it more fun.
Yeah, I agree with Jerry. Perspective makes sports far less interesting an important. Will the Magic's performance tonight have any real impact on my life? No. Is it the most important part of my day and dominating much of my thoughts today? Yes.
ReplyDeleteI'm still pissed about the 2004 ALCS.
ReplyDeletei'm not. 2003, though, that was a kick in the balls that still hurts.
ReplyDeleteDo TJ and Jerry share the same box or do they each have their own?
ReplyDeletePerspective's impact on the player depends on the player though, no? There are plenty of guys (including yours truly) who perform at a much higher level on the field of play when they stop pressing or holding on to tight. It's not that they're thinking about their taxes or cease caring entirely; but allowing themselves to somewhat disengage can often lead to uninhibited and instinctive performance - which most athletes will tell you is when they are at their best.
ReplyDeleteCougar was holding on too tight...and we all know how that played out.
ReplyDeleteGuys who aren't pressing or playing too tight, and may in fact be legally dead?
ReplyDeleteThe Hawks.
I've been asked to clarify my "box" comment due to some confusion. So, here's my explanation to TJ via the electronic mailing systems...
ReplyDelete"Living in a box…like Johnny Cakes.
Not like Nisha-box…in Joyner’s closet."
That should explain for most...and confuse even more for some.
Good point. Depends on the guy though. I have a guy that I play city league ball (6'6", 260)who I pretty much have to curse/yell at/insult his manhood in order to get him to play with any level of ferocity in most of our games. In my opinion, he often has "too much" perspective and thus isn't adequately motivated to beat on people in order to secure a victory. Of course, once he wants to slap me then he usually plays pretty well.
ReplyDeleteThe Nisha-box comment still has me laughing.
ReplyDeleteAnd where's Zoltan?
ReplyDeletei'm teejay-level confused about boxes. that's nothing new, however.
ReplyDeleterob, it's what you use to reach the kitchen counter.
ReplyDeleteno, that's a step stool.
ReplyDeleteNot a fireman's ladder?
ReplyDeletefor the upper cabinets, sure.
ReplyDeleteI am, surprisingly, getting some work done. I don't care about a player's perspective. That's not my point.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm getting old. Maybe I work too much to follow sports closely any more. Maybe I followed sports too closely and got burned out. But I find most sports journalism to be too hyperbolic these days.
I honestly don't give a shit about how we should look at a modern baseball player's numbers, or how we should compare them to players from the 1930's or 1960's. I don't buy into the "sanctity of the game" horseshit that people like Costas talk about. I also don't care about "the children." Manny Ramirez should not be your child's role model, for many reasons besides his atrophied testes.
I've said it here before, but I'll say it again: where's the outrage over Rodney Harrison and Shawn Merriman? The baseball/steroids stories are manufactured nonsense.
I still like to watch sports, preferably live. I still want my favorite teams to win and I'm still pissed when they lose. I will never, ever, stop being bitter about Super Bowl XXV. I just don't give a fuck about the players. I have no emotional interest in them. I don't care what they do unless they're on my fantasy team. I only have a vested interest in my desired outcomes of games. I just don't understand how adult men can write 2000 words about how passionate they are about the actions of some guy they never met.
I'd agree with most of that except the last part. I think there are certain players on the teams that we root for that are important to us as fans.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that I was disturbed by how the death of Sean Taylor impacted me...and how pissed I was when there were rumors of Chris Cooley potentially being traded.
ReplyDeleteGeoff, when you say rumors about Cooley being traded, are you referring to a TJ YouTube post about Dom Deluise's death entitled "Adios Captain Chaos"? 'Cause we can censure TJ for that.
ReplyDeleteNope...the Kellen Winslow rumor and then the Jay Cutler rumor. I could never be mad at TJ...or Dom DeLuise.
ReplyDelete