View Full Version : My year of sports fandom!
Ultralight
3-23-18, 8:06pm
I am, on April 1st (no foolin') going to become a sports fan for one year.
Insights, ideas, suggestions, and words of caution are welcome.
Yes, this is a lifestyle experiment. And my intention is to become a fan of one major league baseball team, one NFL team, and one NHL team.
Obviously I will be a fan of the OSU Buckeye football team. That almost goes without saying.
My goals are to learn about people, our culture, and to have some new and interesting experiences.
Thoughts?
Chicken lady
3-23-18, 8:14pm
I’m not sure that word means what you think it means...
deciding to to “become a fan” seems like deciding to fall in love or find religion....
Ultralight
3-23-18, 8:23pm
I’m not sure that word means what you think it means...
deciding to to “become a fan” seems like deciding to fall in love or find religion....
1. It is just for a year.
2. I think it is different than deciding to fall in love.
3. It is like a religion, I suppose, minus requisite belief in the supernatural.
I actually have two "spiritual guides" on this journey. Two coworkers who are huge sports fans are helping with this process.
You can combine attending live games with televised ones, but to best understand the sports you should play them yourself. Do you get free phys ed classes as an employee benefit? Or will an amateur league welcome you?
I think you definitely will experience a kind of tribalism that you'll find interesting.
My suggestion is to read a lot, both about the team you follow and about other teams and the sport itself. IME only listening/watching quickly devolves into an echo chamber.
And go to a game. Even just one game. Any game. All the sports are very different when they're away from the long lens of the TV camera.
Chicken lady
3-23-18, 9:15pm
Doesn’t “fan” come from “fanatic”? It just seems like something you either feel, or you don’t. I don’t know how you decide to feel something. (I know several bad ways to decide to NOT feel something...)
You should choose the Arizona diamondbacks! I’m not a fan but I love going to their games. For a few years I lived within sight of the stadium and we would walk to a game now and then. Watched the home game Friday night fireworks from our apartment.
Ultralight
3-23-18, 10:20pm
You can combine attending live games with televised ones, but to best understand the sports you should play them yourself. Do you get free phys ed classes as an employee benefit? Or will an amateur league welcome you?
I have played backyard football and baseball when I was a kid. But I have not played hockey. I am not much of a skater.
The experiment is mostly about fandom rather than actually playing the sports.
Ultralight
3-23-18, 10:21pm
I think you definitely will experience a kind of tribalism that you'll find interesting.
My suggestion is to read a lot, both about the team you follow and about other teams and the sport itself. IME only listening/watching quickly devolves into an echo chamber.
And go to a game. Even just one game. Any game. All the sports are very different when they're away from the long lens of the TV camera.
Yes, the tribalism is intriguing. :)
I do intend to attend some games, either home, away, or both.
Ultralight
3-23-18, 10:22pm
Doesn’t “fan” come from “fanatic”? It just seems like something you either feel, or you don’t. I don’t know how you decide to feel something. (I know several bad ways to decide to NOT feel something...)
That is part of the experiment. Can I feel it? If I do, what will it feel like? If I can't feel it, then what? And so on...
Ultralight
3-23-18, 10:25pm
You should choose the Arizona diamondbacks! I’m not a fan but I love going to their games. For a few years I lived within sight of the stadium and we would walk to a game now and then. Watched the home game Friday night fireworks from our apartment.
Tammy:
Since I lived out in AZ the Diamondbacks are on my list, as are the Cardinals, for teams I am considering rooting for.
The other options are the Orioles, as I already attended one of their games, against the mariners, I think (but I can't remember). So I think it would be reasonable to choose the Orioles.
But I have lived in Philly too, so I could pick one or more of those teams too.
Cleveland and Cincy are close, so those are the most convenient options.
But picking the AZ Cardinals could mean I could travel to AZ for a game during the cold OH autumn. haha
Chicken lady
3-23-18, 10:28pm
Ah, Sort of an arranged marriage....
Ultralight
3-23-18, 10:30pm
Ah, Sort of an arranged marriage....
In a sense, sure. It'd be tough for me to really buy into the whole thing. So it'll probably just be an interesting year, from which I will emerge with some amusing stories. haha
iris lilies
3-23-18, 10:52pm
...
The experiment is mostly about fandom rather than actually playing the sports.
This reminds me of my years of fascination with Diana, Princess of Wales. It was more The Cult of Diana that was interesting than she herself, a not too smart but an incredibly media-savvy person.
Tammy:
Since I lived out in AZ the Diamondbacks are on my list, as are the Cardinals, for teams I am considering rooting for.
The other options are the Orioles, as I already attended one of their games, against the mariners, I think (but I can't remember). So I think it would be reasonable to choose the Orioles.
But I have lived in Philly too, so I could pick one or more of those teams too.
Cleveland and Cincy are close, so those are the most convenient options.
But picking the AZ Cardinals could mean I could travel to AZ for a game during the cold OH autumn. haha
Cardinals? Are you out of your mind?! Cubs!
iris lilies
3-23-18, 11:37pm
Cardinals? Are you out of your mind?! Cubs!
I think he means football Cardinals. Of course, baseball Cardinals WOULD be the correct choice. :~)
I have played backyard football and baseball when I was a kid. But I have not played hockey. I am not much of a skater.
The experiment is mostly about fandom rather than actually playing the sports.
Field hockey and basketball then.
Ultralight
3-24-18, 10:19am
Field hockey and basketball then.
Playing sports might be another lifestyle experiment altogether. Time is short. :)
The good thing about basketball is you can go to pickup games at your local park whenever you have time, no commitment required.
Ultralight
3-24-18, 7:31pm
Do major league baseball stadiums have sections in the bleachers for home team and visiting team? Like, are they separate? Anyone know?
No they are not separate.
If you decide to do this, I suggest you blog about it. It would be a really interesting experiment infiltrating a truly American culture as an outsider.
It's a bit strange to manufacturer a loyalty to something that you really don't care about, but it is an interesting experiment.
My DH and I are not huge sports fans. I tend to really like following local teams that I'm part of. I was a football cheerleader in high school, and so I tend to really enjoy Rutgers football games, even though we only had one brief shining moment in the 2000s. But I truly don't like the other sports, although my son just called me to rave about Sister Jean--knowing I was raised Catholic. It's a little weird, praying for a sports team to win. Even though if I liked basketball, I'd probably root for Loyola. I went to a sister college of Loyola's and traveled with some of their students when I did Junior Year Abroad.
But really, blog about it. Tell us what you learn from the sports world.
Ultralight
3-24-18, 8:02pm
No they are not separate.
Riots? Fights? Mayhem?
There have been fights in the bleachers at Fenway Park.
Ultralight
3-24-18, 8:13pm
There have been fights in the bleachers at Fenway Park.
I pity the fool!
If you decide to do this, I suggest you blog about it. It would be a really interesting experiment infiltrating a truly American culture as an outsider.
Is American sports culture really much different from the environment in football (soccer) in the rest of the world? For example, players in the major pro leagues in Europe have the same levels of celebrity and (likely) income as star players and coaches in the U.S., celebrity endorsements, the same kind of tribal representation ("Man U!" "No, Arsenal!"),...
ToomuchStuff
3-25-18, 10:29am
Riots? Fights? Mayhem?
Attempted murder a few years back, when fan(s/atics) attacked a fan of another team. Less, when you sit in area's where family/friends of the players/team sit. (most won't get those tickets)
I have fun hearing stories from the players and have several that are friends, but there is no way in hades that I could say you could learn to love sports if you are like me and don't give a (censored).
Ultralight
3-26-18, 7:14am
Attempted murder a few years back, when fan(s/atics) attacked a fan of another team. Less, when you sit in area's where family/friends of the players/team sit. (most won't get those tickets)
I have fun hearing stories from the players and have several that are friends, but there is no way in hades that I could say you could learn to love sports if you are like me and don't give a (censored).
Statistically unlikely to happen though.
Since this is a SIMPLE living forum, might I suggest becoming a tennis aficianado as I have the past 6-8 years. It's nearly year round (played internationally), and you can become a fan of one or more players very easily. So you wouldn't have to try and become a fan of seasonal sports. The game is easy to understand and you don't have to hunt for the ball (soccer/hockey), and there is no tie at the end of the match.
I watch matches on the Tennis Channel or on ESPN when they cover. We just went to our first professional tournament in Palm Springs a few weeks ago. Talk about tribalism. The entire area was tennis-nuts. Every restaurant or store you entered you heard tennis chatter.
Oh, and it's a gentleman's/gentlewoman's game.
Perhaps there are clubs you could go watch in your area?
If this doesn't ring your bell, I would go with the Cleveland Indians, because I like Terry Francona. I'm a lukewarm Mariners fan.
Ultralight
3-26-18, 6:03pm
Since this is a SIMPLE living forum, might I suggest becoming a tennis aficianado as I have the past 6-8 years. It's nearly year round (played internationally), and you can become a fan of one or more players very easily. So you wouldn't have to try and become a fan of seasonal sports. The game is easy to understand and you don't have to hunt for the ball (soccer/hockey), and there is no tie at the end of the match.
I watch matches on the Tennis Channel or on ESPN when they cover. We just went to our first professional tournament in Palm Springs a few weeks ago. Talk about tribalism. The entire area was tennis-nuts. Every restaurant or store you entered you heard tennis chatter.
Oh, and it's a gentleman's/gentlewoman's game.
The idea is much appreciated. And I will say: Serena Williams is already my celebrity crush!
Ultralight
3-26-18, 6:03pm
Orioles it is! Opening day is 3/29 and I will be listening to the game at work. :)
Ultralight
3-29-18, 6:08am
Opening day! I will be listening to the Orioles play at work. :) haha
Thanks for posting this! I did not know today was the opener, but my dad is a huge fan and in assisted living now so I was just able to research possible opening lineup and just called him to discuss.
He was SO HAPPY! And this is a man who saw Satchel Paige play!
So your year of fandom has already helped me in an unexpected way, thank you!
One year isn't enough to call yourself a real fan (which I always thought derived from "fancier"). You can't just put on a jersey and call yourself a fan. It takes a lifetime, perhaps more, to internalize the proper level of commitment. The Chicago Cubs won a World Series before my grandfather went to fight the Kaiser with the AEF. He came back and had a son who had a son who didn't get to wear a "2016: the Year We Didn't Suck" t-shirt until he was nearly sixty. That's more than entertainment, that's faith at the most mystical level.
One year? Bah! That's a whim. A mild infatuation at best. Succeeding as a fan is like succeeding at marriage. You need to endure the misery along with the joy for years and years.
Chicken lady is right. It's like falling in love when you do it right. What you're proposing in more like hiring an escort.
Ultralight
3-30-18, 5:21pm
One year isn't enough to call yourself a real fan (which I always thought derived from "fancier"). You can't just put on a jersey and call yourself a fan. It takes a lifetime, perhaps more, to internalize the proper level of commitment. The Chicago Cubs won a World Series before my grandfather went to fight the Kaiser with the AEF. He came back and had a son who had a son who didn't get to wear a "2016: the Year We Didn't Suck" t-shirt until he was nearly sixty. That's more than entertainment, that's faith at the most mystical level.
One year? Bah! That's a whim. A mild infatuation at best. Succeeding as a fan is like succeeding at marriage. You need to endure the misery along with the joy for years and years.
Chicken lady is right. It's like falling in love when you do it right. What you're proposing in more like hiring an escort.
1. I have an Orioles hat, a fridge magnet, a magnet for the shelf in my cubicle at work, and a magnet for my car.
2. I have attended an Orioles game already (my work sent me to a game in 2012).
3. I intend to attend another home game (at least one) and an away game (at least one).
4. Come football season I will attend an OSU game (at least one). I will also wear the regalia and watch games on TV at my sister and BIL's (they are super fans).
5. Once hockey season starts I will attend several games as Columbus has a local NHL team. Again: I will don the regalia.
6. I am learning about the teams and following them daily.
7. I have two sports "spiritual guides" working with me through this upcoming year. Both are super fans for their teams.
8. Saying I am not a true fan is like saying a recent convert to Christianity is not a real Christian because he was just baptized.
1. I have an Orioles hat, a fridge magnet, a magnet for the shelf in my cubicle at work, and a magnet for my car.
2. I have attended an Orioles game already (my work sent me to a game in 2012).
3. I intend to attend another home game (at least one) and an away game (at least one).
4. Come football season I will attend an OSU game (at least one). I will also wear the regalia and watch games on TV at my sister and BIL's (they are super fans).
5. Once hockey season starts I will attend several games as Columbus has a local NHL team. Again: I will don the regalia.
6. I am learning about the teams and following them daily.
7. I have two sports "spiritual guides" working with me through this upcoming year. Both are super fans for their teams.
8. Saying I am not a true fan is like saying a recent convert to Christianity is not a real Christian because he was just baptized.
Perhaps in time you will understand. It's not the regalia. I have a Stetson, but that doesn't make me a cowboy. It's what's in your heart and your soul.
There are genuine converts, such as Saint Paul. What you are proposing is more like saying "I think I'll try Christianity for a year". The saints and angels won't be fooled.
Ultralight
3-30-18, 5:41pm
Perhaps in time you will understand. It's not the regalia. I have a Stetson, but that doesn't make me a cowboy. It's what's in your heart and your soul.
There are genuine converts, such as Saint Paul. What you are proposing is more like saying "I think I'll try Christianity for a year". The saints and angels won't be fooled.
If it is not attending the games, rooting for the team, watching the games with friends & family, wearing the regalia, and learning about the teams...then what does a fan make? ;)
Would the saints and angels say: "Glad you are giving it a chance."?
But perhaps, if I build it they will come...
Teacher Terry
3-30-18, 7:21pm
My Dad was a true "Cubbies" fan his entire life. He did not live to see them win. Like LDAHL said a true fan adores their team through thick and thin. When he was sick for 14 years watching a game with his small grandsons was one of the few pleasures he had left.I hate sports.
Ultralight
3-30-18, 9:54pm
My Dad was a true "Cubbies" fan his entire life. He did not live to see them win. Like LDAHL said a true fan adores their team through thick and thin.
That is part of the reason I picked the Orioles. They have not won a World Series since 1983. Sometimes they do alright, sometimes not so great. They are probably on the verge of a "rebuild." I think that between the Orioles, The Buckeyes, and the Blue Jackets I will get a taste of thick and thin.
When he was sick for 14 years watching a game with his small grandsons was one of the few pleasures he had left.
I am glad he got that. Those moments were likely precious to all involved.
I hate sports.
I can understand this. Previous to this experiment I only enjoyed sports in a pick-up way. Like: "Wanna play kickball?" or "Down for some unruly tennis?" or "Are you ready for some backyard football" or "Beach volleyball anyone?"
I liked playing sports, though my drive to win is very weak compared to my drive to have fun and make silly unorthodox plays. :cool:
What you are proposing is more like saying "I think I'll try Christianity for a year". The saints and angels won't be fooled.
But if you carry the right version of the book, sing the right words, and use the right language, two-thirds of the other Christians sitting next to you won't have a clue.
You're right that deep fandom continues for more than a year. But every team I know of has its share of fair-weather fans/bandwagon fans, and they're not looking to turn them away. When the Vikings (of whom I'm not a fan of any sort) got oh-so-close to the Superb Owl, jerseys and hats started flying off the shelves and there was so much purple around town you'd think Prince had died again. The Vikings loved it, the city fathers (and what few mothers there are) loved it, and there seemed to be very little counting of how few nowhere-near-close-to-the-Superb-Owl years others had lived through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shgze3yuCyA
ToomuchStuff
3-31-18, 1:14pm
If it is not attending the games, rooting for the team, watching the games with friends & family, wearing the regalia, and learning about the teams...then what does a fan make? ;)
IMHE, living vicariously through others, while getting drunk, and then having meaningless conversations about sports, around everywhere. (at work, delaying those who are waiting to get out of there, etc. etc. etc)
Not much different then those who bury their head in cell phones (and sometimes the combine).
And from other members of the family, who watch tv, interrupting normal programming for a waste of air space, and instead of putting the show on one of their other subchannels (example, 4.1 to 4.2), screwing up the season. I get this, as I used to watch more.
Ultralight
3-31-18, 2:47pm
IMHE, living vicariously through others, while getting drunk, and then having meaningless conversations about sports, around everywhere. (at work, delaying those who are waiting to get out of there, etc. etc. etc)
Not much different then those who bury their head in cell phones (and sometimes the combine).
And from other members of the family, who watch tv, interrupting normal programming for a waste of air space, and instead of putting the show on one of their other subchannels (example, 4.1 to 4.2), screwing up the season. I get this, as I used to watch more.
Uh... what?
Uh... what?
I think the issue of sports fans pushes a button for TmS for some reason. Fandom certainly is possible without getting drunk. *raises hand* And I'm a fan of the local NHL hockey team but not a cable subscriber; I can tell you the team doesn't wreck the broadcasting schedule of any broadcast station in this area...:(
Ultralight
3-31-18, 8:26pm
I think the issue of sports fans pushes a button for TmS for some reason. Fandom certainly is possible without getting drunk. *raises hand* And I'm a fan of the local NHL hockey team but not a cable subscriber; I can tell you the team doesn't wreck the broadcasting schedule of any broadcast station in this area...:(
I am a lifelong teetotaler.
Ultralight
3-31-18, 8:27pm
Okay, I am scheduled to attend a Columbus Clippers minor league baseball game April 14th with a gal I know.
Then on April 28th I am scheduled to attend a Columbus Crew major league soccer game with a good friend of mine who happens to be a big fan of this soccer club.
Moving right along...
So, Ul, are you auditioning these teams for the year or are you going to follow a bunch of them?
iris lilies
4-1-18, 10:36am
I remember the year my mother followed the Drake University Womens’ Basketball team. We kids refer to that as her Lesbian year.
Some years prior to that she and my dad attended Nascar events and she has a big thing for
Doug Wolfgang. god,I still remember that driver’s name and that mudt have been 30+ years ago. We sometimes refer to that period as the White Trash period of our parent’s life.We are kinda mean.
anyway, I never understood my mother’s rah rah adoption of random sports events. Oh I forgot, she became a big Baseball Cardinals fan when she took up with boyfriend #2 who came to St. Louis fairly often to attend games.
My own interests seem to be baked into my genetics: cats and dogs with pushed in faces, flowers, old buildings. Those interests never waver, they just manifest in different forms. Sports has never been a lifelong interest, but I did follow Ice Skating for a few years.
So, Ul, are you auditioning these teams for the year or are you going to follow a bunch of them?
I am following these teams for the year:
-Baltimore Orioles (after a great opening day against The Twins things rapidly went downhill for the second two games of the series).
-OSU Buckeyes (I work for OSU and live in Columbus).
-Columbus Blue Jackets (local team, easy to attend games).
I am considering supporting an NFL team, but I think that might be overdoing it.
I remember the year my mother followed the Drake University Womens’ Basketball team. We kids refer to that as her Lesbian year.
Some years prior to that she and my dad attended Nascar events and she has a big thing for
Doug Wolfgang. god,I still remember that driver’s name and that mudt have been 30+ years ago. We sometimes refer to that period as the White Trash period of our parent’s life.We are kinda mean.
anyway, I never understood my mother’s rah rah adoption of random sports events. Oh I forgot, she became a big Baseball Cardinals fan when she took up with boyfriend #2 who came to St. Louis fairly often to attend games.
My own interests seem to be baked into my genetics: cats and dogs with pushed in faces, flowers, old buildings. Those interests never waver, they just manifest in different forms. Sports has never been a lifelong interest, but I did follow Ice Skating for a few years.
You might be mean, but it is still kinda funny. haha
At this point, this is just a year long experiment. I am open to feeling differently about it by the end of the year. So who knows? That is the point of an experiment. You don't know what will happen.
I remember the year my mother followed the Drake University Womens’ Basketball team. We kids refer to that as her Lesbian year.
Some years prior to that she and my dad attended Nascar events and she has a big thing for
Doug Wolfgang. god,I still remember that driver’s name and that mudt have been 30+ years ago. We sometimes refer to that period as the White Trash period of our parent’s life.We are kinda mean.
anyway, I never understood my mother’s rah rah adoption of random sports events. Oh I forgot, she became a big Baseball Cardinals fan when she took up with boyfriend #2 who came to St. Louis fairly often to attend games.
My own interests seem to be baked into my genetics: cats and dogs with pushed in faces, flowers, old buildings. Those interests never waver, they just manifest in different forms. Sports has never been a lifelong interest, but I did follow Ice Skating for a few years.
When my great aunt died, there were three pictures hung in her room at the nursing home: Pope Paul IV, JFK and Mike Ditka.
I am following these teams for the year:
-Baltimore Orioles (after a great opening day against The Twins things rapidly went downhill for the second two games of the series).
-OSU Buckeyes (I work for OSU and live in Columbus).
-Columbus Blue Jackets (local team, easy to attend games).
I am considering supporting an NFL team, but I think that might be overdoing it.
Those are good choices to start. In my view, baseball, hockey and perhaps golf are the only sports decent people need. The NFL is sunk in a morass of politics and brain injury worries, and the NBA gave up on fair officiating long ago to let tarnished stars shine and "the game moving" at the expense of sportsmanship.
I am considering supporting an NFL team, but I think that might be overdoing it.
At least for me, following the Minnesota Wild NHL team is as much time as I want to devote to sports and I know that I leave plenty of games unwatched, sports radio unlistened to, and news articles/blogs unread. But to each their own!
Ultralight
4-14-18, 9:56pm
I went to the Columbus Clippers minor league baseball game tonight. It was reasonably fun.
Ultralight
4-17-18, 5:09pm
After going to that minor league baseball game, the more I think about it. The more I like it.
It was actually silly, zany, inconsequential fun. And... Ohio has like 5 or 6 minor league teams.
I am kicking around the idea of going to a game at each of their stadiums, just for funzies.
After going to that minor league baseball game, the more I think about it. The more I like it.
It was actually silly, zany, inconsequential fun.
The Twin Cities has the major-league Minnesota Twins (of course) but they also have the Saint Paul Saints (okay, so the people who name baseball teams here are challenged...). The Saints are far more fun to watch, particularly if one is not a baseball aficionado. Lots of stuff going on between innings (instead of ballboys and ballgirls, they have a ballpig named Mudonna), a beautiful ballpark right downtown with a human scale to it, and reasonable ticket prices. I'd rather see the Saints than the Twins.
Ultralight
4-18-18, 6:32pm
The Twin Cities has the major-league Minnesota Twins (of course) but they also have the Saint Paul Saints (okay, so the people who name baseball teams here are challenged...). The Saints are far more fun to watch, particularly if one is not a baseball aficionado. Lots of stuff going on between innings (instead of ballboys and ballgirls, they have a ballpig named Mudonna), a beautiful ballpark right downtown with a human scale to it, and reasonable ticket prices. I'd rather see the Saints than the Twins.
This is actually the same sentiment others have expressed when I talked to them about this. Just last night a friend of mine told me she prefers Dayton Dragons games to seeing The Reds play. Why? Accessibility, affordability, fun.
Ohio has 7 minor league teams -- everything from the Toledo Mudhens down to the Chillicothe Paints.
Apropos to this discussion: It’s Okay to Be a Fair-Weather Sports Fan (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/05/in-praise-of-fair-weather-fandom/556841/)
Ultralight
4-19-18, 4:56pm
Apropos to this discussion: It’s Okay to Be a Fair-Weather Sports Fan (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/05/in-praise-of-fair-weather-fandom/556841/)
I thought about being a Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Dolphins fan as an excuse to visit Florida for a game or two.
But I thought that I wanted more variety in my fandom experience. I want to root for the home team in one sport and the away team in another. I want to root for the underdog in one sport and a typically winning team in another. And so on...
As an Orioles fan I am really underdoggin'!
I intend to root for the OSU buckeyes when college football starts. OSU wins often.
I am getting a pretty good mix already.
We'll see how hockey goes and which team I support. I am leaning toward the Blue Jackets, but I dunno...I have until next hockey season to choose. :)
Ultralight
4-20-18, 9:17pm
MLB TV is pretty fun! I watch or listen to the games on my laptop.
I keep coming back to this idea that sports give people something to look forward to, something always to look forward to.
My Sports Spiritual Guides (a couple coworkers of mine) sort of use games and seasons to weave their lives together.
I am about 3 weeks into my fandom experiment. I have noticed that it has increased what I call my "cultural populism." This makes me less an elitist, I suppose. haha
I am about 3 weeks into my fandom experiment. I have noticed that it has increased what I call my "cultural populism." This makes me less an elitist, I suppose. haha
You've got to work it though. Don't be like Bill Bradley who waited until too late in the game to roll out his Michael Jordan endorsement.
Ultralight
4-21-18, 11:47am
You've got to work it though. Don't be like Bill Bradley who waited until too late in the game to roll out his Michael Jordan enorsement.
Please translate! :)
Ultralight
4-21-18, 11:47am
Apropos to this discussion: It’s Okay to Be a Fair-Weather Sports Fan (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/05/in-praise-of-fair-weather-fandom/556841/)
Dude!!! This caused a huge debate at my work!
I meant to write endorsement not enorsement. Bradley wanted to prove his coolness with a commercial in which Jordan endorsed him, but waited too long and Gore had too big a lead for Bradley to catch up.
Ultralight
4-23-18, 6:58am
My buddy Ed, from back in graduate school asked me about a week ago why I was doing a year of sportsball fandom. I told him: "I can learn a lot about our culture, our people, and out nation. I will have some great opportunities to people-watch. It will be interesting and fun!" I gave him all my standard answers.
Then he asked me again yesterday, in the way Ed can. He asked in a way that said: "Yeah, but what is the real reason?"
So I thought about it. And here is my answer:
I want to experiment with irrationality in a socially acceptable and fairly safe way. It is, fundamentally, an intellectual experiment.
iris lilies
4-23-18, 9:08am
I want to experiment with irrationality in a socially acceptable and fairly safe way. It is, fundamentally, an intellectual experiment.
But we knew that.
Ultralight
4-23-18, 5:51pm
But we knew that.
What do you mean?
iris lilies
4-23-18, 9:17pm
What do you mean?
Well, I never thought you were entering imto this for “fun.” Your descriptions of your plans for sportsing sounded joyless.
Well, I never thought you were entering imto this for “fun.” Your descriptions of your plans for sportsing sounded joyless.
It does sound a little contrived. Like deciding to be redneck or Amish for a year. Or one of those Barbera Ehrenriech excursions into the lives of the common people.
Ultralight
4-24-18, 5:18pm
It does sound a little contrived. Like deciding to be redneck or Amish for a year. Or one of those Barbera Ehrenriech excursions into the lives of the common people.
Yeah, it might be contrived. But I lots and lots of things in life are contrived.
What is so wrong with an excursion into the lives of the common people?
Ultralight
4-24-18, 5:20pm
I will say this:
My sports spiritual guides seem to be, while still mostly supportive, a bit irked by my fandom. I can't quite explain why...
SteveinMN
4-25-18, 10:04am
My sports spiritual guides seem to be, while still mostly supportive, a bit irked by my fandom. I can't quite explain why...
Maybe because they perceive a bit of fair-weather fandom?
iris lilies
4-25-18, 10:17am
Yeah, it might be contrived. But I lots and lots of things in life are contrived.
What is so wrong with an excursion into the lives of the common people?
Well, it is good to see a little of that old Ultralight moxie showing through. Poking us on the interwebs, way to go! We are just rubes, intellectual peons doncha know.
I was beginning to think that your illness had removed some of that desire to rile us up. :~)
Yeah, it might be contrived. But I lots and lots of things in life are contrived.
Not the fun parts. Or the sacred parts.
Ultralight
4-25-18, 5:05pm
Well, it is good to see a little of that old Ultralight moxie showing through. Poking us on the interwebs, way to go! We are just rubes, intellectual peons doncha know.
Come now. I never said you were rubes or intellectual peons! haha
I was beginning to think that your illness had removed some of that desire to rile us up. :~)
Believe me. It has mellowed me out a lot. Which sucks...
Ultralight
4-25-18, 5:07pm
Maybe because they perceive a bit of fair-weather fandom?
Fair question Steve. But thus far the only teams I am following are the B-more Orioles and the C-bus Clippers. Both of these teams have losing records. The O's are approaching last place!
Had I chosen to support the Red Sox then you might call me fair weather. ;)
Ultralight
4-25-18, 5:08pm
Not the fun parts. Or the sacred parts.
I am intrigued. Please elaborate.
I am intrigued. Please elaborate.
You don’t agendize wonderment
You don’t put “fall in love” on your list of things to do
You don’t step into tradition like a spray-on tan
Ultralight
4-25-18, 5:27pm
You don’t agendize wonderment
You don’t put “fall in love” on your list of things to do
You don’t step into tradition like a spray-on tan
First point: Write a book, LDAHL! I mean this. Write one.
Second: I mostly concede your points. But is it possible that what starts out contrived could blossom into the genuine?
Ultralight
4-25-18, 5:52pm
You don’t step into tradition like a spray-on tan
Okay, how would you suggest one step into the tradition of baseball fandom, for instance?
Ultralight
4-26-18, 5:42am
I have noticed over the past week or so a certain irritation from my sports spiritual guides. When I am talking about sports with them – perhaps a specific game that was recently played or some historical event that happened at a game or a record set by a player, they might get annoyed
.
My knowledge of sports is rapidly building and the long dormant sports knowledge I had picked up here and there from my childhood is moving to the fore. Together with my ability to quickly understand and put into my own usage the jargon of sports I sound quite like an old sports fan.
Combine that with the general aesthetics of sports fandom – a cap on my head, some magnets in my cubicle, and a bumper sticker, and what you have is an indistinguishable sports fan. Indistinguishable from whom? Well, virtually any fan, of course.
This indistinguishability unnerves and annoys "true" fans because it reveals what an artifice their fandom is.
If any Joe Schmoe can arbitrarily pick a baseball team, buy a few pieces of merch, learn about the game, its history, and about the team’s players and suddenly be indistinguishable from lifelong fans then "true" fans are thrust into an existential crisis. What is the meaning of their fandom? Is it valid? Is it even real?
Sure, a “true” fan could say: “But UL is not a real fan. He is just a Johnny-come-lately!” Or they could say: “He is only doing this for one year. His fandom is fake; it is contrived!”
This may assuage their existential malaise but it can only do so on a service level. What my sports spiritual guides have seen in me becoming a fan cannot be unseen. The thoughts and feelings they had as a result of my fandom cannot be un-thought or unfelt. The best they can hope for is that I become a fan – a “true” fan – by the end of the year. This would sublimate and adequately rationalize their lifelong fandom. This would make their emotional and temporal and financial investments seem worthwhile. All in all, the only thing that can make them feel justified would be my continued fandom beyond Spring of 2019.
Thoughts?
Okay, how would you suggest one step into the tradition of baseball fandom, for instance?
Ideally, it begins with the right choice of grandfather and the lifetime accretion of various attitudes and associations.
Otherwise, it's something you stumble into on a where-have-you-been-all-my-life basis.
Thoughts?
I think you're not being truthful in your description of this experiment. It seems to me that it's not sports fandom that you aspire to, but rather an evaluation of sports fans. I can see how that would put them off as it becomes apparent in your interactions with them.
I have noticed over the past week or so a certain irritation from my sports spiritual guides. When I am talking about sports with them – perhaps a specific game that was recently played or some historical event that happened at a game or a record set by a player, they might get annoyed
.
My knowledge of sports is rapidly building and the long dormant sports knowledge I had picked up here and there from my childhood is moving to the fore. Together with my ability to quickly understand and put into my own usage the jargon of sports I sound quite like an old sports fan.
Combine that with the general aesthetics of sports fandom – a cap on my head, some magnets in my cubicle, and a bumper sticker, and what you have is an indistinguishable sports fan. Indistinguishable from whom? Well, virtually any fan, of course.
This indistinguishability unnerves and annoys "true" fans because it reveals what an artifice their fandom is.
If any Joe Schmoe can arbitrarily pick a baseball team, buy a few pieces of merch, learn about the game, its history, and about the team’s players and suddenly be indistinguishable from lifelong fans then "true" fans are thrust into an existential crisis. What is the meaning of their fandom? Is it valid? Is it even real?
Sure, a “true” fan could say: “But UL is not a real fan. He is just a Johnny-come-lately!” Or they could say: “He is only doing this for one year. His fandom is fake; it is contrived!”
This may assuage their existential malaise but it can only do so on a service level. What my sports spiritual guides have seen in me becoming a fan cannot be unseen. The thoughts and feelings they had as a result of my fandom cannot be un-thought or unfelt. The best they can hope for is that I become a fan – a “true” fan – by the end of the year. This would sublimate and adequately rationalize their lifelong fandom. This would make their emotional and temporal and financial investments seem worthwhile. All in all, the only thing that can make them feel justified would be my continued fandom beyond Spring of 2019.
Thoughts?
Perhaps it's simply the initiate 's resentment of the dilettante.
A Rachel Dalziel sort of thing.
Thoughts?
My thought is that you're exposing your true goal in becoming a sports fan for a year. It's not about watching perfectly-executed double plays or a wing faking out a goaltender one-on-one or finding a new hobby or even reliving the days when you played these sports. Even your posts here don't discuss a great play you saw or an insight into how the game is played; it's about the experience of being a fan and the trappings of the environment. It's about fandom itself. And I think your fan friends are picking that up.
You’re a fake convert to a religion you don’t believe in. That’s why they’re annoyed.
ApatheticNoMore
4-26-18, 11:37am
Well you do seem to go at it with more judgement than if you took up say swing dancing for a year and had never swing danced a minute in your life before (I don't know to see how good you could get, or just for something to do, to meet the ladies would be an ulterior motive but common). Is swing dancing irrational? Eh I suppose but dancing is pretty ancient in human activities. Is it a religion? Not generally.
Being a baseball fan well for many modern attention deficit sports fans baseball is slow so yea you learn it from your father etc.. What is faster? Well football is losing popularity now due to the violence and head injuries etc.. Ice hockey, basketball.
Ultralight
4-26-18, 5:08pm
Well you do seem to go at it with more judgement than if you took up say swing dancing for a year and had never swing danced a minute in your life before (I don't know to see how good you could get, or just for something to do, to meet the ladies would be an ulterior motive but common). Is swing dancing irrational? Eh I suppose but dancing is pretty ancient in human activities. Is it a religion? Not generally.
Being a baseball fan well for many modern attention deficit sports fans baseball is slow so yea you learn it from your father etc.. What is faster? Well football is losing popularity now due to the violence and head injuries etc.. Ice hockey, basketball.
I am, by my very nature, a judgmental person. I did a learn to dance challenge back in 2015. I learned a whole bunch of fun party dances (The Steve Martin, The Freaky Deeky, Happy Feet, etc.). It was fun and I can still do a fair number of the moves!
Baseball is an interesting sport, the statistical likelihoods intrigue me. Like, how likely is a given batter to swing on the first pitch?
The CTE problem in football and, to a lesser extent, hockey is rather distasteful. Though I will deal with that cognitive dissonance when the time comes.
Ultralight
4-26-18, 5:08pm
You’re a fake convert to a religion you don’t believe in. That’s why they’re annoyed.
No need to mince words, Tammy. What are you really getting at here? ;)
Ultralight
4-26-18, 5:11pm
Perhaps it's simply the initiate 's resentment of the dilettante.
Haha! Could be you are right.
Or could be I was right. ;)
You seem to be particularly bothered by my year of sports fandom...
A Rachel Dalziel sort of thing.
You know, I don't hide that I am doing this experiment. I talk about it openly with friends and acquaintances. I thought about being stealthy, but that is not really my style.
Ultralight
4-26-18, 6:45pm
Maybe my brain works differently than you all's but suppose some person said to me: "UL, I want to be an atheist for a year. Now, I have always been Christian and I will certainly still think some Christian thoughts and make some Christian judgments but I want to live as an atheist for a year -- talk about atheism, do atheist activities, read atheist books, and so on. Will you help me? Will you be my guide?"
I would be like: "Heck yeah!" I would gladly help this person and encourage them. If they said something judgmental I will talk it over with them. I'd encourage them to talk to more atheists, attend a convention, watch The Ledge, and so on.
If someone said to me: "I have never fished. But I want to do an experiment where I become an outdoorsy fisherman for a year."
I would again be like: "Heck yeah!"
Even if they said, "I think catching fish -- even for food -- is brutal and gutting fish is disgusting!" I would still be happy to show them the ropes, encourage them, and see what happens. Why?
Because you never know what might happen.
The Christian could become an atheist. Or at least learn that most atheists are really darned good folks.
Because that squeamish anti-fishing person could, over the course of the year, learn to love it. Or they could simply understand anglers better.
Who knows!?
"I want to live as an atheist for a year -- talk about atheism, do atheist activities, read atheist books, and so on. Will you help me? Will you be my guide?"
[snip]
I want to do an experiment where I become an outdoorsy fisherman for a year."
Maybe it's just me, but I don't approach those kinds of things as overtly-timed commitments. If I want to explore something new, I approach it from the standpoint of wanting to learn more about it. Maybe I'll take to it like a duck to water; maybe I'll discover a showstopper right away; maybe it will take a few months or even a couple of years to decide if I like the activity. I very likely will have a soft internal timeframe for determining if I enjoy the activity enough to continue. But I wouldn't proclaim from the get-go that I have a date at which my interest will end.
ToomuchStuff
4-27-18, 9:15am
Maybe it's just me, but I don't approach those kinds of things as overtly-timed commitments. If I want to explore something new, I approach it from the standpoint of wanting to learn more about it. Maybe I'll take to it like a duck to water; maybe I'll discover a showstopper right away; maybe it will take a few months or even a couple of years to decide if I like the activity. I very likely will have a soft internal timeframe for determining if I enjoy the activity enough to continue. But I wouldn't proclaim from the get-go that I have a date at which my interest will end.
I think your perspective is the norm, not the time frame thing.
Ultralight
4-27-18, 5:22pm
Maybe it's just me, but I don't approach those kinds of things as overtly-timed commitments. If I want to explore something new, I approach it from the standpoint of wanting to learn more about it. Maybe I'll take to it like a duck to water; maybe I'll discover a showstopper right away; maybe it will take a few months or even a couple of years to decide if I like the activity. I very likely will have a soft internal timeframe for determining if I enjoy the activity enough to continue. But I wouldn't proclaim from the get-go that I have a date at which my interest will end.
I respect this methodology too. :)
Ultralight
4-28-18, 4:51pm
I am fixin' to get ready to go to a soccer match with a friend of mine -- a big fan.
This should be interesting. I remember playing soccer on the playground a recess early in elementary school. It was all the rage until about 3rd grade, then everyone switched to football.
I vaguely remember the rules. Though clearly I remember players, save the goalies, can't use their hands.
It is going to be coooooooold at the stadium!
So I have really been contemplating this experiment and my experiences so far.
I think I just kinda like minor league baseball. I am going to another game this weekend, Clippers vs. Charlotte Knights, 4th in a 4 gamer series. I am going with my sister and BIL and their daughter.
I was thinking it'd be fun to go to minor league games whenever I travel domestically since most places are within an hour drive of A, AA, or AAA teams.
Personally, and as a baseball fan, I prefer going to minor league games. The lower the level, the better. The more fun and better camaraderie, I think. Plus you can see some big names occasionally if they're doing rehab assignments.
Simple, minimalist entertainment: Listening to the Columbus Clippers baseball game on the radio.
Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening! :)
Listening to the Columbus Clippers baseball game on the radio.
Waaaaay back in my youth I was a Cincinnati Reds fan (back in the days of The Big Red Machine). Living 1200 miles away, though, meant tuning my AM table radio (now I really am dating myself) to WLW to listen to the games. Baseball is a game made for radio; much more so than football, basketball, or hockey. It's fine on TV, but those other sports just move way too fast to get a grip on what's going on through the radio.
I just watched Field of Dreams and for 107 minutes I felt like I was in America again, not some bizarre Trumpian dystopia.
Waaaaay back in my youth I was a Cincinnati Reds fan (back in the days of The Big Red Machine). Living 1200 miles away, though, meant tuning my AM table radio (now I really am dating myself) to WLW to listen to the games. Baseball is a game made for radio; much more so than football, basketball, or hockey. It's fine on TV, but those other sports just move way too fast to get a grip on what's going on through the radio.
How and why did you become a Reds fan and then how and why did you become a fan of another team?
How and why did you become a Reds fan and then how and why did you become a fan of another team?
Umm... :)
Becoming a fan: I grew up in the New York City. My brother was the New York Mets fan and my entire family despised the Yankees. To be contrary, I guess, I chose another team. I liked the National League more than the American League (Yankee dislike may have fueled that). The Reds were winners -- and going with a winner was as easy as going with a loser (hello, Mets and Astros!). And I really liked Johnny Bench, a great athlete who's been a class act for 40+ years now.
How: The paper printed box scores every day and sometimes even a blurb about each game around the leagues. I was a subscriber to Sports Illustrated at the time (and, if my memory isn't too hazy, my brother was reading The Sporting News on a regular basis)(oh, the irony, for both of us). At night it was possible to tune in clear-channel WLW for many games. I even sent money and bought the yearbook (do teams even make those anymore?). And, of course, sometimes the Reds played the Mets so it was possible to see them live. Good times.
Fan of another team: It wasn't so much becoming a fan of a different team as it was becoming a fan of a different sport. My dad always was a hockey fan and I was one, too. In college I played some hockey and, after that, baseball seemed like a very s l o w game and I lost interest. I now pay attention pretty much only to hockey; primarily local (not just Minnesota's NHL team but the local college and high-school teams; men and women). Good hockey is good hockey and I've enjoyed watching the women Gophers as much as watching the Wild.
How and why did you become a Reds fan.....How could you not be a Reds fan during the early 70's? The Big Red Machine had Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Davey Concepcion, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Ken Griffey, George Foster and Cesar Geronimo, each of them budding legends. They also had the benefit of being broadcast on one of the few (at the time) 50,000 watt clear channel radio stations in the country during an era of no internet, no cable TV or other national sports media, which provided them a potential market of nearly the entire country.
Umm... :)
Becoming a fan: I grew up in the New York City. My brother was the New York Mets fan and my entire family despised the Yankees. To be contrary, I guess, I chose another team. I liked the National League more than the American League (Yankee dislike may have fueled that). The Reds were winners -- and going with a winner was as easy as going with a loser (hello, Mets and Astros!). And I really liked Johnny Bench, a great athlete who's been a class act for 40+ years now.
How: The paper printed box scores every day and sometimes even a blurb about each game around the leagues. I was a subscriber to Sports Illustrated at the time (and, if my memory isn't too hazy, my brother was reading The Sporting News on a regular basis)(oh, the irony, for both of us). At night it was possible to tune in clear-channel WLW for many games. I even sent money and bought the yearbook (do teams even make those anymore?). And, of course, sometimes the Reds played the Mets so it was possible to see them live. Good times.
Fan of another team: It wasn't so much becoming a fan of a different team as it was becoming a fan of a different sport. My dad always was a hockey fan and I was one, too. In college I played some hockey and, after that, baseball seemed like a very s l o w game and I lost interest. I now pay attention pretty much only to hockey; primarily local (not just Minnesota's NHL team but the local college and high-school teams; men and women). Good hockey is good hockey and I've enjoyed watching the women Gophers as much as watching the Wild.
Okay, cool! I appreciate the explanation. Also: The Wild is a cool name for a hockey team!
They also had the benefit of being broadcast on one of the few (at the time) 50,000 watt clear channel radio stations in the country during an era of no internet, no cable TV or other national sports media, which provided them a potential market of nearly the entire country.
Really interesting tidbit of sports/media history! Thanks, Alan! Much appreciated.
Well, I am certainly learning what it is like to support a losing team. The Orioles are 8-27. The Reds are only slightly better at 9-27. haha
Was smiling from ear to ear last night as Seattle's James Paxton (Big Maple) threw his first no-hitter complete game, the first Canadian ever to do that on Canadian soil. So cool for him---even the Toronto fans were supporting him in the last innings---true fans.
Ultralight
5-16-18, 7:26am
I think that people trust sports fans more readily than non-sports fans.
ToomuchStuff
5-16-18, 9:40am
I think that people trust sports fans more readily than non-sports fans.
IMHE, it is because there is something common to talk about, to get the feel for the person.
Ultralight
5-19-18, 7:03pm
I am still having fun with this Year of Sportsball lifestyle experiment!
I will be watching the Orioles on MLB TV tonight. And tomorrow I am going to Clippers game (the Triple A team of Columbus, OH).
I am, by my very nature, a judgmental person.
Really? Would you say you are better than other people? Call them petty and bitter?
I want to experiment with irrationality.
Because everyone who likes sports must be irrational right?
Because everyone who likes sports must be irrational right?
Hoping to turn sports fans against me? Go for it.
I think sports fandom is a irrational for the vast majority of people.
Really? Would you say you are better than other people? Call them petty and bitter?
If someone repeatedly displays pettiness and bitterness, then yes, I would say they are bitter and petty.
I judge people by their actions. How do you act?
One person's petty is another person's detail-oriented. One person's bitter is another's worldly wise.
One person's petty is another person's detail-oriented. One person's bitter is another's worldly wise.
One person's government give-away gravy train is another person's investment in their neighbor, community, state, and nation.
One person's petty is another person's detail-oriented. One person's bitter is another's worldly wise.
If you were that worldly you'd be making more than $49k at your age, if that is so important to you.
Ultralight
6-11-18, 9:05pm
Despite how poorly the Orioles are doing I am still having fun with this year of sportsball!
Teacher Terry
6-11-18, 10:08pm
My Dad loved sports especially his Cubbies. My 3 husbands not so much. Just a personal preference like many things. It will be interesting to see how things turn out. The only sports I liked were the ones my kids played in.
Ultralight
6-19-18, 9:12pm
I went to a Columbus Clippers game on Sunday. It was blazing hot out!
Drunks were literally passing out and being hauled away on stretchers. I saw an old dude buy a huge, cold bottle of water and pour the entire thing on his head immediately. Everyone's clothes were soaked in sweat and people in really good seats left them to go to "standing room only" where the shade was.
It was the last day of Pride Week as well. There were lots of GLBTQQIA folks there -- some even wearing Clips shirts with rainbows on them. I saw a lesbian couple pounding copious hot dogs too.
It was all quite a spectacle, and fun.
The Mariners are coming to Baltimore next week for 4 games---I'll watch for ya.
Ultralight
6-20-18, 5:19pm
The Mariners are coming to Baltimore next week for 4 games---I'll watch for ya.
I have no delusions about the O's winning even one of those four games... haha
20-51 record is where we're at. !Splat!
Ultralight
6-26-18, 7:20am
The Mariners are coming to Baltimore next week for 4 games---I'll watch for ya.
Not going well for the O's. haha
Ultralight
6-26-18, 7:21am
I got my tickets for the Triple A Homerun derby, Triple A All-star game, and Triple A National Championship!
All these events are happening in Columbus, OH this year!
That'll be fun! Very cool!
Ooops, sorry about that sweep, UL....not really. ;):moon:
Ultralight
6-28-18, 9:31pm
Ooops, sorry about that sweep, UL....not really. ;):moon:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Orioles are in a perpetual slump.
Ultralight
7-10-18, 6:56pm
My ladyfriend and I went to the Triple A Skills Challenge and Home Run Derby last night. We had seats behind home plate. It was a fun and frivolous display!
Also: Lots of gimmicks!
-A $10,000 giveaway (No, we did not win...)
-Free All Star Game T-shirts
-Free Orange Crush hand towels
-Columbus Gay Men's Chorus
-Fireworks
Tomorrow night is the Triple A All-Star game. It should be interesting! haha
Ultralight
8-31-18, 6:20pm
Tomorrow I will be attending the OSU vs. Oregon State football game. I have never attended a college football game before. And apparently it can get wacky!
Ultralight
8-31-18, 6:34pm
And on Monday I am going to WWE RAW for some rastlin'!
Tomorrow I will be attending the OSU vs. Oregon State football game. I have never attended a college football game before. And apparently it can get wacky!
Well, that was ugly!
Ultralight
9-17-18, 5:38pm
A big chapter in this lifestyle experiment is ending tomorrow. I have enjoyed going to numerous Triple A minor league baseball games over the spring and summer.
Tomorrow is the Triple A National championship. I will be attending. My seats are behind home plate.
You gonna keep on following baseball?
Ultralight
9-17-18, 8:12pm
You gonna keep on following baseball?
In the MLB, yes. I am an Orioles fan. Worst season ever, but still following them. Last game is 9/30. Then I will follow, to some degree, the playoffs. And I will likely watch or listen to the World Series -- for the heck of it.
iris lilies
9-17-18, 8:55pm
It has not been a year!
Ultralight
9-17-18, 9:38pm
It has not been a year!
Baseball season is coming to an end. Football season has just started. Hockey season starts in October.
Ultralight
10-6-18, 1:10pm
I went to a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game last night. Interesting experience!
Ultralight
10-23-18, 8:10pm
Watching the World Series. Go Red Sox!
After the WS is over (probably in 4 games) what will you take up then? Hockey only? Any interest in the NBA?
Ultralight
10-24-18, 5:02pm
After the WS is over (probably in 4 games) what will you take up then? Hockey only? Any interest in the NBA?
I have been to a hockey game already. CBJ!
So yeah, just hockey.
Ultralight
10-29-18, 7:58am
Welp, another chapter in my Year of Sportsball has come to a close. The Red Sox won the World Series. I am hanging up my baseball cap.
The Dirty Dodgers got their asses handed to them. So that is good.
Ultralight
9-19-19, 9:40pm
I still (somewhat begrudgingly) like baseball. And I am enjoying listening to the Cubs games (more so when they are winning). :)
Now you’re in northern IL, you have to learn the futility of rooting for an eternally crappy team - da Bears. LOL
Ultralight
9-20-19, 8:17am
Now you’re in northern IL, you have to learn the futility of rooting for an eternally crappy team - da Bears. LOL
Wasn't da Bears pretty good back in '86? lol
frugal-one
9-20-19, 12:32pm
Now you’re in northern IL, you have to learn the futility of rooting for an eternally crappy team - da Bears. LOL
Could also go with the Green Bay Packers.... he is close enough.
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