When thinking of inspiration for something to write about I look for two things that can make life easier. One of those is a topic that I know intimately, which means I can write off the top of my head with no prior ‘revision’. The second is something I feel passionately about. Because then I can rant. And when I rant, I just go and go and go…
Sports fanaticism is just such a topic. I’ve never liked sports, in fact I hate them so much that when the Super Bowl is on, I actually pray that the Patriots will go out as soon as possible, if it means everyone will stop yammering about it and leaving me out of conversations as a result.
Well actually it’s not all sports I loathe. I actually like Basketball and Baseball, and I like Martial Arts (which some people argue isn’t a sport incidentally). Why do I like this? Because it means something. As in, it's an actual ability that might benefit someone in the real world – running, throwing, lifting, jumping… These are measures of human performance that demonstrate to us what the human body is capable of, especially through Theatre, Film, and Television. Football, Rugby, Cricket… those are just exercises in bureaucracy and pettiness. So you can kick a ball around someone else in a team of 11 people into a goal without using your hands, or hurting the other players, or breaking the bizarre off-side rule… Big deal!!!
I also don’t mind playing sports (like Baseball and Basketball) with family and friends. Sports are sociable, a good way to get some exercise and a good way to develop other skills.
What I don’t like is people talking about sports for hours. About statistics, and names of players and then getting angry and then mocking me for not joining in. I hate that they think you have to like sports to be a ‘real’ man or to have friends. What they don’t get is that it’s only a certain type of guy who thinks like that. Probably someone who’s insecure in their role as ‘one of the guys’. All the friends that I have in college and my true friends from high school have no interest in sports at all and they all agree with me that it’s completely stupid to get so emotional about a game that has no importance in the real world. I don’t judge people for that (except in this article) and I don’t expect to be judged back… it’s just lame and pointless.
Seriously, if they were that obsessive about anything else they would be the weirdoes. It’s only because it’s become so ingrained in our culture that it’s what ‘guys do’ that they think we have to like it. I mean really it’s a bunch of people running after a ball on some grass with some weird bizarre rules… it’s not even glamorous! It’s just dirty and tiring and they’re mostly as charismatic and intelligent as a rock.
As a team sport, victory is all down to how much money your team has – the players come and go. So what is this cult-like allegiance actually to? Is it just so that you can belong to something? So you can act like a crazy lunatic for 90 minutes every week? Why do so many people want to be followers when they could be individuals, or better yet, leaders?
So, next time you feel out of place or weird because everyone’s talking about football (mainly the Jets or the Patriots), just think about the droves of guys that think they’re weird and are man enough to admit it.
Meanwhile, while everyone is more focused on the Patriots and just Tom Brady in general, I'm more focused on achieving my dream as a performer, a writer, and an artist (musically). If you want to talk about sports, don't bring it all on me. Otherwise, I'll just ignore you like the plague, and walk away. Sorry... Not!
