Depend on the type of sports

I personally dislike sports - but I understand the "family" it creates for the fans. When I think of all the money that is spent and made by the teams, venues, bars, etc., I feel there are higher purposes for that money, but it's something that excites folks and creates community for large groups of people in a local.

For me, I know that during a big game, I can be left alone to do as I please.

This sums it up well, too:

I rather watch any group of little kids play a sport than watch professionals.
It's way more humorous and way less dangerous.

I just can't watch professional sports because of TBI. And thinking "OMG the arthritis they are going to have?".

My Dad loved to watch sports. He also ripped the arms out of a rocking chair trying to do an "assist" on a televised football match. His first words were to my Mum "I'll fix it honey!". rofl

Sports and memes are all I know...and beer.

First, I used to watch a lot of sports, but no more. This is a hard question because it boils down to what you want from life. I would say in a sense everything is a waste of time - reading, traveling, wine tasting etcThe only thing that may not be a waste of time is doing something immortal - writing a book, poetry, music that lasts, or do something in politics that will effect changes in the long run, after you're gone. Another is charity or making others happy. Sports for some people is basically a religion, it gives them an identity, and you have instant "friends", it's tribal in nature and helps people avoid the unhappiness of life.

I think it is but allot of entertainment is a mindless waste of time sports being one of them

I agree, I used to be a big hockey fan, grew up in Flint, Mi. playing it, went to Red Wings games, moved to L.A. saw the RW when they played the Kings even touched the Stanely Cup on The Tonight Show at NBC in 2008, but now I realize the drama, the ups and downs, highs and lows and I am sooooo over it.

I don't agree. Various sports are entertainment for a lot of people. They enjoy it and it keeps their mind off their troubles for awhile.

I personally think that being a spectator to anythng is pretty much a waste of time other than for the purpose of learning or increasing your knowledge of something. We all waste time from time to time for various reasons.

Go, Broncos!!!!!

It is commonly believed that all games are won by superior tact, skill or ability. That is only true in very limited circumstances, viz, I step into a boxing ring with Mike Tyson, the outcome can easily be predicted.

All games have deliberately skewed odds that favour a winnng outcome as in the best of 3, 5 or 7 sets. However, when you have two players of equal skill or ability and you change the odds to the best of 4, 6 or 8 sets or games, a different outcome emerges, it is called a draw. Of course, for "winners" this does not count and is called a stalemate.

The only way that anyone can win in any game or gamelike situation is by taking advantage of the other person's mistakes or inducing a mistake that gives you an advantage.

See Winners and Other Losers in War and Peace by Arnold Arnold

Well, to be fair, it belies its bias by showing the "sports fans" as incapable babies. It correctly provides one perspective on the truth. What it misses is the "Joie de vivre." But, crediting the creator, that is made obvious by the Goth "Freshman Philosopher."

I personally love sports and get a great deal of entertainment from them. I do often have real connections to "my team" but that is somewhat beside the point. If I adopt a team, and I often do, I am empathizing. This is an integral part of human psychology. If you don't relate, your loss.

I knew a guy like that in college

There was a charming English comedy some years ago called something like "One Foot in the Grave" - we all have one foot in the Grave no matter our age. How we spend our time before the other foot joins it is surely each person's decision and any attempt to alter it or create scorn over a particular activity is simply judgemental obsessive compulsive personality disorders driven behaviour no better or worse than insistence on belief in a god?

Anything is better than watching sports on TV. And the sports nuts have this feeling of entitlement: that game is more important than anything, so if it pre-empts something informative like "60 Minutes," so what: tough it out.

On the other hand, I can tolerate superbowl parties. Friends get together, there's lots of junk food and beer, and really you can just pretty much ignore the game and have a good time.

To pretend to be paying attention, I shout "Defense! Defense!" at random points, which is apparently good enough to fool the few people there watching the game.

I haven't looked at the link but just by going on the precis I can do all the above and watch sport. I enjoy sport, it's part of me time and it doesn't detract from me doing something productive and worthwhile. I could argue that writing this article is a bigger waste of time than watching sport because it's bollocks.

Hey...hey. Hockey is not dumb.

I totally agree that to much time ,energy, and money are wasted by watching rich people throw balls around while poor people throw money at THEM.

Lol Looks like you certainly stirred up the passions @BeeHappy. Lots of lovely points.

[facebook.com] Sports being dumb

What can be more conceited than 'sports relief' having only read about it and seen snippets of it.
And the uk public go wild for it instead of doing a bit of volunteering or raising money themselves.