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QUESTION Why sports are dumb - YouTube

A funny video that asks, is watching sports dumb or a waste of time? Some say we could be making better use of our time, maybe being productive, spending time with family and friends, reading a book, etc. What do you think?

BeeHappy 9 Mar 29
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The Earth Day 2000 was managed in Seattle. The office was on my way home from work so I volunteered. There were mostly young, idealistic people working the program and the theme was energy. Many felt that if we solved our energy problems everything would be fine (Enron was the problem). At the same time the famous Kingdome had been demolished and a new baseball stadium was being built (along with a parking garage and convention center). Most of the guys were sports fans and I asked them if they thought there might be an environmental impact for sports. They all thought I was crazy but here was a huge building(s) being built, an old one being taken to a land fill. Not to mention the traffic, garbage and on and one. Often after games there are riots and destructions happening (as my link showed). Sports are not benign. They have a huge negative impact on society and the environment.

Thanks.

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They took a child's game and made a business out of it. College and Professional sports are nothing but business transactions designed to extract money and devotion from you. Personally, I'm not a very willing victim of salesmanship. No, I don't watch sports.

Thank you, I appreciate your point of view. ?

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I originally created a poll with this so everyone could vote, but somewhere along the line, it disappeared.

Personally, I don't watch sports unless I'm with someone that's watching and I don't have anything else to do and even then, I'll probably be on my phone most of the time.

But I don't think it's a waste of time. Many people enjoy watching all kinds of sports and I think that is fine. My only objection applies to "professional" sports business and the players. There is way too much money paid to the players and costs to attend events keep getting higher and higher, making it difficult for many people, especially with families, to attend.

Yup, pretty much exactly what I was going to say. The exception being one of the England matches in the 2002(?) World Cup, mainly because work gave us paid time off to watch it if we all saw it together as a 'team building' activity. 😉

The money debate: First I would start off asking someone how much money would I have to give you to snap your finger? Then escalate to broken ribs, concussions, damaged discs, or the most common torn ligaments...sports leads to a life of pain....which, for someone who doesn't care to compete or hasn't had the opportunity, seems absolutely nuts...haha...I can't speak for team sports...I don't really get them....but I know stepping into a ring or cage and putting your ass on the line is one of the biggest rushes I've ever felt...no drug compares. I still miss it. Now, when I watch it, it is like having a ghost of that feeling....which, fortunately, is good enough for me...but how much money is that worth to watch? I guess the people watching decide that.

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A short, very cool story: We had a frig repair guy over last month, he had a Detroit Red Wing key chain, I said, "oh a fan huh?" He said, "more than you know, I named my son after Stevie Yzerman,"...I followed with, "so you have all the recent Stanley Cup hats from Detroit right?"...he said, "I did, my ex-wife burned everything of mine". I hooked him up, he walked from my house that day with the 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008 official locker room championships hats, plus four others, three jerseys, a jacket, and two hard to find, collector edition books....he almost cried.

Aw! ❤.

I don't even like sports but I know that was awesome.

That's a great story! Did you barter for the work he was doing? ?

In 2008, when Detroit won the Stanley Cup, I was on the Tonight Show, with that schmuck Leno, met the Capt. and the goalie, touched the Cup (a big thing to NHL fans) and so I told the repair dude about that which made the gift or 'transfer' of joy that much more special, silly, I know but true.

No, he worked for a company, everyone got paid, well worth it, the gifts were, 'gifts'....

7

I think people should be doing whatever the hell they please.
I don't like anyone telling me what to do with my time. If I want to watch
a baseball game, that is exactly what I'm going to do.
It's Spring, bitches! Batter up! 🙂

Agree!

6

I've been giving this some more thought since my initial response.
I'm more than a little irked. I really resent the implication that the things that some people enjoy
are a "waste of time", i.e. watching sports/tv, gaming, working on cars, meditation, crafting, reading, writing poetry, or any other damned thing.
What right does anyone have to tell anyone else they could be using their time "better"?
I think lots of activities are "dumb" and a waste of time, but that would be a waste of MY
time, because I hold no interest in those things.
What anyone else wants to do is entirely up to them. I wouldn't presume to tell anyone
else that I think something (which they obviously enjoy doing) is dumb or a waste of their time.
Okay, rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Hit the nail on the head! Some like movies, some go to Vegas, some to ball games & some to the bar. Some are on this site for hours, read for hours, do crocheting for hours, crosswords for hours. Whatever does it for you. That's why they make vanilla, chocolate & pistachio!

We have the right when someone else tries to suck us into their sphere. This is why so many Christians think there is a way on religion. We push back when they try to force their dogma on us or even others. If one doesn't want comments one should keep quiet.

I agree completely! To each his own. Thanks for a great share.

@BeeHappy Thanks. I was a tad agitated when I wrote that.

No problem. We each have something that strikes a nerve with us. All good. ?

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Sports aren't my thing but I'm not going to say it's a waste of time either. I like to read books and crochet blankets, people could easily say that's a waste of time.

I disagree; you are entertaining/educating yourself on your own time and you are creating something worthwhile that may be of use for someone else.

@JackPedigo thank you! Except if I reading a smut book, lol

@Marcie1974 Isn't that 'entertaining yourself'?

@JackPedigo bwahaha!! Why yes it is.

I agree except reading a book (any book including smut) is not a waste of time! ?

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Sports is the only time some people are able to relax and get away from their problems. Therefore it does serve a purpose. What is redicuious is the millions of dollars paid to them. For those of you uninformed it was the sports world that started these very high wages paid to CEO"S who stated the work I do is greater than these sports players and off we went. These players choose to play in a sport that can injure them for life. Do they do more than those who defend our country for peanuts? We have our priorities mixed up I would surmise.

Good points! Thanks!

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It's just as dumb as anything else anyone likes.

But... Harry Potter...

5

If it weren't for watching Cubs games I would not have had any relationship with my grandfather.Now, I watch them with my family. Maybe, it is dumb, but I really don't care. I'm already an agnostic, liberal, Cubs fan living in a religious, conservative, Cardinals area.

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It was right on. My dad was not a sports fan and none of his kids are either. We all think it is a waste of time, energy and money and often is akin to drug addiction. I just read a similar article in "The Atlantic".

When I was in HS I was on the Track and Tennis varsity teams. I liked toplay but watching is soooo boring.
[theatlantic.com]

Good article Jack, thanks for sharing!

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What about thoae people that use their love of sports to make a living. I don't mean playing sports. I mean those that watch the games as journalists? Or those of us that pick sports winners for money? There are alot of things that are a waste of time. It really depends on what people enjoy doing. I love being outdoors. Some could day that is a waste of time. It depends on what you like. So those people that have a problem with sports, keep it to yourself. I am sure you could find better ways to spend your time than complaining about sports.

He was initially minding his own business. It was the sports freaks that tried to get him in on their game. This is like the religionists who want to proselytize but then get upset when someone answers them back.

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Rant Ahead - That hit several nails on the head… Sports, like religion, appears the opiate of the masses.. I’ve not wasted a millisecond of my adult life playing or watching sports. Granted, I had to experience them as a child, but it seems that’s when that should happen. And though an ‘allstar shortstop’ in my youth, I had no delusions or aspirations to continue with it..

Being the son of a Sportaholic definitely framed my conclusion, but finding obese adults worshiping a ..game they couldn’t last ten minutes playing has always puzzled me… Then, cuz I watched it happen, women began ‘experts,’ too! So not only did I have to dodge the party jocks, but had to do the same with the female experts.

I work with twenty-somethings likely wondering how many lifetimes I’ve lived, from the many life experiences I’ll describe, and though I’ve thought about it, have never described it as ‘that’s what can happen when you live life and not waste it on following (or playing) Sports 😉

Hate it, and couldn’t tell you who’s the ‘world champion anything’ with a gun to my head! It’s very much like religion, which always injected a bit more energy into whatever outside activity I’d do on a Sunday.. Dad? He continues to watch VHS tapes of 20 year old sporting events … guess if enough time goes by, he may have forgotten who won? Mom did politics, me too 🙂

Varn Level 8 Mar 29, 2018

@Captnron59 Oh no, if you like it, do it! I just envision inactive people glued to a tube.. I’ve nothing in common with the ..darth misfit portrayed in the video 😉 My sportaholic dad’s always been active, running, fishing, hiking, gardening.. Though too much TV time, and ..fanatic devotion to ‘games.’

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Each person is free to spend their time as they wish, after-all we have a finite and ever reducing amount of it.

Absolutely!

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What about if you talk about sport while spending time with family and friends, or read a book about sport? 😉

Jnei Level 8 Mar 29, 2018

It stifles relevant conversation in a family setting. Or, glorifies the irrelevant 🙂

4

Well, I see watching soap operas dumb, very dumb. Do not watch sports anymore, not even scores.

What's a tv? ... A total void ... of reasoned thought?

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I don't watch sports and am averse to anyone ridiculing or chastizing anyone who does. What it comes down to is fun. It's fun to play and it's fun to watch. I will occasionally watch a tennis match because the game involves tactics, skills and finesses that I appreciate. It makes it more interesting. I know that many games involve these elements to a certain degree but it's what I find interesting that counts. To say that watching sports is dumb or a waste of time is wrong because of the fun factor. The enjoymnt and excitement it creates is worthwhile. I usually have something else I'd rather do than watch sports making it a low priority in my life. I don't agree that watching sports is dumb or a waste of time.

SamL Level 7 Mar 29, 2018

I appreciate you sharing. Thanks!

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Remember how the Romans distracted the citizens with "circuses" at the Colosseum? We replaced the gladiators with football players.

@Crimson67 You are correct.

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Yes!!! That is me! Sports are big, and I mean BIG business and don't do a damn bit of good for the common person. I've never been athletic, I'd much rather read, sew, shop, or anything besides be forced to watch sports.

What really drives me nuts is the conclusive evidence of cumulative brain damage from ‘micro concussions’ in football, or boxing ..or ‘headers’ in ‘soccer’ … yet the public continues to eat it up! WTF? I refuse to watch the Stuperbowl ..or any game supplied by the ‘league of denial’ (NFL … feels like typing NRA).

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In the "grand scheme of the universe" that "philosopher" is still a dick! LOL

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I've never cared for watchign sports and kind of am on the side of the really drearty guy here.

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The big team sports that get shoved down people’s throats has turned into a social control mechanism, like religion is.

I dig your perspective for sure, you are 100% right

3

Live and let live. Back in the days of only 3 TV channels, and the BBC showing Wimbledon on 2 of them, it was an issue. Now, if you don't like it, go and watch something else from the hundreds of TV channels and various streaming services available.

Sport only becomes annoying for me when I'm trapped in a situation with people discussing it. Five of us waiting to start a conference call a few weeks ago, when someone pipes up "We won't talk about football, then." Foolishy, I breathed a sigh of relief. Somewhat naively, I assumed this didn't mean "Let's talk about football... lots... specifically focusing on how badly one of our party's team had performed in a recent game." We soon set that straight.

I don't mind if I can walk away from it or change the subject, but it was one of those situations where I couldn't.

The video? Yes, it's a sketch, but in real life it'd be the perfect example of people being douches. The lone guy for not leaving the others alone and going off to watch Spongebob on his own. The group for being so incredulous that someone might not want to sit and watch the game. The bar touts in Spain used to be like this, Get a whiff of you being English, and they'd be all "We've got the football on Sky TV." They struggled to comprehend that we hadn't flown all the way out there just to watch television.

Anyhow...

[www].youtube.com/watch?v=MusyO7J2inM

OOoo -- laughing so hard I couldn’t finish that! “Thousands and thousands of hours of Football!” It seems everything has morphed toward extremes, with it’s own channel 😀 I’ll turn on the BBC when I can’t sleep … but when they warn me that ‘spote’ (sports) is up next - off it goes..

Well, at least your nation isn’t dumbing itself down with large scale mini-concussions. I’ve seriously begun to wonder if ‘America’s’ loss of sanity isn’t due from decades of our brawl ball? I suspect our military's full of former players, and some vote 😕

Thanks for sharing and the clip. Lol

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i like watching ufc, fighting, golf, olympics nd anything other than american football and baseball. but neve am obsessed with any ......whoo''s with me on NOT watching american football - waste of time and wayyyy to much money alotted.

We all have our favorites, thanks for sharing!

3

How you use your time is your business. I once had a girlfriend who immediately wanted to give me something to do if I turned on the TV. I was not signalling that I had nothing to do. I was signaling that I wanted to watch TV.
On into why sports are dumb. My school could not afford uniforms and equipment. That meant touch football and we could not play real baseball. Basketball was the only real game we could play in my school days. We did have a gym outfit. As a result of that I don't care about people hitting a ball with a stick. Running and jumping on top of a guy carrying a ball doesn't thrill me either. I'm not even into European soccer (football) much. Sports just doesn't get any of my time.
If they get your time that's great. Remember that how you use your time is totally your business.

Yes ..to each their own, but like religion, there becomes a cultural expectation that anyone not participating in ..whatever crazed event is ...not right. I’ve a British friend who described English schools with reputations for ‘winning teams’ as those academically avoided. Here in the US, he can’t understand why people flock toward schools with a ‘winning team.’

I concur!

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