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magidSuperbowl Sunday always reminds me how skewed I am from an "average" American (not that I'd like to be average, thank you very much). There's no traffic outside, except the buses, and I suspect the bus drivers are all cursing their luck for having a shift then, too.
I have never understood why so many people are so devoted to the intracacies of team sports they don't even play (OK, some people likely played these sports in school. Why don't they follow their school's teams, then?). They know the most arcane rules, and statistics of all obscure sorts, and spend otherwise-useful chunks of time watching teams compete (People choosing to watch TV rather than lead their own lives, as it were.). The Superbowl is somehow the epitome of this, a sport that's not even pretty to watch (Yeah, I'm apparently supposed to like watching guys' butts. But all I see are men selected for being built like large bricks running into each other. Not appealing.). There are huge celebrations when a team wins, downcast faces (and other, more violent, things happen, too) when they lose. I feel like I'm missing some sports gene: why does anyone care that much? You already know at the beginning of the event that one or the other team will win; even with movies it's not as clear what the ending will be (well, barring romantic comedies, and some Disney flicks). Even when it is, the journey there is unusual, or thought-provoking. Team sports aren't even that pretty to watch. I suppose if I knew all the statistics, then someone making some statistically unlikely play would be more impressive, but absent all that, it's not an aesthetic experience like, say, dance, or gymnastics, or even swimming.
Last night I made popovers, answered email, refreshed my friends page far too many times. And I was satisfied with my evening.
(I am so sure I'm going to reread this tomorrow and want to edit it. Not focused enough now to write as perfect an essay-thing as I'd prefer, but if I didn't write anything, it would go wandering away...)
I have never understood why so many people are so devoted to the intracacies of team sports they don't even play (OK, some people likely played these sports in school. Why don't they follow their school's teams, then?). They know the most arcane rules, and statistics of all obscure sorts, and spend otherwise-useful chunks of time watching teams compete (People choosing to watch TV rather than lead their own lives, as it were.). The Superbowl is somehow the epitome of this, a sport that's not even pretty to watch (Yeah, I'm apparently supposed to like watching guys' butts. But all I see are men selected for being built like large bricks running into each other. Not appealing.). There are huge celebrations when a team wins, downcast faces (and other, more violent, things happen, too) when they lose. I feel like I'm missing some sports gene: why does anyone care that much? You already know at the beginning of the event that one or the other team will win; even with movies it's not as clear what the ending will be (well, barring romantic comedies, and some Disney flicks). Even when it is, the journey there is unusual, or thought-provoking. Team sports aren't even that pretty to watch. I suppose if I knew all the statistics, then someone making some statistically unlikely play would be more impressive, but absent all that, it's not an aesthetic experience like, say, dance, or gymnastics, or even swimming.
Last night I made popovers, answered email, refreshed my friends page far too many times. And I was satisfied with my evening.
(I am so sure I'm going to reread this tomorrow and want to edit it. Not focused enough now to write as perfect an essay-thing as I'd prefer, but if I didn't write anything, it would go wandering away...)