I've been watching sports
It almost feels like a dirty secret I’m confessing. I joked in an e-mail with a colleague tonight, who pointed out that he was impressed that I was watching a sporting event, not to tell anybody because it’d ruin my street cred.
Ask any of my friends, and they’ll tell you, I’m not a sports fan.
I’ve explained it all kinds of ways:
I don’t like sports.I don’t like sports fans.
I don’t understand the rules.Watching on TV is boring.
I’m allergic to sports.
At the end of the day, I’ve just never been into competitive sports, because I’m a different type of competitive. I’m much more into competing with myself, so I like solo sports like rock climbing and snow boarding.
Even when I’ve watched sports that I do like, I’ve never followed them. I never memorized player stats, or knew where a team stood in a given championship.
I had nothing to personally gain or lose from knowing, or not knowing any of those things.
So why, on earth, would I take the risk of blowing my “personal brand” as a sports luddite?
I love the vibe of Philly pride.
Philly’s sense of pride is something special, and I’ve made mention of it on this blog in a negative light.
It’s fickle, and our city’s pride in our sports teams is a blister of an example for it.
But when its good, when it’s uniting, it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of a city that is proud.
I’ve been watching sports because right now, Philadelphia is proud of something for the right reasons. I wish that pride of being a Philadelphian permeated more than just the sports season. I’m watching Philadelphia sports so I can understand what about it makes us so proud, so it can be applied elsewhere in our daily lives.
Hopefully, I’ve still got my street cred.
Conversely, you don't see people wearing t-shirts for the great things people in Philly are doing that aren't sports. It helps to have billion-dollar business driving the influx of licensed (and grossly unlicensed, from what I saw in the stadium parking lot) sports merchandise.
Would that we spent so much and valued so much the arts and science.
Concerning street cred, I doubt the realization that you enjoy the rush of feeling with the crowd and having a common thread with people outside your usual crowd is anything to be worrying about. I believe that the adage – friends who would dismiss you for your differing beliefs weren't your friends to begin with – also applies here.
Glad somebody was reading betweenthe lines
More on exactly what you propose, to come.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2009, Disqus
Conversely, you don't see people wearing t-shirts for the great things people in Philly are doing that aren't sports. It helps to have billion-dollar business driving the influx of licensed (and grossly unlicensed, from what I saw in the stadium parking lot) sports merchandise.
Would that we spent so much and valued so much the arts and science.
Concerning street cred, I doubt the realization that you enjoy the rush of feeling with the crowd and having a common thread with people outside your usual crowd is anything to be worrying about. I believe that the adage – friends who would dismiss you for your differing beliefs weren't your friends to begin with – also applies here.
Glad somebody was reading betweenthe lines
More on exactly what you propose, to come.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2009, Disqus
i'm glad philly won cause for a change we can do something besides sulk… go phils.
i'm glad philly won cause for a change we can do something besides sulk… go phils.
i'm glad philly won cause for a change we can do something besides sulk… go phils.
I think you should wear wristband and try to watch a NBA to enjoy your life.