Sports
It's scorching outside but nothing compared to what it was like a month ago, when I was in Calcutta. I think it was good that I went back right before summer started here. It was almost like going to strength camp before football season starts. After having dealt with the heat and humidity there, summer in STL seems like a vacation in Hawaii in the middle of January. In retrospect "football" is not to be confused with men in helmets and a bad attitude. I meant football like the rest of the world means it - the proper way (because you actually use your foot in the game rather than cradling the ball with your hands). Anyway, there is something that has been bothering me for about a month now (besides the redness and burning sensation in my balls).
It is the lack of sports in my life. Apparently there is no one our age - in their 20s or above - who like to play sports anymore. They'd much rather sit on their ass and watch it on TV so that they can analyze the event with some half baked knowledge of the game and some obsolete experience of having played it a billion years ago. I can understand how pursuing sports can take a back seat to chasing beautiful women, or a kick ass job; but to compeletely discard it, is pretty pathetic. Here's a random thought and I might be completely wrong but did anyone ever stop and think that if sports was played more and watched less, not only would STL be bumped of the "most obese cities in america" list, it could actually contribute to unecessarily glorified atheletes taking a pay cut? According to a recent survey most fans of any sport such as American football, baseball, football, Cross country, swimming, basketball, bicycling, etc etc. are most impressed by two things - speed, and stamina. Believe it or not skill comes third with the exception of basketball. Looking at that statistic one might be inclined to conclude that :a) either the fans are impressed by speed and stamina because they are comparing their own physical conditions to that of the atheletes or b) they are impressed by how much better is one athelete is from another - in terms of speed and stamina. Personally I think, choice 'b' has a low probability because professional atheletes tend to be - pretty much - at the same physical performance level. So, if fans are comparing these athelets to themselves w/o even playing the game then they are mistaken and by simple law of supply and demand the worth of the athelete is lessened. That was a skipping too many steps ahead so I'll explain. Lets suppose that someone is extremely impressed by beckham's ability to bend the ball (although didn't help him win this world CUP. SUCCA !)it's because the last time he played the game was in 7th grade. How much can you actually remember about your speed and your stamina or your skill for that matter from seventh grade ? Besides you quit playing the game after that one summer or one semester - maybe even if you stuck with it till now you would suck; but you'll never known because you didn't. You quit ! Now imagine this realization and it's implications on a much larger scale. First of all, players are appreciated for their true worth and not just because of what they achieved by training 9 hours a day - because that is called practice and dedication, not talent. Also, practicing for athelets is pretty comparable to what we call jobs - it's the pro players job to show up and practice so that he can perform at the pro level. And second of all, since you are talented we are going to watch you perform but that doesn't mean that you get to extort us from our money which we worked just as hard as you to get. Because it's true that some people have much more fun jobs than others; but at the same time the not so fun jobs are equally important for the community - you don't pay your cable guy 1 million dollars for coming out and fixing a co-ax so why would you pay $3600 to go and see Ronaldhinio suck balls (aka show no considerable talent whatsoever) in the world cup against france. "suck balls" is not an opinionated rant because C.Ronaldo(Portugal) played the exact position as Ronaldhinio and broke the french defense almost every time he came down the field. So my advice would be to get off the couch and hit the fields.
It is the lack of sports in my life. Apparently there is no one our age - in their 20s or above - who like to play sports anymore. They'd much rather sit on their ass and watch it on TV so that they can analyze the event with some half baked knowledge of the game and some obsolete experience of having played it a billion years ago. I can understand how pursuing sports can take a back seat to chasing beautiful women, or a kick ass job; but to compeletely discard it, is pretty pathetic. Here's a random thought and I might be completely wrong but did anyone ever stop and think that if sports was played more and watched less, not only would STL be bumped of the "most obese cities in america" list, it could actually contribute to unecessarily glorified atheletes taking a pay cut? According to a recent survey most fans of any sport such as American football, baseball, football, Cross country, swimming, basketball, bicycling, etc etc. are most impressed by two things - speed, and stamina. Believe it or not skill comes third with the exception of basketball. Looking at that statistic one might be inclined to conclude that :a) either the fans are impressed by speed and stamina because they are comparing their own physical conditions to that of the atheletes or b) they are impressed by how much better is one athelete is from another - in terms of speed and stamina. Personally I think, choice 'b' has a low probability because professional atheletes tend to be - pretty much - at the same physical performance level. So, if fans are comparing these athelets to themselves w/o even playing the game then they are mistaken and by simple law of supply and demand the worth of the athelete is lessened. That was a skipping too many steps ahead so I'll explain. Lets suppose that someone is extremely impressed by beckham's ability to bend the ball (although didn't help him win this world CUP. SUCCA !)it's because the last time he played the game was in 7th grade. How much can you actually remember about your speed and your stamina or your skill for that matter from seventh grade ? Besides you quit playing the game after that one summer or one semester - maybe even if you stuck with it till now you would suck; but you'll never known because you didn't. You quit ! Now imagine this realization and it's implications on a much larger scale. First of all, players are appreciated for their true worth and not just because of what they achieved by training 9 hours a day - because that is called practice and dedication, not talent. Also, practicing for athelets is pretty comparable to what we call jobs - it's the pro players job to show up and practice so that he can perform at the pro level. And second of all, since you are talented we are going to watch you perform but that doesn't mean that you get to extort us from our money which we worked just as hard as you to get. Because it's true that some people have much more fun jobs than others; but at the same time the not so fun jobs are equally important for the community - you don't pay your cable guy 1 million dollars for coming out and fixing a co-ax so why would you pay $3600 to go and see Ronaldhinio suck balls (aka show no considerable talent whatsoever) in the world cup against france. "suck balls" is not an opinionated rant because C.Ronaldo(Portugal) played the exact position as Ronaldhinio and broke the french defense almost every time he came down the field. So my advice would be to get off the couch and hit the fields.
posted by Dipta at 2:35 PM
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