Arguing about sports

I'm guessing he grew up a Michigan fan, but that school had standards.

 

Maybe because he's been a Michigan fan most of his life and only went to school at MSU because it was more feasible academically/financially/logistically? Hell, change the location and that fits me.

Or, what IJAG said.

 

Me too.

 

I normally don't give a shit about any college teams, but I'm rooting for Florida to go unbeaten this year.

 

All they have to do is play on lakes. The other players will sink, and Tebow can walk into the end zone.

 

Two best things: When people ask me about something sports-related so they can tell me I wrong (then why did you ask my opinion?). Or when they tell me I'm wrong about something because they read it differently in the paper only to have me tell them that, uh, I WROTE THAT IN THE PAPER!

 

IJAG and buckweaver: so . . . I don't have to be shackled to Indiana's football team?

I can't believe how many falls I've salted away being downtrodden by that ragtag collection of two-star players and worthless coaches . . .

Much more fun to agree with them and watch the sheep fall in line. Me and a friend at a U.S. national team game a few years ago:

"Wow . . . Taylor Twellman has two goals today. Going forward, he really will be a world-class striker for the U.S. for years to come."

"Just think of him in the next World Cup . ."

"The next TWO world cups!"

"Right. Freddy Adu distributing the ball all over the pitch. Twellman putting them away from every angle. Hell yeah."

"The sky's the limit."

And the guys in front of us, their U.S. jerseys at leasta size too small, turning back and nodding, "Excellent, excellent. Twellman is awesome."

The average fan doesn't know a damn thing. They complain about the officials and the opponent's "lack of class!!!", they buy the media hype while simultaneously complaining that that darn media gives their team no respect. And when they encounter us, they think we want to talk about the Dodgers season, and look confused when we bring up the whole "Manny's a cheater" thing.

Ah, fans.

 

The other great things about arguing about sports is - at the end of the day - it doesn't really matter.

I've got to think there would be a decent skit about some Joe Schlub working a desk job and turning on the radio and hearing a talk show host bash the crap out of him. "He sucks, he should be fired, he had his time, but the job has passed him by." "Yeah, Tony, there's an intern there who I think would give the firm a big upgrade at that position." "The problem with Company X is they don't care how bad they are as long as they make a big profit at the end of the day." "They need to clean house in that entire department. Sales are down, morale is down, Joe in Accounting is a cancer on the younger employees."

 

I used to be a big sports rooter guy ... which made me prone to arguments. I can remember watching the Cowboys play in high school. Getting pissed. Screaming at the TV. Throwing shit.

I can vividly remember getting in an argument in junior high over who was better, Robert Parish or David Robinson. I was pro-Robinson. A friend of mine, who liked to be contrarian, argued for a Charlotte Hornets-era Parish. I hated my friend for weeks.

The thing is, I don't have it in me any more. Maybe it's a function of covering most of my "favorite" teams from growing up, and just naturally growing numb to them. Maybe a part of reaching adulthood means you no longer scream at the TV because of something stupid a 20-year-old kid did.

I'll have friends who will still bitch to me about how come the Cowboys don't use Felix Jones more ... and I just can't bring myself to care. It's just not that big of deal to me anymore. I watch the games. If the Cowboys win, it's cool. If they suck, I change the channel.

 

Naw, you're still stuck with them. It's part of the blood oath you sign when they mail you your diploma.

There's an out clause for the 75% of the student body who spent Saturdays in their finest blue & gold yelling at the TV and rooting for their beloved Irish when there was a real-life college football game going on within walking distance. But you had to declare your non-allegiance at freshman orientation and then spend Saturdays arguing with your loser friends over the ethical and moral implications of rooting for Notre Dame when attending Indiana.

 

The last USNT match I attended, the Americans were the dingleberries you were describing.

The kid sitting beside me - couldn't have been more than 19 years old and representing the other team - could not have been classier as he knew what he was seeing, he pulled for his country and didn't bag on anyone else. I apologized to him on behalf of all the so-called U.S. fans absolutely showing their rear ends.

Embarrassing. Glad I went to the match, but couldn't believe either the ignorance or belligerence of so-called American soccer fans.

 

Well, compared to Michigan, Sparty usually IS terrible. Last year was the second time in 40 (Forty) years that MSU won more games than U-M.

I don't argue sports with most casual acquaintances -- they always want to, since they know I'm in sports media -- because they get most of their "takes" from TV and sports radio, and 98% of the time, I'm right and they're wrong.