Sports shorts

Let's examine one of my pet peeves. Sports. Now, I'm a sports person, and in fact a sports idiot. I get up three times a week at around 5 am to play racquetball. Yet, I consider myself to be less idiotic than, say, the idiots who live and breathe according to their favorite team. Again, I like sports. But, to claim self worth due to a group of individuals whom you have, in all likelihood, never met nor really have a stake in their win, is really quite, well, weird. I once knew a man who was unbearable when his team was playing football on tv. Throwing things at the tv, yelling at it, as if all of that interaction would have any effect. I guess that's the way of a real sports fan-atic. See what I mean? That's just plain weird. The sports fan is not something that is just specific to American men. In fact, women and men the world over are given to some of the same actions and reactions that I have described above. (Have you heard of the middle-eastern country who would execute athletes who failed to achieve their potential?)

I was once a fan, perhaps. I was a big Oklahoma Sooner football fan. Never quite like my friend described above. However, I found it difficult to control my emotions when paying close attention to the team, whether viewed on TV or listened to on the radio, or, for that matter, seeing the score the following day. I was either elated, buoyant, happy, etc., or depressed and sad. That feeling would continue on through the next 24 - 48 hours. Eventually, the feeling would leave and I would be ready for the next week. As a pastor, that makes Sunday really difficult during the Fall. How do you preach a positive message while feeling so blue over a football game?

By the way, I've found a cure for this. Just go through several seasons of losing and eventually the feelings die away and you truly start to get good perspective. Actually, it dawned on me during that time that, whether I watched or not, whether I cheered or not, whether present or absent, the team was going to win or lose. In other words, it didn't matter if I listened or not. It didn't matter if I yelled or not. It just didn't matter. I don't own the team; I don't coach the team; I don't play for the team. In fact, you have to wonder why I would get so emotionally wrapped up in the team's performance.

All this being said, I still root for OU football, and just about anything else OU. But, I've also found that I like Kentucky football as well. Hmmmm - a conundrum. How can I like both? Well, I like vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Why can't I like two football teams? BUT, (and there's a lot of work here) I will not allow myself the pain of being a fan (fanatic, that is). I don't have the energy or desire to be that frivolous with my emotions.

See, now I've illustrated several different weird attributes. First, the weirdness of being a fan. Second, in a world dominated by sports, controlling ones emotions about a sport is weird. Third, experiencing emotions because of sports is weird.

Bottom line - people are weird!

By the way, what's this thing about "loving" some thing? That's another post to come later.