Sunday 21 October 2007

Rugby, football, motor racing

I cheerfully admit that I might have a gene missing or something, but I just could not care less about 'sport', as defined. I am vaguely pleased when an English team wins something, but that's about it.

That means I am just as cheerful (or at least no more miserable) today as I was a week-and-a-bit ago. Sure, Russian football fans, South African rugby fans and Finnish Formula 1 fans might be a lot happier than they otherwise would have been, but how does this compare to the total disappointment of fans all the other countries, teams and drivers who didn't win?

Sport is a negative sum game, and reduces the sum total of human happiness, is all.

7 comments:

Vindico said...

I agree with you. I also lack that gene. Although I have enjoyed watching big games with England in in the past I can't get that excited about it. It's nice when we win and a little disappointing when we lose but I can't understand the mindset of people draping themselves in flags and being reduced to tears in defeat. All seems a little over the top. The problem with any match is the odds are 50/50, which are not good odds for any other area of life!! Getting so emotionally involved in a game with such bad odds is surely foolish as the liklihood of disppointment is large. Hmm, perhaps i need to explore this further and write a blog post.

Scott Freeman said...

Heh, I said EXACTLY the same thing a few days ago HERE.

Jackart said...

Maybe for the supporters, but I'm still playing. The best advice my headmaster gave to the leaving 7th form was "find your sport and find your level".

Playing sport creates happiness. even for the losers.

Mark Wadsworth said...

J, sure, actually playing sport probably creates happiness. As does collecting stamps, going to concerts, being in a band, fishing or rock-climbing. I was talking more about spectator sports.

Roger Thornhill said...

I do not think it is lacking a gene, but that the tribalism is expressed in some other way.

I wonder how many of those supporters have no political tribalism?

Bread and Circuses, praps.

For me, I enjoy a good Rugger game. How many players ponced about on the field pretending to be hurt or faking a tackle? Zero. Football leaves me cold because the players are just so dishonest.

Scott Freeman said...

I don't think I am so much missing a gene as sport is lacking a sword. I'd probably have been right at home watching a gladiator match in ancient Rome, but football just doesn't hack it (no pun intended).

CatWoman said...

I'm used to a loser team (Chicago Cubs have been losing for decades)
they haven't won a world series in 100 years! So being that they've lost in my entire lifetime already I've pretty much thrown in the sports towel. All I love is baseball anyway. And just mildly like everything else. (too busy to obscess with them all) Except when the Bulls (our basketball team) were on a winning streak I did enjoy those games, cuz all we did was nothing but win.