Sport - what's the attraction?

[Salty seadog]

None of my close family, or friends, have much, if any interest in sport.

I don't think this is a chance coincidence.

Mudders, that's a bit too close to Sheps' standard reply.

Sport can install so many positive values in those engaged. It can also go the other way in some, say maybe the same as those engaged in politics or religion. It's how you engage.

Win with honour or win at all costs.
Be a sportsman or a man who plays sports.

Interest in other people playing sport is just that, a matter of interest. Some people are interested in the Chelsea flower show. What's that all about?

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

Interest in other people playing sport is just that, a matter of interest. Some people are interested in the Chelsea flower show. What's that all about?

There isn't a florist's news section at the end of every news bulletin. Nor is there an afternoon every year at primary school given over to who can grow the best petunias.

 

[Salty seadog]

There isn't a florist's news section at the end of every news bulletin. Nor is there an afternoon every year at primary school given over to who can grow the best petunias.

You're right, the florist section is far higher up the order during the chelsea show. And I'd wager plenty of schools do engage in something along those lines.

 

[mudsticks]

Mudders, that's a bit too close to Sheps' standard reply.

Sport can install so many positive values in those engaged. It can also go the other way in some, say maybe the same as those engaged in politics or religion. It's how you engage.

Win with honour or win at all costs.
Be a sportsman or a man who plays sports.

Interest in other people playing sport is just that, a matter of interest. Some people are interested in the Chelsea flower show. What's that all about?

I'll pass on both thanks.

Other people can do as they please, I'm just not interested in listening to people talking about other people kicking a ball around a field ..

But I don't mind if other people want to talk about it.

But i don't think it's coincidence that my closest f&f don't talk about sport, we have many other interests though..
Besides politics of course..

We do have a well used table tennis table here, Myself, and nearly everyone I know is very active, cycling, swimming, running, hiking, farming, doing yoga, and lots of other stuff.

Just not doing, or watching organised sport.

I'm sure Shep doesn't mind that either...

 

[mudsticks]

There isn't a florist's news section at the end of every news bulletin. Nor is there an afternoon every year at primary school given over to who can grow the best petunias.

I did used to run a weekly gardening club at our local primary school though..

That was very popular, even though it was mostly 'playing in the mud'

 

[winjim]

I'm not much of a one for competitive sports but honestly the Michael Owen Emma Raducanu SPOTY twitter thread is giving me life right now.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...s-to-emma-raducanu?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other


View: https://twitter.com/themichaelowen/status/1472673729075425280?t=XWSnWdPk7jPTloPBsxOfCw&s=19

 

[Rusty Nails]

Sport has been an important part of my life, with many of my longest-lasting friends coming from the various teams in several sports I played for from my teens right through my 50s. Sadly knee and back injuries mean that the only sport I now play is table tennis, although that virtually stopped due to the pandemic restrictions closing the club for a long time. I love cycling, but the way I do it it cannot be described as a sport, and the only person I am competitive with is myself.
I don't think it can be denied that sport is very important to a large number of the population and as such deserves the attention it gets in the media, although I fully understand how people with little interest in sport, especially the major sports, get fed up with the way it is almost treated as a religion and the hype that surrounds the stars.
For something that is not important it is hugely important.

 

[mudsticks]

Why do we always seem to hear about a horse that has got stuck in a marshy boggy hole being rescued in the national media?
How is that news?

Tbh I would far far far far rather watch a horse being pulled from a boggy hole , than be forced to endure all that rushing about, after blasted balls.

But you're right there's always a horse in a boggy hole..

 

[cookiemonster]

I don’t agree that all sport is boring, some are (golf, cricket to name two) but there are many sports that are great fun.

I was never into playing ball games, football etc, as I wasn't great at it but I boxed, cycled and weight trained (when I was a bit older) and I loved it. I also did high jump at school but that stopped as the teacher who taught it left. I was quite good at that, being tall for my age. Also, sport, for me, keeps my ADHD in check.

There's always a sport that you can enjoy.

 

[Unkraut]

I wonder if liking sport and being good at it normally only ever belong together?

I don't subscribe to the British 'it's not about winning but taking part' - seems to me to be putting a brave face on usually losing - but the commercialisation of sport has meant winning is now being taken far too seriously.

To some extent this has put me off watching the regular tournaments, although it may be a sign of age that they seem to come round too quickly these days. It doesn't actually matter whether the third goal in the '66 world cup was genuine or not. Spectacular games of footie 'that will be talked about for years' are forgotten within a fortnight.

It's nice to see anyone from any country excel and beat an existing world record.

I discovered recently that one of my writers I used to translate for has been suffering serious ill health, and that this is due to long-term effects of the drugs she was given when very young by the DDR sports authorities to enhance her athletics or being a gymnast. When winning and prestige become so important that this goes on, it ruins sport.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

There isn't a florist's news section at the end of every news bulletin. Nor is there an afternoon every year at primary school given over to who can grow the best petunias.

There is no demand for that, pretty simple. if you go to lets say 3 newssites and you look at their website traffic analytics you would see that sport and news are most popular pages( or sub sites actually on most sites) and the big ones have seperate subsites/pages for a variety of topics. So if florist news would be a thing they would have added it. Just as business news is a thing, or international news, or columns etc.

Other evidence is in the facts that people are willing to pay an xxx amount to get a ticket to see the sport they love in an stadium or at a circuit.
All things you don't have to do or watch if for you it is boring, but it is the reason why it is still part of the news bulletin.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Sport was a huge part of me in my younger years. It’s a great leveller as it’s seldom got much to do with how clever are better off you are ! Super for the mind body and soul imo .

 

[PaulB]

Rather than derail a thread, I'll start another.

I find sport boring. Football particularly so.

Instead of having school sports days, the schools should have an afternoon of something, anything, that isn't sport.

Sport shouldn't be included at the end of news bulletins as it's a) boring and b) not news.

That's not to say that there aren't interesting aspects of sport. I just can't get worked up about sport itself.

That's my view - what do others think? Come on people, convince me otherwise.

I pity you. No, seriously, I genuinely feel sorry for you. If you can forget camaraderie, the rush of a great win (and we've had LOADS), the competitiveness, the loyalty, then what is there?

I was once in a branch of Selfridges and happened to be where they did the TVs and the entire store was transfixed by a young Jamaican runner sprinting down the track to win his second Olympic Gold Medal in the 100 metres. Everyone spontaneously burst out into applause, despite Bolt being thousands of miles away and probably unlikely to hear them.

How do you think YOU got here? You got here because of competitiveness. It runs through your very DNA and is our defining characteristic.

 

[mudsticks]

I pity you. No, seriously, I genuinely feel sorry for you. If you can forget camaraderie, the rush of a great win (and we've had LOADS), the competitiveness, the loyalty, then what is there?

I was once in a branch of Selfridges and happened to be where they did the TVs and the entire store was transfixed by a young Jamaican runner sprinting down the track to win his second Olympic Gold Medal in the 100 metres. Everyone spontaneously burst out into applause, despite Bolt being thousands of miles away and probably unlikely to hear them.

How do you think YOU got here? You got here because of competitiveness. It runs through your very DNA and is our defining characteristic.

So much (but not all) of sport is focussed on winning at all costs, especially where there's money involved.
Hence doping, and other dodgy practices to gain advantage.
Premiere league football is mainly about who can 'buy' the best players,
It's just become another form of capitalism.

I'd argue that what has 'got us here' is just as much about cooperation and collaboration, and capacity to look after the less able.

Competitiveness isn't particularly our defining characteristic, most animals have that.

Teams or individuals wouldn't get to the top in their various fields without working together.

That's potentially one of the upside of sport, showing the benefit of cooperation..

But then of course, if you don't have the skills or aptitude then you'll not get on any team if it's all about the winning.. Thems the breaks.

Playing games together just for fun so it doesn't matter how good or bad you are, can be a joy I agree.

For a few years, a group of us would meet up through the summer once a week to play rounders ..All ages and abilities.

It was really just a way of gathering before the pub, or keeping us out of it for an extra hour and a half maybe 🤔

But commercialised sport is another thing altogether.

Still clearly millions of people are thoroughly absorbed it.

Great to get out on the bike when there's a cup final of some sort on the telly

 

[MrGrumpy]

Professional sport is a different thing altogether but in some of those sports there is still camaraderie amongst its competitors . Probably more so where giant pots of money are not the main prize !