Stop the Football!!!
August 4, 2011
Uuhhgg! I can’t take the ceaseless football talk anymore. As if there’s not enough football once the season starts.
Football – it’s everywhere and I am sick of it already. Honestly – I was soooo looking forward to a break from the whole thing this fall. Will someone please lock them out again?
The funny thing is I somewhat enjoy the sport. I just feel so overly saturated by football – like listening to a song you like over and over to the point you grow to hate the song.
I realize the reason for this reaction is largely a byproduct of where I live. It’s probably not a coincidence that my two favorite sports are baseball and basketball – two sports that I, by contrast, can’t seem to get enough of.
Baseball coverage in KC is limited. We have a major league team, but a team that is perennially in last place. Thus the Royals chatter tends to dry up after a couple of months. Local college teams, of course, have baseball. But college baseball is hardly a phenomenon that captures the popular imagination and is, therefore, rarely addressed on local or national media.
KC has no professional basketball team. There is a sweet sweet season where college basketball is on the radar, but that comes and goes relatively quickly and, honestly, doesn’t seem to garner much media hype until March Madness which, again, comes and goes pretty quickly.
Football though. It’s everywhere. Chiefs Chiefs Chiefs. It’s all I hear about. Who cares that they’re a middle of the road/mediocre team and have been my entire life? In this city – they’re perennial contenders. And then there’s the whole college football thing. We are surrounded by three Big 12 teams who are all taken very seriously by the local media (much more seriously than any of them merit).
Football! Stop playing the record! Someone lock them out again…it was so promising…
August 6, 2011 at 1:40 am
Whoa! Hold up there Ebenezer! Let the people have their Christmas!
You know that Baseball is my first love, but I love Football as well, and for those sports fans that don’t have the depth to appreciate the subtleties of Baseball, this time of year is their Christmas.
With only one game a week, football has always had the status of a social event, and even a rare sense of community, and that brings in more casual fans and more media coverage. Unfortunately, many of these people have scant knowledge of the game but think they know everything and we all need to hear it. The battle for territory and physicality of the game also seems to bring out braggadocio and adrenaline as well.
You can shelter yourself from much of the football. You are kind of busy on Sundays anyway. Stay away from sports radio. Put in a CD or Ipod and listen to Jon Bowles radio.
You could also, (while still ignoring most of the talk) somewhat embrace the social aspect. I am sure you know of gatherings that are fun without an overdose of adrenaline and testosterone. Games can be even more fun for a more casual fan because you can let your inner “WOOOO” out for a couple of hours, but you don’t have the same level of letdown after a loss.
You could even join a Fantasy League. Don’t laugh, we have a friends and family fantasy league where we play for a cheap trophy we got at Spencer’s. Wives and some older kids play. Fun competition that increases the interest for casual fans.
Lastly, the Chiefs have not always been mediocre, but they have done poorly in the playoffs. The 1977 Royals had the best record in Baseball , and were not banished to mediocrity because they didn’t beat the Yankees. The Chiefs have had the best record a couple of times, and their playoff losses, while disappointing, did not make those teams mediocre either.
August 8, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Mike – allow me to respond to various points:
Firstly – I don’t watch any sport casually. As I mentioned, I happen to enjoy watching the actual game itself…it’s just all the endless talk about it between games and in the off-season that has sickened me of the sport. Secondly, I enjoy sports talk radio. It’s what I want to listen to when I drive around during the day. That’s the problem…football has completely co-opted my joy. I allow for it during the season – but football dominates the radio in the middle of baseball and basketball season…it’s everywhere here in KC… Thirdly – Do I really want community with people who “don’t have the depth to appreciate the subtleties of baseball”? Fourth – I’m not near the social animal you might think – I generally don’t like parties and gatherings…I don’t look for excuses to gather with people…I usually look for excuses not to. Finally – Having the best record in baseball is far more impressive and meaningful in baseball than football. It is also far more of a notable feat to even make the playoffs in baseball than football (especially via 1977).
August 6, 2011 at 1:54 am
Oh- I kind of meant sports Christmas as in the secular celebration- I am not trying to take away from the religious meaning of Christmas.