Letters 2025
26 April 2025
Subject: Is there something we should know about?
I love to watch YouTube; I'm a YouTube nut. I watch all sorts of fascinating and entertaining content. But I loathe the commercials. So I watch for the little skip button at the bottom right corner of the screen, and ignore the soundtrack/narration.
Lately, one of them is about soccer. "Football," some woman gushes, "it's proper drama."
This usually elicits an involuntary splutter of derision from me, because of course it's not dramatic at all, is it. It's dull and pointless.
Here's my question. Why is this commercial on YouTube at the moment? Is there an imminent contest of some sort? Will there be a World Cup thingummy, this summer? The FA cup final? Something calling itself a champions' league? A European elimination contest? A dozen small boys with a ball behind the gas works? Or have viewing figures waned and this is mere propaganda to get undiscerning oiks to watch the childish drivel?
I live alone and manage to spend my days with not a whiff of any of it intruding upon my life, except in the odd commercial like this. I don't watch TV news programmes now, so I never stumble across two or three guys rattling about last night's match or this Saturday's final.
But it is as well to be aware that these "events" are in the offing, so as to double my efforts to avoid the apoplectic media frenzy.
Do you remember the Muppet Show, and how the puppets would cheer by waggling about and calling out "Yayyyyyy"? That's how I see media sports commentators/presenters, wide-eyed and babbling like eight-year-olds about...well, nothing, really, just a non-event that's exactly the same as every other soccer match.
I am happy to be one statistic that the lying sports media can not count, when they tell you how many households were watching last night's asinine little game. There are millions of us who do not tune in, no matter how many commercials the propagandists show or ads they spew at us.
Stephen
15 March 2025
Subject: WE NEED YOUR VOICES
I have no connection with "I Hate Sports" other than I hate sports. And if you're reading this you do too. With good reason. Sports are given far too much adoration in our society. So-called sports stars are paid far too much for an ability that is a knack glorified as a skill. And the enormous salaries they are paid requires ticket prices that make access to sports unreachable for the addicted fans forced to watch them on television. But we know all this. And we know how rabid sports fans, how absurdly they worship so-called athletes, and how crest-fallen they become when their team loses. So here's the problem..
There are thousands of us who hate or resent sports, but very few who express their resentment. If you look at past letters to this site, you will see some fiery comments. We need more. Don't be shy in reporting how sports have affected you, Don't write just to unleash your anger, but to give credence to the millions of persons who are reluctant to admit how much they hate sports in a rah rah society that doesn't see that some sports are ridiculous, others mindless and violent, and that a guy who couldn't care less who won the Super Bowl can be just as macho as the bare-chested moron who paints his face with his team colors and swears allegiance to a group of men who he will never meet and more than likely have no connection to his city.
Allan
9 February 2025
Subject: Don't Keep Your Eye On the Ball
I hate sports generally, but I hate them even more during these troubled times. Why? Because they have become an impediment to reason. While I am watching Morning Joe to learn about the latest attacks on Democracy, the newest appointments of unqualified cabinet members, the latest firings of veteran government employees for just doing their job, when suddenly the serious newscasters get all giddy about sports. Joe himself now has a moronic grin as he lists his who-cares favorites in the who-cares Super Bowl. And his equally gushy gang follows suit. What happen to the crisis in our government that was so serious? Why are you all acting like teen-agers? What will become of our country seems less important than who will win a meaningless, forgettable game that only the wealthy can attend and millions will watch in mostly drunken joy while being brainwashed to adore the commercials. And this football fever will continue the entire weekend, while our nation, our history, our future --which demands constant care and attention-- is forgotten for the day and ebbs even further away to the sounds of cheering fans.
Allan
