I accept your apology, but I'm not the only one here whose opinion you have to try and change (though I can promise you I will be the most difficult to argue with).
And with that said, let me address a few more fine points of your post. As you have no doubt by this time ascertained, I intend to be very direct.
SportsGuy92 wrote:Don't say football is for retards, you need to have some intelligence, and not just if you're a coach; as a player you need to know all of your team's plays and if one person fails to execute, the whole team suffers.
Yes, yes, the typical argument that Polite24 has, unsuccessfully, attempted to throw at us. Football requires concentration. Football requires skill. Football requires fast thinking. What's not clicking with you and other sports fans like you is that as people who do not enjoy sports,
we simply do not care one way or the other how difficult it is. I certainly don't. I can think of a thousand physically demanding real world jobs that require physical and mental skill that are not connected to popular sports, that I can appreciate a lot more. The fact that something is popular does not make it exciting for everyone.
SportsGuy92 wrote:
I just don't want a select few bad athletes or sports fans to be representative of all who like sports.
'Select few'. This is the very crux and nature of the problem with a Sports Fan's perception of how the real world works. Were you perhaps raised in a nicer school district and neighborhood like Polite24? I don't know where you're getting this idea that harrassing sports bullies and obnoxious sports fans represent some unmentionable vocal minority, and try to give the perception that many of these people aren't easily findable, because they hide in some magical 'cracks' in the wall, because they do not. The entire reason why we are annoyed by them is not due to one or two seriously traumatic incidents in life, the reason is because they are there, in every facet of life, transmitting their obnoxious behavior at the spiritual decibel level of a jet airliner. You can't refute this logic, Polite24 has already tried. Sports are popular, therefore it makes sense that sports fans would likely be (and are) everywhere.
SportsGuy92 wrote:Sports can be mentally stimulating and challenging too
Try again. I already knew this, and so does the rest of the board. I am into physical fitness, and there are many activities that I find more challenging than sports. That isn't the problem.
Why do you think that the anti sports fans perceive the sports fans as generally mindless sheep, borg, etc.? I can guarantee you it doesn't come from dealing with people like you. It comes from seeing people that act like mindless sheep, borgs, etcs., over. And over. And over. And over. Every night on the news, everytime we flip a TV channel, everytime we go to school or our kids go to P.E., everytime we get stuck in traffic due to some game, the lifestyle you're trying to defend infects everything around us.
SportsGuy92 wrote:The "boorish behavior of sports fans" has nothing to do with the fact that they like sports
No, their personality types tend to gravitate them toward sports, though, that can be proven. Still, "it has nothing to do with the fact that they like sports" doesn't matter at all. Because it does not excuse their poor behaviour towards both each other and the non sports fan.
SportsGuy92 wrote:"I don't know exactly who it was, but the next time you see them you need to apologize for it."
Okay, and? Did the jocks apologise? I'm betting they blew snot rockets at their coach, or laughed it off and either continued the behaviour, or found something else to pick on them about.
SportsGuy92 wrote:The athletes I know will often make a remark about someone like "that kid's a faggot", and I will tell them, "he's not so bad" or "I know him and he's actually a decent guy". Most of the time, it is someone who does like sports too, only they are not part of the jock clique or have other interests besides sports.
So, which is it? The athletes making these remarks, or the sudden not-so-bad-not-part-of-the-jock-clique group of people you appear to invent in the second sentence? I'm betting my money on the athletes, and I am also betting money on the chances of your telling any of them "Hey he's not so bad" to be about as likely to influence them as flying elephants.
Okay, now to summarise.
I get why you're here. You seem to see this as two different and distinct sides. That alone makes me feel badly for you, because that's not what this place is about. I believe the purpose of this website is to get your attention and make you see there's a place in this world for everyone. I don't really know why you care so much about what a group of sports haters thinks about you or people who like sports as a whole, though, but that is obviously what drives you here.
But here is the bottom line in reference to all your arguments, and in especially your primary argument. Athletes and sports fans still have the upper hand, and they use it unfairly on people who do not like sports. You're preaching something to us that we already know. Now, let me spell it out for you in a more direct way...
WE KNOW NOT EVERY SPORTS FAN IS A BAD PERSON. GOT IT?
Ahem.
Now, with that thrown on the table, I also want to point out that maybe your passions about this matter might better be served by trying to convince those that are into sports to treat those that are not with respect, dignity and the same human kindness with which they treat their own brotherhood and sisterhood. That would be a challenge. You would really impress me if you did such a thing.
Coming in here and telling us something we are all quite aware of isn't doing anyone any good.
We are going to judge your character based not on how much you talk about sports, but by how much you PUSH sports on us. And remember, you're talking to a group of people that have basically been through the process of having adults and peers attempt to brainwash us as kids that not choosing sports was a 'bad choice' and that we were somehow mentally unstable for it.
I'm telling you, here and now, put it to rest in your mind. We already know not all sports lovers are bad people. When I talk about them, I'm not talking about you, if you don't fit the personality description. Feel better? If you don't, then you care about the other group of foamers that I AM railing against, who DO act like morons and treat non sports fans like shit. So if that is the case, what's the problem?
I handle people on a case by case basis. I think most sane, sensible people do.