Sports

[BabyGirlTaylor8]

I will leave after I say a few words.

First of all, I want you to know that I hate sports. When I go to my brother's house to visit him, the TV is on 24/7 on sports. It is HORRIBLE. When I was younger, I played soccer. I wasn't good enough to play soccer during high school. I think that is what has made me really despise sports. No matter how hard I tried, I could never be great. It was like everyone around me was born an athlete but me. I could run though. Not fast. But for long distances.

I just think that you guys may be going a little to crazy with this whole thing and I have realized that after reading your forums.

Sports teach discipline. If we didn't do something Coach told us to do, see you in 10 minutes after you run around the park! It also keeps people off the streets. Such as rebellious teenagers from having sex or robbing banks. They are dedicated to playing sports instead of hooking up.

Sports also teach passion. People who play sports love to play them. It's like taking away chess or the gift of science away from others who love that. It wouldn't be fair to take away something that people love.

And on top of that, they have to balance more work and learn how manage time during school. I would have soccer for a little over two hours. And the next day I would have an essay due and some test. I was a straight A student. Those were some late nights.

Sports also takes stress away. When I played soccer, not a worry in the world came to my mind. I was at peace. In accordance to this, sports kept me in shape and fit. I was a healthier person when I played sports.

I'm not saying that I like people who watch sports all day. They are absolute ittiots and need to get a life. But the people who play them have learned life lessons.

For all the people that aren't born with the gift to be an athlete, set your goal to win the Noble Prize and let the sport lovers get their Olympic medal. There is no reason to create factions over this. If you don't like sports, than don't have anything to do with them. People who hate science don't associate themselves with science. I don't even see a website dedicated to the hat eof science.

I am just using my freedom of speech to voice my opinion and to realize what your doing isn't worth it. And if you hate something this much, you might want to seek some professional help.

Yours Truly,
Taylor J.

[Earl]

I will leave after I say a few words.

Permanently? That's a shame. We need all the new members we can get (as long as they're not posting under false pretenses). Speaking for myself as well as most of the other members, I welcome civil sports fans to this forum. Does that surprise you?

I just think that you guys may be going a little to crazy with this whole thing and I have realized that after reading your forums.

We're only exercising our freedom of speech, just as you've exercised yours (as you indicate at the end of your post). You seem to be under the false impression that we all practice groupthink. You say you've read our forums, but you've failed to recognize there are differences among those of us who support the concept of this website. I've defended decent athletes a number of times. I've had more than my share of differences with Fat Man.

Sports teach discipline.

Not if the coaches or the principal fail to hold individual players accountable for mistreating others off the playing field. "Jock privilege" has been identified at some schools as a problem. Before the massacre, "jocks" at Columbine were allowed to bully other students. The principal didn't care. Just another of many other examples: if you did some research, you'd find that the University of Notre Dame has a sordid history regarding sexual assault.

I will agree (with Joe Ehrmann) that good coaching builds character, but merely throwing a ball around does not teach morals or ethics. And as far as teaching discipline is concerned, exceling in any academic course (as well as exceling in a sport) requires discipline. So, sports are not unique in that regard.

I'm not knocking sports. I'm simply reacting against the notion that school sports as social institutions are immune from any critiques of the sort that are made every day regarding every other institution in this country. But somehow the rules just don't apply to sports establishments because they are supposed to be above us all. Critiquing sports establishments or programs does not equate to criticizing the games or not showing respect for those participating in them. If you don't understand the difference between the two, any hope of a rational discussion is cut off.

It also keeps people off the streets. Such as rebellious teenagers from having sex or robbing banks. They are dedicated to playing sports instead of hooking up.

Oh, come on! You're saying school athletes aren't having sex? (Well, except for those who might have religious convictions against fornication, such as Tim Tebow, whom I have honored in this forum). I will concede, though, that young female athletes will be more inclined to avoid sexual activity, since an out-of-wedlock pregnancy would wreck involvement in a sport.

Sports also teach passion. People who play sports love to play them. It's like taking away chess or the gift of science away from others who love that. It wouldn't be fair to take away something that people love.

Despite the silly logo on the home page, no one here would ever dream of taking sports away from those who love them, as if that would even be possible (which it clearly isn't). Well, except for Fat Man (maybe). As I've said in a post to Fitman's Brother, this is a non-issue.

And on top of that, they have to balance more work and learn how manage time during school.

I will concede that is true, but I'm sure student athletes are not the only students who succeed in doing that.

Sports also takes stress away. When I played soccer, not a worry in the world came to my mind. I was at peace. In accordance to this, sports kept me in shape and fit. I was a healthier person when I played sports.

Participation in sports is not necessary to achieve high levels of physical fitness. I'm proving that in my life right now by working with a personal trainer at a local health club on a bodybuilding program. Some sports even pose health risks. Again, I'm not bashing sports. I'm simply rejecting the notion that those young people who choose to not participate in sports are somehow deficient or inferior to those who do.

There is no reason to create factions over this. If you don't like sports, than don't have anything to do with them. People who hate science don't associate themselves with science. I don't even see a website dedicated to the hat eof science.

The factions were created a long time ago, ma'am. Generations ago, in fact. This website had nothing to do with it. It all started when masculinity was defined solely in terms of sport. Have you ever wondered if young nonathletic boys ever experience any problems as they grow up in a society whose culture is saturated with sports? Nonathletic boys are likely to be shunned and even bullied simply because they have no interest in sports, yet who cares?

You talk about not having anything to do with sports if you don't like them. Do nonathletic boys have a choice when they are required to take mandatory sports-only P.E. courses, which offer no exercise programs for those boys who need them the most? Do nonathletic boys have a choice in those P.E. classes when they are humiliated and bullied? And you accuse this website of creating factions! Tell that to bullied nonathletic boys.

No, there isn't a website dedicated to hating science; but you'll find plenty of comments online deriding nerds. (Again, you show that you don't understand what this website is really about.) I've heard of two sports radio personalities who routinely ridicule nerds on the public airways, thus encouraging more bullying in the schools. But you say this website is responsible for creating factions. No one in the sports crowd has any bad attitudes? Again, the factions were created generations ago when young boys were called sissies simply for having no interest in sports.

I am just using my freedom of speech to voice my opinion and to realize what your doing isn't worth it.

That's your opinion. I suppose you would have been happier if we hadn't exercised our freedom of speech.

And if you hate something this much, you might want to seek some professional help.

As Ronald Reagan said in the 1980 debates with President Carter, there you go again. You really have no idea what individual members of this website object to or what their beliefs or ideals are (aside from Fat Man's rants), because you've not bothered to communicate directly with any of us to get a clearer idea of what we as individuals believe. I guess you've assumed that Fat Man speaks for us all regarding sports. As to whether your last comment is intended to be a personal insult is a matter of "private interpretation."

[Mrs. Earl]

* giggle giggle *

Thank you, BabyGirlTaylor, for my laugh of the day.

* snicker snicker *

It also keeps people off the streets. Such as rebellious teenagers from having sex or robbing banks. They are dedicated to playing sports instead of hooking up.

Have you read any of the myriad number of posts from guys who claim to be athletes where they brag about having sex with all the girls and how they call the men in this forum losers because they assume they never have sex?

Truly humorous post!

[Earl]

Notice that BabyGirl was friendly to Fat Man (so he would give her information she wanted) and then chose to post her Farewell Address. Why didn't she choose to make her critical observations about how nasty we are before making request of Fat Man? Hmmmm ... do you think it's possible that she used him? Does she hate sports (as she claimed when she started posting), or does she praise sports as being a community in which there are no bad actors or injustices? Only her hairdresser knows for sure!

[Fat Man]

Notice that BabyGirl was friendly to Fat Man (so he would give her information she wanted) and then chose to post her Farewell Address. Why didn't she choose to make her critical observations about how nasty we are before making request of Fat Man? Hmmmm ... do you think it's possible that she used him? Does she hate sports (as she claimed when she started posting), or does she praise sports as being a community in which there are no bad actors or injustices? Only her hairdresser knows for sure!

I'm actually hurt by this!

I thought she was genuinely interested in me, because she seemed to be very interested in my topic, COSMOS by Carl Sagan.

She used me!

Hey! At least Fit Man - AKA Fit Shit, and Fit Shit's Brother, at least they are not hypocrites. No, they are the genuine article! Yeah! Rude, obnoxious sports bores, total pricks, and absolute ass-holes to boot!

But, they aren't fakes!

They are the real thing!

At least they don't pretend to be something they are not!

I know where I stand with them!

But, this BabyGirlTaylor8, she was just stringing me along the whole time!

She played me for a real sucker!

Yeah! She played me like a violin!

I deeply resent that!

[Earl]

phony broad

hypocrite

[Fat Man]

phony broad

hypocrite

Yeah! At least Fit Man - AKA Fit Shit, and Fit Shit's Brother aren't phonies!

They are REAL pricks! And not phony!

Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know!

Right???

[Earl]

That's true.

But I wouldn't characterize Fitman's Brother as being rude and obnoxious. At least not for now.

The deadliest viper is the one you don't see until you get bitten. BabyGirl isn't the first and won't be the last.






Good night. Don't let the BabyGirls bite.

[Earl]

Oh, I forgot to mention something else. Once she had gotten what she wanted out of Fat Man (as if her request were sincere, which I'm now beginning to doubt), she didn't stick around after she posted her Farewell Address. She saved the "best" for last, and then logged out immediately. I seriously doubt she returned to read my response. She just didn't want to face the music or read any rebuttal. Had to get the last word (a common practice across the Internet ). So, there's another word to describe her (besides "hypocrite"); and that's ...

... coward

[Earl]

Ugh! I feel like a crank after posting all this. I now regret it. Should have stopped with my post responding to her last one. Board messaging gets really old after a while. I can see why i_like_1981 gave up on it.

[Fitman's Brother]

There goes Fat Man spewing off his hatred at me.

Guess I really can't have an intelligent conversation with him, simply because there's not intelligence to speak with.