What are we talking about today?

I'll get back to theme days once I find a groove of posting regularly. In the meantime, most of my posts are about some variation of books, bikes, buses, or Broadway. Plus bits about writing, nonprofits, and grief from time to time.

This blog is mostly lighthearted and pretty silly. It's not about the terrible things happening in the world, but please know that I'm not ignoring those things. I just generally don't write about them here.

29 June 2010

It's okay to stop watching. Now.

So, the World Cup is going on, in case you missed it.

Which means once again, we must endure the yammering from sportswriters who are of the American football-and-basketball persuasion. I grow weary of hearing the same complaints every four years about how boring soccer is to Americans and what a waste of ESPN broadcasting it is.

And then the other side gets annoyed and comes back with smug comments about the stupidity of people who don't understand what football is all about.

So, as is my custom, I think truth probably resides in the middle. So, if you enjoy the World Cup, great. I'll be at your house on Saturday to watch. If you don't, fine. Change the channel.

The reason the whole argument annoys me is this: It once again shows that human beings, and especially, it seems, the ones who live here, feel threatened by an opposing viewpoint. So, we have to come out swinging instead of acknowledging that other people feel differently about something.

There are so many sports available to choose. In this country, you can probably find people who enjoy the same thing that you do in most places. I know for sure in Lubbock that we have people who play cricket, lacrosse, field hockey, plus the whole spectrum of "normal" sports. In a place with this much diversity in lifestyle, interests and hobbies, and an argument like "Your sport is boring!" "No it isn't!" has no place. It's not like you don't have another option.

So, I shall enjoy the World Cup. And Wimbledon, and the Tour de France, plus any other soccer, tennis or cycling I can find on TV. And sooner or later, American football will return to the sports channels, and I'll do what I always do.

I'll change the channel.

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