Foo - The appeal of baseball and football?

Why do you watch/follow baseball/football?

I would only follow Sumo if I could see it often in the US

I don't

but the appeal lies in understanding the strategies, the 'inside game' if you will. The more you know the chess match that goes on all season long, the more you can appreciate the finer points in these time-honored American past times.

either that, or they just go good with beer....

I do not watch or follow baseball. I watch football because it is an intrinsic and intimate part of the Texas culture. High school football is king in Texas on Friday nights and college football rules the day on Saturday.

If it involves the Dallas Cowboys, I will watch the game most likely, but the NFL has lost much of it's lustre in the eye of jsharr. Overpaid prima donnas. The quarterback is untouchable. Players like PacMan Jones being paid to be arseholes. Owners like Jerry Jones ruining the integrity of a once great game all have added up to make me not really like the NFL any longer.

I would only follow Sumo if I could see it often in the US

Go to McDonalds when Big Macs are on sale.

I watch football cuz I used to play in HS & College and I like the sport. I enjoy rooting for my team (NY Giants) and seeing who is doing well or not. I really can't sit through a whole game though with th commercials and all. just too many. I guess I need to get a Tivo

Professional playoff football is about as great as a sporting event can get.

I am not a face painter or anything, I just enjoy following it.

You can take baseball though. It ranks right up there with golf as a spectator sport.

Used to play baseball.

Why do you watch/follow baseball/football?

I don't watch or follow either. Only special circumstances (they must be pretty special) will cause me to watch them. I used to play baseball for about 7 or 8 years as a kid and even then I didn't enjoy watching/following it.

to be fair, watching a bike race (on TV) is pretty boring, unless we're talking a mountain stage of a grand tour...or maybe a good TT

Go to McDonalds when Big Macs are on sale.

Eating big macs may not help you get to sumo size. Just ask Don Gorske (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Gorske).

http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0720/3551732.jpg

Why do you watch/follow baseball/football?

Baseball becuase it puts me to sleep, i.e., it helps with insomnia.

Football because it's entertaining, an incredible display of specific athletic skill and precision team work.

I love the NFL (don't get into the college game too much) and watch it throughout the season. That being said I usually only watch an entire game if the Skins are playing. To me football's just one of those games that seem made for TV viewing.

Baseball I only watch during the playoffs or if I've got tickets to a game.

Eating big macs may not help you get to sumo size. Just ask Don Gorske (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Gorske).

http://images.ibsys.com/2004/0720/3551732.jpg
W3rd. :)

I remember him from "Supersize Me". He doesn't eat the fries which may be the key... :innocent:

90% of his solid food intake is Big Macs. If he only eats 2.3 per day, that is only half of the daily calories a body needs. All of the gleaned from Wiki.

Football, when well played, is a fun game to watch.

You have to really enjoy the intricacies of baseball to enjoy the game. It helps to be doing something else while watching baseball as well.

nope.

Baseball? I used to play it. Was pretty good and enjoyed it, but playing and watching are two very different things. The Yankees of the early 80's killed my enjoyment of the game. Rampant free-agency and ridiculous salaries and ticket prices made me despise it.

Football? Different animal. There is action, and even though the salaries are crazy-high, any play could be a player's last - so they deserve more reward for their proportionally higher risk than baseball players.

That said, I prefer a good soccer match, or a bicycle race to "American football".

Baseball? Never. I go to a major league game in person every 5 years or so and enjoy the beer.

Football? Never.

Formula 1 racing? Every race. Every post-race podcast. Every website.

I like the tension in baseball. Yes it can be boring at times, but for me, the anticipation leads to suspense. 90% of what I enjoy in baseball is the so-called "game within the game", which is the one on one match-up between the batter and pitcher. That's most of the essence of baseball right there. I love watching a good pitcher pitch.

I also like the fact that there's a game damn near every night. It's fun to follow, and you can discuss it to death like no other sport. It's more easily quantifiable (stats) than most (all?) other sports, which makes it fun to talk about too.

I love the strategy involved in football. A lot of people think it's just a bunch of hulking guys running into each other, but it's much more than that. It can be a pretty complex game actually.

In all sports I appreciate watching the grace of skilled athletes doing what they do best.

And of course, there's the emotional attachment of rooting for your home team.

I concur with much of Zorro's reasons.

I still like to go to pro baseball games, don't watch them on TV so much. And I used to play. I love college baseball. It's not a game you have to pay close attention to.

American football is ridiculously complex. Every position is so specialized. When it is well played, it is amazing to watch. When it's bad, it's ugly. And yes there are the hazards of the game. It is simply a spectacle.

Funny the OP didn't mention basketball. I have little use for it. International football (soccer) is boring to me.

Bicycle races are pretty cool, but you don't have to pay much attention. just check for updates.


auto racing? take it or leave it....

i don't follow it, mostly because i can't identify with or feel any kind of connection with the players, but once in a while i'll have a game on in the background.

Why do you watch/follow baseball/football?

Of course. Mets, Giants, Jets. What kind of friggin bike dweeb do you take me for? I'm not like these other friggin dorkbusters here. I'm a red-blooded American male, secure in his manhood, but sophisticated enough to eschew NASCAR and the WWF.

Barely.

Keep people caring about ***** that doesn't REALLY matter in the world so they do not think of the things that do. Dumb down the society and complete control will be yours. Roman games anyone?
Sports are boring! And, unfortunately, since some of my friends are into them I don't see them so much this time of year.

Keep people caring about ***** that doesn't REALLY matter in the world so they do not think of the things that do. Dumb down the society and complete control will be yours. Roman games anyone?
Sports are boring! And, unfortunately, since some of my friends are into them I don't see them so much this time of year.

You don't have any hobbies that are merely diversions?

You don't have any hobbies that are merely diversions?

I don't consider sitting around and staring at the TV and yelling a hobby, sorry.

Funny the OP didn't mention basketball. I have little use for it. International football (soccer) is boring to me.


I like college basketball, the NCAA tournament in particular. The first week is usually the best - when most of the upsets happen. Maybe NCAA football will come around to a tournament someday.

While I don't pay much attention to soccer most of the time World Cup soccer can pretty exciting.

Love them both.

One of the great pleasures in life is puttering in the garden after dinner on a warm July evening with the Giants on the radio. Now that Barry's gone, and the kids are getting some playing time, it's been an enjoyable year.

The Niners are terrible, but I'm glad to see Mike Singletary get a chance to be a head coach. We'll see how that goes.

And the Bears are still in the running for the Rose Bowl... How can you beat that?

Texas High School Football +11111
High School Football +111
College Football +11
Pro Football 0 (well, +.2)

Like they said in The Express, "In Texas, Football is a religion." It's true.

I don't have much to add other than I am also a non sports watcher.

Participation is great though. I did watch the Tour this year only because I could relate to how much effort was being put out. I just don't have the same identification with stick and ball sports...that and the jocks at my high school did a poor job of grassroots marketing: they were all pricks.

Participation is great though.That's the only time I can see sports as being interesting. Watching them on TV is beyond dull to me, and it doesn't help that players are making your annual salary every time they run up and down the field/court (and complaining about being underpaid!).

yes. Every now and then I have a moment of clarity and see that A-Rod is essentially a 30-something year old man wearing silly clothes and chasing around a little leather ball on grass and dirt. Skilled and athletic as he may be, is that ever really worth $30 million/year?

How many medical researchers would it take to equal that income? Finding cures for AIDS, cancer or Parkinson's is less important than seeing if Barry Bonds can break Aaron's HR record? ugh....

Of course, you could say the same thing about overpaid actors, models, musicians, etc etc.....and don't get me started on the golden parachute CEO club:notamused:

I find it difficult to sit through any sports event on TV and that includes cycling. My wife on the other hand is a HUGE Steelers fan. We watch separate TV's on game day.

I don't care for either. After watching how idiotic many football fans act around here I completely lost what little interest I had in football.
Baseball is nice when attending a game. Especially in summer mainly due to the ladies sunbathing. :p

yes. Every now and then I have a moment of clarity and see that A-Rod is essentially a 30-something year old man wearing silly clothes and chasing around a little leather ball on grass and dirt. Skilled and athletic as he may be, is that ever really worth $30 million/year?

How many medical researchers would it take to equal that income? Finding cures for AIDS, cancer or Parkinson's is less important than seeing if Barry Bonds can break Aaron's HR record? ugh....

Of course, you could say the same thing about overpaid actors, models, musicians, etc etc.....and don't get me started on the golden parachute CEO club:notamused:

As sad as it may seem, A-Rod's skill set is rarer than those of medical researchers, etc. That's why he gets paid so much. And people are willing to pay money to see him, so see gets paid. You could argue that the paying customers' priorities are skewed. There's something to that I suppose.

I likes to watch Sports in general!

I don't follow sports, I don't know the stats, and anybody's names but the star players. I only watch FSU football, because that's our home team. So much of this town is affected by FSU football, it's so much fun to be a part of it. The clothes, the food, the tailgating, the hoops and hollers to random strangers (who often respond similarly) on game day. The same FSU stickers on every single car. The stadium that's a feat to behold, a giant bohemoth of brick and mortar (you don't have to be a kid to think it looks like a castle), that's filled with noise on game day. The steady train of RVs for the die-hard out-of-towners that come to every single game. The reminder that, these skilled players, who we all like to cheer for and blame, are mere college students, they're just barely considered adults, yet here they have thousands of people relying on them to put on a show.

During a game, you can walk to any public place, and yell out "What's the score?!!?" and someone will answer, usually followed by a short explanation of the recent happenings.

On game day, it really does feel like there's something in the air. Unless we're having a crappy season.

http://www.musco.com/projshow/images/doakcampbellstadium.jpg
http://www.fsu.com/ecard32/images/FSUSports/stadium004.jpg

(the statue outside the stadium, title "unconquered", the end of the spear flames on game day)
http://www.organicmarble.com/user/Unconquered%20Statue.jpg



ok, I'm done.

I don't have much to add other than I am also a non sports watcher.

Participation is great though. I did watch the Tour this year only because I could relate to how much effort was being put out. I just don't have the same identification with stick and ball sports...that and the jocks at my high school did a poor job of grassroots marketing: they were all pricks.

heh, somehow I think that is one of the prerequisites....

heh, somehow I think that is one of the prerequisites....

That's what happens when you inflate children's egos. I went to a high school where sports were not such a big deal so I kinda missed out on that to a degree, but I think the athlete-as-prick is partly the fault of the adults for elevating them to school celebrities.

Meh. It depends on the school. I went to a very small school (400 students total, 94 in my class), and except for basketball, there really weren't any cuts to team rosters. When I was a senior, we only had 25 guys come out for varsity football. Halfway through the season, after grades came out and a few injuries or illnesses, and we were pretty thin. We only suited up 17 for our first conference game. Most guys played both ways and on special teams.

Same with most of the teams we played. And we'd see the same guys through the year in basketball and baseball. It was a lot of fun.

I might have been a prick, but I don't think it was because of sports.

I watch NFL football because I think it's highly entertaining. I watch maybe 3-4 games a week.

I do agree that some of the fans act like morons though. I don't mind the fans that get really into it, dress up (as long as they have a shirt on if they are flabby), etc.. but when I see fans start throwing bottles, or getting mad at refs when the fans clearly don't understand the rules, or geerally acting like an irresponsible drunk, it just makes them look stupid.

I also don't like to see fans leaving fans leaving the stadiums before the games are over. "Boo hoo, my team is losing..." you pay $80 for a ticket, and you want to leave early because things aren't going your way? How about sticking around and supporting your team?

The vast majority of fans are decent people who just want to be entertained. I went to the first game in New Lucas Oil stadium this year, and hope to go again even if the Colts are doing their worst in a long time.

The other thing that annoys me is that you can't watch a game without a big car advertising dick being everywhere. It's everywhere even outside of football but in sports it seems to be even worse.
Having a DVR to skip most of that is nice.

One thing I HATE about NFL fans in particular is that there are so many who are utterly convinced that the refs are out to get their favorite team. They literally think that the refs are paid off, or that they league directed them to give one team a break, or harshly penalize another team. After literally every single game in the NFL, you'll have fans all red in the face about how blatantly the refs threw the game for them.

Refs are imperfect, and they do make mistakes. Usually they even out, but sometimes they don't. There's no conspiracy. They have a tough job and they're doing the best they can.

And fans take rivalries too far sometimes. It gets pretty idiotic actually. Like Red Sox fans think Yankees fans are all quite obviously the stupidest people in the world for rooting for that bunch of guys (and vice versa), when they only difference between any of them is the logo on their uniforms. People get too worked up about it and it takes some of the fun out of it for me.

It's okay to watch occasionally and play, but I don't live and die by it. +1 if I could watch Asashoryu wrestle more often. Dude is awesome.

I never watch baseball or football or hockey (it's pretty much holy in Canada) or lacrosse or soccer or tennis (snoozefest).

But I use to watch Australian Rules Football (for the uniforms the players wore -- ya! short shorts!) and sumo (we bought tapes of the bashos from a guy in Seattle. They were really good! Slower paced with a sudden "Smack!". Good stuff).

Now I don't bother. I don't have cable and all that's left on my handful of channels is hockey. Blecch!

As sad as it may seem, A-Rod's skill set is rarer than those of medical researchers, etc. That's why he gets paid so much. And people are willing to pay money to see him, so see gets paid. You could argue that the paying customers' priorities are skewed. There's something to that I suppose.

Naturally no one wants to sit there watching a frumpy dude in a lab coat peering through microscopes....A-Rod is entertainment, I understand that. But you're right, it's skewed big time - not that the man shouldn't make a living and I am not denigrating his skills. But the amount of money is so out of proportion....plus, these guys with the mega skills and mega salaries don't really equal results. Living in Yankee land my whole life, no one is more sick of Steinbrenner throwing his $ around than I

Naturally no one wants to sit there watching a frumpy dude in a lab coat peering through microscopes....A-Rod is entertainment, I understand that. But you're right, it's skewed big time - not that the man shouldn't make a living and I am not denigrating his skills. But the amount of money is so out of proportion....plus, these guys with the mega skills and mega salaries don't really equal results. Living in Yankee land my whole life, no one is more sick of Steinbrenner throwing his $ around than I

I've been sick of it for nearly 30 years. :D

Football, when well played, is a fun game to watch.

You have to really enjoy the intricacies of baseball to enjoy the game. It helps to be doing something else while watching baseball as well.

I find drinking a few beers then sleeping on the couch to be a good activity to combine with watching a baseball game.


.

The only thing that can cause me to watch Baseball or Football is my wife, and shes not here :thumb:

One of the things about sports is that it can bring people together who otherwise wouldn't have anything else in common.

My mother-in-law, may she rest in peace, was USC '58. I'm Cal '89. We didn't agree on much but we both love her daughter and hate UCLA.

I've been sick of it for nearly 30 years. :D

also he dresses badly.

and he's a douchbag

I think ALL these pro athletes should be busted way back down to, say, $200,000/year. Then, maybe ticket prices would get back down to something reasonable, and the average family of 4 could go to a game once in a while. I have my own personal boycott going - I'll watch it on TV but no way am I going to buy a ticket. I know, watching on TV is not boycotting them really, but I'm not buying tickets, NFL/NBA/NHL etc. merchandise, etc. It's way out of control. Imagine if no one went to just one game - what a message it would send to those greedy owners and players.