Also watching professional athletes – at the pinnacle of their prowess – compete, is a sight to behold. That makes one aspire to become one.

Incidentally, the most bang for the buck (playing duration/amount paid for ticket) for a team sport is real football (read ‘soccer’).

I think you’ve overlooked the fantastic social aspect that football provides. As a Seahawks season ticket holder I look forward to and enjoy spending time with my tailgate group and 67,000+ other fans. There are over 30 million people who play fantasy football (me not included) and I think a lot of the joy in that is the trash talking and interacting with your fellow competitors.

I do however take great exception to the statement “watching other people exercise”. It’s been said that being involved in a football tackle is like being in a small car crash. With the news this week about Junior Seau and all that is happening around football that is visibly changing the game America loves, I think it is more apt to say that these guys are out there killing themselves for our entertainment, and probably the rush they get from a raucous stadium, but I for one am thankful. Warren Sapp is hardly a unique story when more than 70% of the players get out of the league face financial troubles or, like Seau and Dave Duerson, face unimaginable medical consequences.

I can only guess what kind of exercises you must be doing but in this case it is a GROSS understatement.

Like anything else it’s all in moderation. I find my level of excitement mounting March 1 because I know I will soon be in Florida watching my beloved Cardinals in Spring Training and then a few weeks later Opening Day (yes it’s capitalized here in St. Louis) will be upon us. Now do I spend money on the Cardinals, yes but it’s money that I budget in for my entertainment expenses and as long as I keep within that, I’m fine with it.

I am a sports nut and grew up in a sports loving family. Both my brother and I played college sports and continue to pursue athletic endeavors today. I have incredibly fond memories of games, tournaments, teammates, etc. To date some of my closest friends in adulthood are those teammates I had in high school and college. I think when done correctly, sports are an integral part of youth where you learn about perseverance, commitment, teamwork and teaching the concept of graceful defeat.

As to the situation of retired athletes, I think this has more to do with education than anything. Very few players graduate from college or even have proficiency in the core subjects because they were always helped along by those who saw the dollar signs behind them, which is one of sports’ greatest downfalls, but applies to less than 1% of all people actively participating in athletics in any given time.

Well, duh, of course I was being obnoxious! You think I live in The Nile or something? (not the river in Egypt)

I was making fun of you and letting you have it for going unwarrantedly apeshit on one of your readers, you big dolt. Of course having a ready-made hilarious website as a source of parody helped.

And no, this wasn’t because he likes my comments. I usually don’t get into rows like this for insults against me. But injustices get my goat in a major way–so there.

I think you got defensive and went too far with him, even singled him out though he had a bunch of thumbs up– but eh! It’s your blog, not mine, so kill every messenger if you feel like it.

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EXTRA-EDIT: LOL @ HILARIOUS BAD TIMING.

i take some of this back. if it doesn’t make sense, just imagine JD’s note right above this one wasn’t there. cuz it wasn’t when i started writing!

but yeah, it made perfect sense at the time.

The financial problems defined here (not being able to manage finances) is IMO not related at all with sports.

The problems mentioned here are exactly the same with actors and musicians.

I can’t wait for the follow-up post that talks about how spending $9,000 on Odyssey of the Mind is not all it’s cracked up to be, either.

Me personally, I do try to cut things from the budget if I discover I am no longer getting any benefit from them, regardless of how popular they are to others.

The problem isn’t making the choice, it’s accepting that other people will think less of you if you don’t value what they value (sports, music, art, fashion, charity, conscious spending, whatever). The road less-traveled is sometimes lonely (sorry, Robert!).

I spent 12 years or so living in the Pacific Northwest, where it seems a lot of the GRS readers live, and so I relate-for lots of them, sports is a relatively low-key entertainment. Then I moved to the Midwest, specifically to Nebraska, where Cornhuskers rule EVERYTHING. As someone who doesn’t give a you-know-what about sports, I found myself distinctly in the minority. I don’t think liking sports is wrong, but why am -I- wrong for not giving a crap about a bunch of men in tight pants and padded jerseys bashing each other up and down the field? I wouldn’t say I’m judging those who like sports poorly (one of my closest friends here is a die-hard Nebraska football fan), but I am kind of mind-boggled by it! It seems SO boring to me!

It truly is an obsession here for a majority of the population, and I just can’t identify for all the reasons Robert listed: expensive, brings out the worst in people (like that guy that got beat up and put in a coma at the Dodgers game last year in California by fans from the opposing team!!!), involves a lot of sitting vs. actually enjoying being active, and frankly, it doesn’t seem to change that much from season to season.

So, thanks, Robert and JD, this article resonated for me!

I defend you, and then you go all…well, crazy on me?

For one, I’m not saying this blog is outside the mainstream. YOU folks were complaining that sometimes GRS makes you feel guilty for liking the things you like. I pointed out that sometimes the writers hold values that are counter to popular culture. And it’s true. We do. I get ripped apart every time I mention tiny houses, for instance, which isn’t very often. (But the readers make me feel like I mention them every week!)

So, you guys are complaining that we’re taking counter-cultural positions, and then when I respond that sometimes that’s true, you turn around and start complaining that we’re all “stuff white people like”? That’s crazy. You know that, right? You’re arguing both sides of the issue. We at GRS can’t possibly win. You’re telling us we’re too extreme but also that we’re too mainstream. Which is it?

My point remains: We’re doing our best to help people. Occasionally there will be articles you disagree with or which don’t help you. Fine. When that happens, ignore the articles or complain productively. But don’t be obnoxious about it. For the most part, you (El Nerdo) aren’t obnoxious. But a veces? A veces sí.

Last I heard, the team was the MINNESOTA Vikings, yet only the city of Mpls is having this jammed down their throats to pony up the money. Of course the legislators pushing this nasty, one-sided deal are Republicans from outstate MN. They’re fine with a deal like this, as their constituents aren’t on the block to pay. All I see from here is a pack of lies. It disgusts me to no end. If the team leaves, that would be just fine with me, and not affect the quality of my life in any way.

To answer the article’s question: I don’t give a rat’s ass about pro sports. Spoiled millionaires and their collective attitude of entitlement makes them pathetically sad human beings.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/22/17-gifted-children/

Congrats on making it to Ames – great opportunity for the kids! Good Luck!

Ok, maybe I’m here a bit late but here’s how outside the mainstream this blog is– so outside the mainstream fits smack right into this funny website:

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/full-list-of-stuff-white-people-like/

Let’s see how many checkmarks we get!

farmer’s markets – check; organic food- check; gifted children! (and begging for them)– why, right in this article, check; non-profit organizations– check, yoga–check, traveling–check, not having a TV… wow, i’m dizzy keeping count!

[edit: 101- being offended, 99- grammar, 87-outdoor performance clothes, 82- hating corporations, 75- threatening to move to canada, 55-apologies...making you feel bad for not going outside... oh, the list is ENDLESS!]

This isn’t outside the mainstream, it’s 100% predictable!

ps- I’m not drinking any hemlock!