Rest assured we get a lot of that around here and I have to consider the other readers- iI’d do the same for you if the tables were turned.

Glad to hear it was nothing personal, I’ll try and remember that. I certainly wouldn’t want to keep you from stirring the pot, just so long as we can all stay civil.
And yes honesty supports bitchy all the time.

Visit again!

You are right. I let my attempt at “trash talk” go wild and I went overboard. I am sorry. Having been indoctrinated in sports as a child (and caught up) in professional sports until recently, my rant was born out this past, e.g. my father yelling at me when running that if I am not puking, then I am not trying that hard - just one example. Not to get all Freudian on you.

When I said “you’re stupid” I didn’t actually mean you. I was trying to be incendiary. I know that may be hard to believe, but I wasn’t speaking to you or any particular person (except to vent on the importance of sports above a lot of other things growing up in the U.S.). Btw, not only was I in attendance at the 7th game of the ‘91 World Series (Go Twins - still have ticket stub and dirty Homer Hanky), I went to all 7 playoff games between the BoSox and the Yankees in 2004, and had to have my parents give me some money to pay off my credit card that December (telling them that it was their fault they got me into this sport and Grandpa Fitz would have wanted me to go to all games:).

I really wasn’t speaking to any one person, but trying to cause a stir.

I am sorry.

Beth

p.s. I was not, nor am I a nerd (really). I was head cheerleader at my high school. Go Eagles! I am kind of a bitch though. Hey, at least I am honest.

I like your post, Patrick. I don’t think it deserves criticism of this sort. I like sports. I don’t like tax payer dollars being spent on sport facilities.

I like athletes. I don’t think they are God like (and some are pricks), I have quite a few professional athletes as friends and co-workers. I am an athlete. It takes a good deal of discipline, dedication and brain power to be a good athlete.

I think enjoying sport is like enjoying a good book. It is something to do on a Saturday to relax and enjoy with a good group of friends. If I wanted to discuss politics and the doom of our world every moment of everyday then I might as well lay down in front of a moving train. I’ll save that for Monday.

I got my hockey playoff tickets! Go Red Wings!

Booyah Pitt!

Have you ever done “the Murph” workout, Patrick (more illogical language gazala)? WOD for me, today.

Jess- Sorry, I’m not Matt. But yes the opening ceremony had me going. Anytime they play that music from Any Given Sunday (the Al Pacino speech) I get the lump in my throat.

Sorry Patrick, it was a reflex :)

You called me stupid.

I expect an apology.

I follow and support sports, as I said in my post, I am not to my knowledge, an independent anarchist - whatever that means.

I didn’t glorify the past - it was a comparison to what might subconsciously be happening today. You’ll also noticed that the comparison itself was framed in a question - it took neither pro nor con.

I don’t think losing you in my responses is relevant at all, if you have some sort of problem with the comment stream, don’t read it.

You don’t like the fact that I or some of the other readers followed the baseball series on the weekend - that’s nice, so what?

As for my vernacular, I’m not going to change it to make it relevant for you, you’ll have to build a bridge and just get over that.

“Obliterate my original post?” So because I enjoy sport, I can’t be critical of frivolous taxpayers dollars going to support it? At the end of the post I say that I’m going to see a boxing match, on my own dime, and that my conscience is clear. This is to underscore that I don’t need government and taxpayers dollars to satisfy my enjoyment for that form of entertainment.

I don’t “buy into the glorification of professional athletes” any more than I do professional musicians. They’re human like you and I. And some of them, are actually quite decent human beings. Again that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate their talents the way one would a work of art.

In addition, I support an organization called Right To Play, look it up. There’s more of my connection to pro-athletes. I don’t consider athletes god-like, I enjoy sporting events. Nowhere in this post did I refer to athletes with such ecclesiastic reverence.

Canadian sarcasm? Make a case for why I shouldn’t consider that the statement of a bigot.

It’s my writing style and because I post only once or twice a week that I hit on a myriad of topics in a single post. I’m not a gifted author or reporter or writer. Matt invites me to write and I oblige him.

Where’s the play-by-play to the UN or congress - well if you notice I’ve commented on the NATO summit already. That’s not what this post is about. Are those events boring - I’d say that’s rather subjective but compared to sports - to the masses yes they likely are.

Now I’ve responded to all your points, and you’ve probably not a high opinion of me upon telling you I don’t appreciate your comments - insulting and judgmental as they were.

So I’ll give you this free piece of advice: Just because someone writes or enjoys something that you don’t like, i.e. sports, doesn’t make them stupid or obtuse to the other goings on.

You should not be so quick to pass such judgement lest that judgement be passed on you.

If I were to judge you on the premise of these two comments alone, I’d be inclined to think of you as some stupid bitter nerd who holds a deep rooted grudge to athletes based on the fact that they simply don’t understand or fit in with that group of persons.

Or maybe you’re just someone who forms a critical opinion without critically reading, as you’ve done here.

Again I expect an apology for your calling me stupid if you’d like to be treated with any respect on future visits to my posts. You can disagree but bigotry and name calling to me and other posters I won’t tolerate.

So much of what you said in your initial post was powerful and necessary. I missed your initial analogy to sports in ancient Roman times - I’ve often tried to rationalize the premeinesce of sports today as being a historically necessary distraction - and a simple human form of entertainment, evidenced through the ages. But that thought never really stood the test of time (no pun intended). I mean, the ancient Romans executed “prisoners” and slaves in public, and slaughtered animals for sport, so let’s not glorify or rationalize the past (even though it can make Western society today seem not so bad).

More relevant, you lost me in your responses. Sweep and clutch and boo yah, etc? You agree with lump-in-throat for some dead athlete (or some song or whatever sports-related theme music that gets you going), but I think these comments obliterate your original post. When smart people buy into the glorification of professional athletes and view them, or give lip-service to them, as overly important and god-like, to the detriment of the real people working for society, it just saddens me. Perhaps your responses were a type of Canadian sarcasm? Please explain. Where’s the play-by-play of Congress or the UN Assembly? That’s boring. Because stupid people can’t understand it or follow it. But one, two, three strikes (count them on your fingers) you’re out!, is simple and fun.

What say you? Are you a follower and believe of Sports (capital S) or an independent anarchist?

We’re both computer geeks, so as long as he can type with one hand, or he tells me what he wants to code, he shouldn’t need disability. We’ll see how it goes–right now, he’s pretty much useless. Anything to get out of doing the dishes.

You can’t risk such an injury–your marathon awaits!

i hope your husband has disability insurance!

I used to ski and didn’t get it in once this year - i am ashamed.

If you ever get out skiing, don’t ski moguls on a warm afternoon when snow turns to slush. My poor husband is now immobilized with a broken shoulder. Spring can come now.
Perhaps we’ll start watching hockey now and have an opinion on that instead.

And you post didn’t sound grumpy at all. Whitehorse? Really?

Not that I don’t need new skates. I’m still trying to live down the last time I got new stuff; I lost my wedding ring and then spent some of the insurance money on new gear. New gloves, helmet, pants. I told her that I think of her everyone time I play - but it hasn’t helped.

If my post sounded grumpy - sorry. I found out today they are broadcasting some playoff games in Mandarin. Don’t get me wrong - great for all of my Mandarin-speaking friends. I have been arguing via email with MLSE and the NHL about blacking out hockey games for awhile, and have gotten nowhere! Today I find out they are broadcasting in Mandarin - but can Smart get a few Leaf games in Whitehorse? No - fuck him - he’s only been a Leaf fan since 1965.

Note: Hold off on any disparaging remarks about the Leafs. I have been a fan all my life and there are no words you can say or actions that you can take that can harm me. If I can tolerate watching them for the last 42 years then words alone cannot hurt me - my psyche has enough scar tissue on it that I could be mistaken for a rhino. I was in diapers and wearing a bib the last time they won a cup and the way they run that team I’ll be in an old folks home, back in diapers and once again sporting a bib by the next time they even get close.

This post has been live in many of conversations of my comings and goings this past weekend. I would like to see the money be spent on improving mass transit - so that those that can’t afford to live in the city can still afford to get there!

“Sorry guys - we missed another mortgage payment this month and there is not enough money to feed you properly - but cheer up! Daddy got new skates!

Maybe if they figured out a way to turn these huge sporting complexes that they build for the events into afforable housing after everyone goes home - maybe then.