The Morning After

The Detroit Tigers began the year well, launching themselves into a huge lead in their division and the best record in baseball. Now they've lost 11 out of 12 and the expected panic is setting in. And that's why I typically don't bother to watch the games anymore.

Simply put, I've decided that sports aren't worth the emotional investment. So I don't watch. I look up the score the next day and grunt at a loss or smile at the news of a win. It keeps me off the roller coaster, and I find I can accept things more readily.

To be sure, come playoff and World Series time I'll likely watch. No; even with that, I'm not so sure. I consciously didn't tune into the Detroit Lions playoff game last football season. I'm quite happy I didn't. Who really wants to see a tank job like that? When I heard the score the next day there wasn't any crying in my coffee. I basically found myself thinking, that's not what I expected, and then went on with my day.

The hype train which sports ask us to ride isn't worth the cost of the ticket. Truthfully, sports are as bad as politics for isn't this the most important thing ever? The older I get, the more I find such attitudes tiresome.

Emotional Investment

I am an advertiser's nightmare, a destroyer of the hype machine, anathema to television networks. The older I get, the more I ignore both adverts and hyperbole.

I'm not trying to hit on anyone's favorites or foes, but only using Michigan football as an example. I watched most of last Saturday's game against Ohio State and did not enjoy a minute. I was more relieved than happy when the Wolverines won. I simply didn't have any fun despite, for me, a positive outcome.

Last night U of M won the Big Ten title game over Iowa. I did not watch a second. Indeed, I crawled into bed and was asleep before 7. I woke up around 1 to find they had won, and I was happy. I didn't stress the outcome at all in ignoring the game and felt better afterwards.

Perhaps, to be fair, it's only me, yet I increasingly find that high powered sports just aren't worth the emotional investment. I'm inclined to exempt baseball, for various reasons I won't get into here. I can't imagine myself not watching and listening to baseball. But football, well, too much hype, too much hyperbole, and a certain unsportsmanlike arrogance. It's not good for the soul.