Saturday, August 2, 2008

Until someone holds up a mirror...

I don't like sports. I don't like anything that has anything to do with sports. Ever since grade school I've hated sports. When we used to play games at recess I didn't even have the honor of being picked last. For me it was "You guys can have all the rest." Which sometimes got worse when it was followed by "We don't want them you can take them." This wasn't a one time deal. Every recess, everyday, for my whole life.
So normally I have a lot of negative things to say about sports.

Until today.

I was around a college campus and the football team was eating lunch. It was a catered event by the school's food service. It was nothing special just some corn dogs and powerade. A girl and a guy walked up to get something to drink and one of the servers said, "I'm sorry but this is just for the football team." The couple started to walk away but as they did the girl made this comment in a whiny snarky tone, "Have fun playing with your ball little boys." I wish you could have heard the tone because it was so self righteous I can't do it justice just writing about it. I also noticed she said it quite enough so as not to be heard by the football team. Way to be brave and let people know what you really think.

The thing is that she had the similar attitude that I had. No one gets that upset over not getting a free drink. It wasn't just that she couldn't get a drink it was that it was for the football team only. And her comment again was not about the drink, it was barbed for the sports guys. Phrased in such a way that you could tell that she didn't like jocks in the first place.

Watching and listening to her was a odd event for me. Like someone holding up a mirror and I didn't like what I saw. Because look, it was the football team's food, their money paid for it. (Although they probably got the money from the department which they ultimately got from student's tuition and other contributors so it wasn't like it was the players money, but still.) Why make that comment, why walk around with that big of a chip on your shoulder.

"But self," I say to myself, "you hate sports."
"You have a point," I say, "but do I really want to be like that girl?"

Well I may just have to reevaluate my life. I'm not sure if I'll forgive sports for all the wrong they've done to me. I'm not sure I could if I wanted to. But maybe I'll try and stop moaning about it.

Maybe.

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