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Basilides
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Sports
#5634421 - 05/15/06 07:22 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Why is everyone so into sports? It's almost like an international language it seems.
Around this time of the year, with the NHL and NBA playoffs, sports-related conversation is a plenty, and it's a topic of conversation from youths to retirees. Everyone loves sports, and everyone - whether fan or not, is pleased to see the home team go all the way.
Athletic talent also rarely comes with humility, with the exception of the quiet Michael Jordan. Many professional athletes these days have quite the head (ego) on their shoulders, from Kobe Bryant to Barry Bonds.
So what's the big deal over spectator sports, and its constant annual fascination by millions?
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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dblaney
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It appeals to some part of the human psyche. Practically all civilizations have had various types of sports and competitions. It largely is about the ego, I think. The players all want to beat the other guys. The spectators all want the home team to win, or they want to see suffering (Gladiators, etc).
Sports do tend to foster competition, division, violence (riots around major championship), vicariousness, ego trips, greed, and corruption.
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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Icelander
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Walter Mitty; and the fact that they are sleeping sheepies.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Basilides
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Re: Sports [Re: dblaney]
#5634631 - 05/15/06 07:56 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Surely there's a balance though between good sportsmanship and malicious competition, being a fan and blatant fanaticism?
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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dblaney
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Yes, I agree there is a balance. BUT, those who are balanced like that are very few and far between, from my observations. People have emotional investments and sometimes monetary investments in teams and outcomes. Even if some are able to just shrug off a defeat, chances are they'll still feel down and will suffer.
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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Icelander
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Re: Sports [Re: dblaney]
#5634733 - 05/15/06 08:14 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
dblaney said: It appeals to some part of the human psyche. Practically all civilizations have had various types of sports and competitions. It largely is about the ego, I think. The players all want to beat the other guys. The spectators all want the home team to win, or they want to see suffering (Gladiators, etc).
Sports do tend to foster competition, division, violence (riots around major championship), vicariousness, ego trips, greed, and corruption.
It's civilized warfare. If we didn't have it all the monkeys would run amok even more than they already do. Totally natural for the human ape.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Basilides
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Civilized warfare describes it pretty well. Eventually all the rules, guidelines, and formulas crumble to the ground when two players break out into a fight
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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dblaney
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Civilized warfare under the guise of entertainment, hehe I like it!
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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DoctorJ


Registered: 06/30/03
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simple thigs amuse simple people
bread and circus
give the people a meaningless contest to occupy their minds, and they will forget about the real problems society faces.
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dblaney
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Re: Sports [Re: DoctorJ]
#5634795 - 05/15/06 08:23 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Mussolini's argument: give the people food, sex, and entertainment, and they will be complacent puppets.
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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Neurogenesis
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Re: Sports [Re: dblaney]
#5634829 - 05/15/06 08:30 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
dblaney said: Mussolini's argument: give the people food, sex, and entertainment, and they will be complacent puppets.
He forgot Boston Red Sox baseball!
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dblaney
Human Being

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What an idiot! How could he forget something so essential! GO SOX!
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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Basilides
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Re: Sports [Re: dblaney]
#5634857 - 05/15/06 08:36 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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When the curse was broken a few years, even the Buddhist monks of Boston were smiling
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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Icelander
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The spectators can fantasize (walter mitty) that they are great war heros. The cheerleaders are the spoils
These sports are for those who wish to sleep and dream.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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dblaney
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Icelander: Amen. Though to be honest, I do enjoy a good game of basketball or tennis. But when I play, I don't try to win, nor do I try to lose. I find a little exercise with friends is a great way to keep the body healthy and pass the time. But for the most part I do agree that competition is surely not beneficial, and quite possibly detrimental.
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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Icelander
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Re: Sports [Re: dblaney]
#5635087 - 05/15/06 09:22 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I'm refering to spectator sports. The so called fans and how every guy seems to care so much about some team from his home town, made up of players who could give a shit about being from anywhere USA. It's a form of Nationalism.
I grew up with it and then one day it was absolutely the most stupid thing in the world to me. I don't even watch TV or own one anymore.
Now my sport is debate at the Shroomery. Do you think this could be called progress.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
Edited by Icelander (05/15/06 09:54 PM)
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MushmanTheManic
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Well, I enjoy watching skilled human beings competing against each other! Plus, after playing sports for much of my life, I've gained a deeper appreciation of the physical and mental skills needed to be a great athlete. These people put amazing amounts of effort into becoming the best at what they do. With the exception of the Marines, I don't think this striving for greatness can be equalled in any other field. Personally, I find athletes to be quite extraordinary specimens.
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MushmanTheManic
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Re: Sports [Re: dblaney]
#5635238 - 05/15/06 09:50 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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But for the most part I do agree that competition is surely not beneficial
Why not? I think it's fuckin fun.
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Icelander
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I find athletes to be quite extraordinary specimens.
Specimans of what? What's so funkin great about Mike Tyson? I played sports all my young life and it was mostly ego driven and proving manhood and membership in a tribe I didn't even respect. I admit it's great to have physical skills and all, but this worship of atheletes is moronic IMO. It's a distraction from actually living your life. I'm talking about the obsessive herd instinct to follow the crowd and do exactly what everyone else is doing. Season by season.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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MushmanTheManic
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Specimens that have developed their physical skills and mental coordination to near perfection.
http://www.nba.com/theater/video/jordan_oop_1990.mov You can't find inter-personal coordination like that anywhere else.
Edited by MushmanTheManic (05/15/06 10:39 PM)
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gettinjiggywithit
jiggy


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Quote:
It's civilized warfare. If we didn't have it all the monkeys would run amok even more than they already do.
Oh that made me laugh!
I caught a LaCross game on TV for the first time ever a few nights ago. Never saw it played before. In the first 4 seconds, the ball was sent across field and THEN, the one guy who already threw it across the field clubbed the guy next to him in the head with his stick.

Then they panned back to them because a fist fight broke out over it. 
10 more seconds and one guy gets knocked down and theres a lot of club swinging going on to pick up the ball under him and one guy gets it and wings it across the field while others were still clubbing at the dude on the ground.

They panned over to where the ball was down field for a few seconds and then back to the guy on the ground because a wrestling fist fight between 5 guys broke out down there. 
That's about all I caught before I had to split. 
Wild Sport! I don't know why they bother with the ball and goal nets. 
-------------------- Ahuwale ka nane huna.
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Basilides
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I'm going to go against the current popular dismissal of spectator sports. While certainly there might be alot of ego involved in the player spectrum (I cannot stand arrogant athletes), and obsessive behavior among fans.. as a whole, sports are just innocent fun at the end of the day. Admittedly, I love basketball because it has such a high bar for talent. NBA players are just fantastic at what they do, especially passing - the kind of assists some players like Steve Nash make nicely highlight how some of these guys have absolute peripheral awareness and carefully crafted talent.
So sue me, I love seeing LeBron James pull off a triple-double and then top it off with a game winning lay-in - or Michael Jordan doing 2 things at once while in mid-air to overthrow the deficit. God practically made these boys for crunch time in the paint. And as for losing... everyone knows there's always next year.
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    "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."
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MarkostheGnostic
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The ancient MesoAmericans playing a form of hoops with a ball made from rubber trees; ancient Greeks had their Olympics; Romans had gladiatorial combat. Playing with a ball is a lot less violent than the Olympiads who boxed to the death, or to gladiatorial combat, but it is still vestigial combat. Animals fight for sexual partners and food, humans have developed symbolism so that combat can be about money, social status, fame and ego aggrandizement. There is also (not to be underestimated) man as 'Homo Ludens,' 'Playing Man.' Games and gaming are apparently built into the human experience. Animals may frolic while young, but as they mature, the play becomes competative for 'leader of the pack' so-to-speak, which is social status. The biggest baddest lion gets the pride of females; the alpha gorilla, likewise gets the females. Hence, the jock in a socio-biological way. Sport is symbolized and sublimated 'fight.' Personally, I have not watched a sporting event since a football game I went to just to hang with my friend Sam who had recently moved. That was the fall of 1964. I have participated in Judo, Jujitsu, scuba diving, and water skiing, but I haven't shown any interest in spectator sports since collecting baseball cards in the 2nd grade. Damn! I gave away all my 1960 rookies and six Roger Maris cards!
-------------------- γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
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Icelander
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Wild Sport! I don't know why they bother with the ball and goal nets.
That's how we pretend we're civilized.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Icelander
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So sue me,
I would, but just for sport.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery


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Quote:
MushmanTheManic said: Specimens that have developed their physical skills and mental coordination to near perfection.
http://www.nba.com/theater/video/jordan_oop_1990.mov You can't find inter-personal coordination like that anywhere else.
I know what you're saying. But this worship of individuals is like religion.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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gettinjiggywithit
jiggy


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Do you really believe most people don't have an appreciation for athletics in general, physical fitness, and skills?
What people are growing a dislike for is the ugliness of human beings that becomes realized (more easily seen) through spectator sports.
Things like the hockey dad killing another kids dad in the stands because his kid clocked his. The cheer leading mom who put out a hit on a competitor so her daughter could make the squad. Tonya Harding hiring someone to break Nancy Kerigans legs. All Stars making 40 MILLION a year while school teachers start at 20 thousand on average.
One can't blame sports for all of that. If sports were wiped off the planet tomorrow, people would just take bad sportsmanship and the dark side of competitive extremes, and misappropriate what they place value on into other areas of life more then they already do that too.
Considering this is a philosophy and spirituality forum, its bound to have a higher majority of people who would like to see humankind just STOP all the madness for a moment, and regroup its priorities in life.
What if we as a whole decided to make mental, emotional and physical HEALTH, a top priority on this planet?
Imagine what it would be like if every child was raised in a safe nurturing and supportive environment raised to love accept, respect, appreciate themselves and others? Imagine what the world would be like if we eradicated the dis-eases of inferiority and superiority complexes and insecurities that spawn ugly to brutal competitive acts?
I think many people here just want to see more constructive co-operation and less destructive competition in the world.
The ironic thing is that athletics can play a supportive role in that area of human development depending on how its introduced, handled and taught to kids.
I was really athletic as a kid and good at sports. In P.E. class and at recess we usually picked captains who picked teams before the games began. I was always either picked captain or a first pick.
I had a dream last week where I was at some school and there were captains picking teams and no one was picking me. IT FELT AWFUL in the dream. Every time my name wasn't called, I felt smaller and smaller and more useless and pathetic.
Is THAT what the kids who were picked next to last felt like 3 to 4 times a day back in school? 
What a HORRIBLE practice to engage children developing mental and emotional bodies within. That shit turned me into a superiority complexed egomaniac Monster as a kid and who knows what it did to others picked next to last most of the time.
I often wish I could go back and set it all straight and make it about the benefits of physical fitness exercises and health, team co-operation, skills development and NOT about winning at any and all costs.
That reminds me of dodge ball. (BTW I LOVED it as a kid!) Now I sit here and realize, adults were lining some very meek, mild and uncoordinated children up against a wall to have them forcefully subjected to having objects whipped at them. Many kids were sent to the nurses office with swollen welts at times.
Damn, when you think about it, thats like modern day stoning with rubber balls instead of rocks or like forcing kids to face a firing squad when they did nothing wrong. How horrifying that must have been for some kids who were lousy at dodging or getting their glasses smashed into their faces.
I must've had sadistic P.E. teachers or something. 
I don't have a problem with sports in themselves. I would like to know what in hell is so wrong with people that can't be made right if we all got our shit together and worked as one global team-All for one and one for All.
I have much hope for humankind though. I often think of starting up a non for profit foundation to raise awareness of how Physical education is handled in the grade schools and how positive change can be made.
-------------------- Ahuwale ka nane huna.
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Corporal Kielbasa

Registered: 05/29/04
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Its a way of bonding, its a way of not getting tied up in emotional things of life, its a way to shaire time without getting to envolved in real life issues. Its a way to pass time and maybe make a few bucks.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery


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Exactly.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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gettinjiggywithit
jiggy


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Quote:
Corporal Kielbasa said: Its a way of bonding, its a way of not getting tied up in emotional things of life, its a way to share time without getting to involved in real life issues. Its a way to pass time and maybe make a few bucks.
It could be that yet it's often not.
Bonding in sports for me as a kid was about bonding my grip to the basket ball in your hands so I could forcefully yank it away from you and score. Bonding was about grabbing the back of your shirt and whipping you to the ground to get you out of my way so I could catch the ball and score. Bonding for me as a kid was about separating and dividing the winners from the loosers. Bonding was about using verbal intimidation tactics over who was going to kick who's ass in the game.
Sports was also about getting further tied up in emotional things of life, not a reprieve from them. It got emotional when a ref made a bad call. It got emotional when a kid got clocked for no reason. It got emotional when kids didn't play fair and got away with it. It got emotional when kids were called loosers or told they fucking suck and blew it for the team.
"Sharing time without getting caught up in real life issues? "
You mean like "survival of the fittest"? Sports highlight and intensify the drama of real life issues which all stem from survival of the fittest mentality. It's organized survival drama at its finest. Go to a super bowl game and tell me its not an emotional affair for both the players, coaches, sponsers and fans.
Ever go to a kids soccer game and experience how "non emotional" parents are on the side lines. Some are raving lunatics.
Make a "few" bucks? I wish I could casually call 8 digit yearly salaries a few bucks. Or were you referring to the few some make gambling on sports while others with addiction problems end up in financial trouble. 
You described a nice potential of what sports could be about all of the time. 
The overall reality of them for many is something else to date. 
-------------------- Ahuwale ka nane huna.
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Sporetacus
Swashbuckler

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I AM SPORTsACUS!
Sports is one of the quickest and easiest ways to reach a Zen state.
-------------------- I'm Sporetacus!
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TODAY
Battletoad


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I like to play catch or kick a soccer ball around, play frisbee, etc...but watching it on tv is nothing i've ever been into and probably will never be into.
Lots of my friends are sports nuts so I see the sports nut mentality alot. I just don't understand it or care for it...whateva.
--------------------
ca'rouse (k-rouz) intr.v. To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking.
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dblaney
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Do you mean the "in the zone" state?
-------------------- "What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?" "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword" - John Mayer Making the noise "penicillin" is no substitute for actually taking penicillin. "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it." -Abraham Lincoln
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Corporal Kielbasa

Registered: 05/29/04
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Quote:
gettinjiggywithit said:
Quote:
Corporal Kielbasa said: Its a way of bonding, its a way of not getting tied up in emotional things of life, its a way to share time without getting to involved in real life issues. Its a way to pass time and maybe make a few bucks.
It could be that yet it's often not.
Bonding in sports for me as a kid was about bonding my grip to the basket ball in your hands so I could forcefully yank it away from you and score. Bonding was about grabbing the back of your shirt and whipping you to the ground to get you out of my way so I could catch the ball and score. Bonding for me as a kid was about separating and dividing the winners from the loosers. Bonding was about using verbal intimidation tactics over who was going to kick who's ass in the game.
Sports was also about getting further tied up in emotional things of life, not a reprieve from them. It got emotional when a ref made a bad call. It got emotional when a kid got clocked for no reason. It got emotional when kids didn't play fair and got away with it. It got emotional when kids were called loosers or told they fucking suck and blew it for the team.
"Sharing time without getting caught up in real life issues? "
You mean like "survival of the fittest"? Sports highlight and intensify the drama of real life issues which all stem from survival of the fittest mentality. It's organized survival drama at its finest. Go to a super bowl game and tell me its not an emotional affair for both the players, coaches, sponsers and fans. I dont play them anymore for this reason. Survival of the fitest will mean that bugs and bacteria and all the things off the front line will truely be the only winners with the survival of the fitest mentality. Darwin renounced every thing he said mind you.
Ever go to a kids soccer game and experience how "non emotional" parents are on the side lines. Some are raving lunatics.
Make a "few" bucks? I wish I could casually call 8 digit yearly salaries a few bucks. Or were you referring to the few some make gambling on sports while others with addiction problems end up in financial trouble.  gambling
You described a nice potential of what sports could be about all of the time. 
The overall reality of them for many is something else to date. 
Yeah when i played sports i often would get in fights. Most of the fights i ever got in where while playing the game. Thats why i dont play any more.
Edited by Corporal Kielbasa (05/16/06 12:41 PM)
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Corporal Kielbasa

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My sports now consist of frisbee, fishing, and blunt rolling.
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MushmanTheManic
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Quote:
Sporetacus said: I AM SPORTsACUS!
Sports is one of the quickest and easiest ways to reach a Zen state.
Yessir, plenty of Zen masters recommend golfing.
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fireworks_god
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Quote:
MushmanTheManic said: Yessir, plenty of Zen masters recommend golfing.
Do plenty of golfers recommend mastering Zen? 
 Peace.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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OldWoodSpecter
waiting


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Quote:
Basilides said: Why is everyone so into sports? It's almost like an international language it seems.
Around this time of the year, with the NHL and NBA playoffs, sports-related conversation is a plenty, and it's a topic of conversation from youths to retirees. Everyone loves sports, and everyone - whether fan or not, is pleased to see the home team go all the way.
Athletic talent also rarely comes with humility, with the exception of the quiet Michael Jordan. Many professional athletes these days have quite the head (ego) on their shoulders, from Kobe Bryant to Barry Bonds.
So what's the big deal over spectator sports, and its constant annual fascination by millions?
There is a difference between playing sports and watching sports. A huge one.
Playing sports can have its spiritual benefits, it teaches discipline, control, willpower, positive thinking, and makes you stronger.
Over here watching soccer, and cheering, often includes joining support clubs, being angry and hatefull at the oposing support clubs, getting into fights, painting your face with paint, yelling, and drinking a lot of beer. Now that is I'm afraid just substitude for some good old fashion tribal warfare.
Would you believe that war in Croatia sort of started on a soccer stadium? The Serbian fans made some kind of a riot, and started beating policemen, then Croatian fans were eager to participate, their hatred was just waiting for an oportunity like this, and then everyone rushed into the field and there was a fight. Everyone saw this as the begining of war, it was an expression of mutual hate that was building up for years. Very soon the Croatia separated from Yugoslavia, and Serbian army ocupated parts of Croatia. Of course it's not really about soccer, but those people were expressing their own mental problems through soccer cheering. Everyone brings their frustrations to the stadium.
-------------------- I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine
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MushmanTheManic
Stranger

Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 4,587
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Only the golfers who haven't been duped by THE CONSPIRACY.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery


Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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That doesn't surprise me in the least. Go Team!
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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gettinjiggywithit
jiggy


Registered: 07/20/04
Posts: 7,469
Loc: Heart of Laughter
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Quote:
joining support clubs, being angry and hateful at the opposing support clubs, getting into fights, painting your face with paint, yelling, and drinking a lot of beer. Now that is I'm afraid just substitute for some good old fashion tribal warfare.
I never saw it like that until now. Funny story about the Croatia war being masked through soccer games. Thanks for sharing it wood.
Talking about zen mastery making you good at sports, don't leave this out. Mastering an understanding of physics and applying that knowledge will help tremendously at making you good at physical sports. They're all about weight ratios, balance, inertia, leveraging, angles of trajectory and attack etc........
I'm picking up new things from TKD related to physics I never knew. A relaxed body swung at something will hit it with more power then a tensed up one will. I would of thought it the other way around until I experienced the difference for myself. That is probably where zen mastery helps the most in sports, keeping your body relaxed, besides with teaching how to focus on one thing while expanding awareness of the bigger playing field at the same time.
-------------------- Ahuwale ka nane huna.
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OldWoodSpecter
waiting


Registered: 02/01/05
Posts: 4,033
Loc: mountains and lakes
Last seen: 17 years, 3 months
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By the way, did you notice how men get agressive when they smell their own sweat? Yea, try talking to them about gardening on their way out of locker-room, and they'll hit you in the face, and say: "Fuckin' pussy!"
well not literally, but...
-------------------- I descend upon your earth from the skies I command your very souls you unbelievers Bring before me what is mine
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