are you a sports spectator?

[invisible]

do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch?

do you watch sports being played on television, or on location?

do you support particular favourite athletes or teams? if so, why?

what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings?

have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching?

if you dont watch sports, why not?

what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople?

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society?

 

[wolkenkraetzer]

do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch?
Sometimes. I do not "religiously" follow any team or sport.


do you watch sports being played on television, or on location?
Television.


do you support particular favourite athletes or teams? if so, why?
No. N/a


what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings?
What is the role on any entertainer in society? To entertain! Perhaps this explains their high-income salaries.
Any position deserves financial remuneration, but I do not hold an athlete in the same regard I have for types of professions, which are significantly underpaid. I do not consider athletes as "heroes".


have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching?
It comes and goes. Even *I* watch the Kentucky Derby one a year...or watch the occasional baseball game.


if you dont watch sports, why not?
Because I have other interests and things to do with my time. I do have a life!


what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople?
A lot of sports are surrogate religions. Some sportspeople are the purveyors of the religion, others high priests, still others mere acolytes of the process. There are some athletes who do train well and focus on doing their job, but most of the sports spectacle is the modern equivalent of "bread and games", which distract the general population from major issues of the day.

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society?
Probably a combination (with perhaps a few other attributes tossed in) thereof.

 

[sprinkles]

I probably would be if I wasn't so much into other things.

I like baseball, hockey, football and golf. I some times watch them but the problem is that there's other things I like doing so much better, plus I almost never watch television. I used to go to baseball and hockey games but now I don't have the time or money.

I think professional sports can be good in some ways. When I lived in Detroit our sport teams were one of the best things we had for bringing the community together because even when everything was shit you could still go see the Tigers play. It gave people something to do that families could be involved in. I also saw our sport teams involved in several charities.

I don't think sport players are as much a hero as say fire fighters but when I was a kid you could look up to them and they were supposed to be role models. I used to meet Red Wings players and Tigers players and have them sign my stuff, and I used to collect baseball and hockey cards, game balls and game pucks, used sticks and jerseys. I have signed cards and a Red Wings jersey full of signatures.

 

[Gaze]

do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch?
- Not often, but if I do, it's mostly tennis, soccer (because my family loves soccer) or track and field/athletics. But my favorite is Olympics with gymnastics, volleyball, athletics, and swimming.

do you watch sports being played on television, or on location?
- On tv, definitely. I am not that adventurous to brave the crowds in a stadium, although it would be nice to see it in person or up close someday

do you support particular favourite athletes or teams? if so, why?
-I root for a top athletes but I don't go out of my way to support them. Mostly because sports is not a major part of my life.

what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings?
-I do not believe in the idea of "heroes" as it is used today. That word is too easily thrown around, and rarely deserved. However, I do admire those who've overcome great odds, worked hard, and succeed. But I'm not a fan of sports figures just because they play sports. I can't say whether they deserve their earnings since I don't know much less understand the pay structure

have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching?
-I've always watched sports. Back in my home country, as kids we would go to stadium and watch the youth championships. Also, we would watch international sports as a family on television.

if you dont watch sports, why not?

what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople?
-They can be good role models, inspirations, and mentors. However, this depends on the message. If it's about being popular, known, or idolized, then no, not a fan. Rather respect the hard work, sportsmanship, and commitment to good play. But when it comes to their personalities as celebrities, doesn't really click. Yeah, I'll root for a favorite player, but when they are over-hyped, I tune out.

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society?
- Depends on why the person does it. I don't think they are a blight but I think too often they are used as a poor substitutes for managing more serious problems. Yes, there is a certain amount of aggressiveness necessary to be successful in particular sports but when someone decides not to learn anger management and takes out their aggression on team, fans, players, family, etc. it's a serious problem. Also, competition at all costs can be used to justify intense game play that compromises the health of players. e.g. high rate of concussions and growing cases of death by concussions in football players.

 

[Subbalteatus]

I'm not a sports spectator. Watching sports doesn't hold my interest. I prefer to enjoy interacting with people, art galleries, plays, movies, music, reading, and good conversation. My new love interest and her family are supporters of a local sports team, but she also really enjoys the arts. I would attend games with her occasionally, if that's important to her, because supporting my partner is very important to me.

 

[hush]

I probably would be if I wasn't so much into other things.

I like baseball, hockey, football and golf. I some times watch them but the problem is that there's other things I like doing so much better, plus I almost never watch television. I used to go to baseball and hockey games but now I don't have the time or money.

I think professional sports can be good in some ways. When I lived in Detroit our sport teams were one of the best things we had for bringing the community together because even when everything was shit you could still go see the Tigers play. It gave people something to do that families could be involved in. I also saw our sport teams involved in several charities.

I don't think sport players are as much a hero as say fire fighters but when I was a kid you could look up to them and they were supposed to be role models. I used to meet Red Wings players and Tigers players and have them sign my stuff, and I used to collect baseball and hockey cards, game balls and game pucks, used sticks and jerseys. I have signed cards and a Red Wings jersey full of signatures.

Yeah, I've lived in SE Michigan pretty much my whole life, both in and around Detroit, and had a similar experience growing up.

Even the Lions could get people to band together - even if it was just to watch them mournfully and know that deep in our hearts they were going to lose, lol

I have many fond memories of going to Tigers games, and actually just went to one pretty recently... but it didn't feel the same as it did when I was younger. I also used to follow the Red Wings pretty closely, remember watching the game when they retired Yzerman's 19. I looked up to them when I was a kid too, but also wouldn't call or think of them as heroes.

I don't really follow sports that much anymore, also probably a time thing. Oddly, I do still sort of root for our teams, and I'm not someone who tends to root for teams or feel any national or geographical pride or whatever. I guess I feel like someone has to root for something Michigan-related, since we often fail to even root for ourselves.

 

[sprinkles]

Yeah, I've lived in SE Michigan pretty much my whole life, both in and around Detroit, and had a similar experience growing up.

Even the Lions could get people to band together - even if it was just to watch them mournfully and know that deep in our hearts they were going to lose, lol

I have many fond memories of going to Tigers games, and actually just went to one pretty recently... but it didn't feel the same as it did when I was younger. I also used to follow the Red Wings pretty closely, remember watching the game when they retired Yzerman's 19. I looked up to them when I was a kid too, but also wouldn't call or think of them as heroes.

I don't really follow sports that much anymore, also probably a time thing. Oddly, I do still sort of root for our teams, and I'm not someone who tends to root for teams or feel any national or geographical pride or whatever. I guess I feel like someone has to root for something Michigan-related, since we often fail to even root for ourselves.

I met Yzerman a few times but I can't ever forget Konstantinov. I don't think anyone can.
[video=youtube;kB7ZgGzAGq0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB7ZgGzAGq0[/video]
He's still technically on the roster and nobody uses #16. They take care of their own.

 

[invisible]

do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch?

ive started watching the NRL. my mother likes to watch it, and since i live with her, i have started following it with her. its something to look forward to after i make it through another week of classes.

do you watch sports being played on television, or on location?

i have seen grand slam tennis and NRL on location before, years ago. i dont plan to do it again, because its so much more comfortable and convenient to watch it at home. i like to be comfortable on the sofa in my pajamas with a big screen tv, digital stereo, drinks and snacks, my own bathroom, and not having to get home after the match. also, although the atmosphere at the tennis was pretty sensational, i find the football crowds a bit scary. and i think that at least in terms of football, you get a much better view of the action on television because of the size of the field and the many cameras.

do you support particular favourite athletes or teams? if so, why?

some teams display so much cohesion, and some players show so much skill, that i cant help admiring them more than others. maybe it is nothing more than a charisma thing. some athletes are certainly easy on the eye.

what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings?

i think that outside of their field of endeavour, they are usually just very ordinary people. it bothers me that they are culturally worshipped as heroes. i find their lasting contribution to society to be uncertain and i would prefer for people to teach their children to worship artists, scholars, humanitarians, and similar others as heroes. i think that culturally, sportspeople are often treated as heroes to an extent that is greater than that to which intellectual achievers are treated.

in a sense, the money makes sense, because their bodies are on the line, and their career trajectory as athletes is temporally limited. but for some sports stars, the sponsorship dollars they receive seem just extreme. anyway, i guess i cant really judge.

have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching?

as a child and teenager i was very active. i never played or enjoyed team sports, but preferred the kinds of things that i could do alone. i played a lot of tennis and did a lot of swimming, and i was also good at endurance running. ive got a stack of place ribbons from school for running and swimming, and even some firsts. i always wondered why people would rather watch other people playing sports than to play sports themselves. but maybe as we get older and our responsibilities become more demanding and exhausting we have less energy for all that sort of stuff. and plus, the skill displays and quick thinking of professional sportspeople can be dazzling and exciting.

if you dont watch sports, why not?

n/a

what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople?

i think [MENTION=11958]wolkenkraetzer[/MENTION] put it very well when describing them as entertainers.

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society?

i think the world would ideally be a better place without professional sports. im not sure that it is a very effective way of dealing with aggression, because of the rioting and fights that break out. its sad that people get so upset about something that doesnt have any meaningful effect on the state of the world. they must be angry about other things. maybe they are oppressed. im not sure.

 

[invisible]

my perspective on professional sports people has changed a lot over the past year. previously to this, i really had seen them as leeches on society, consuming vast amounts of economic resources while contributing nothing in return. however i read a 10 book series of romance novels about professional sports people and i got a different perspective on them. i think that to a great extent it is like any other job, that there are those who are in it for the money and the fringe benefits, and that there are those in it because they are just trying to do a good job. and as [MENTION=6917]sprinkles[/MENTION] mentioned, i think that there is something of an expectation that they will give back to the community by their charity work.

still i think that there is part of me that questions, what genuine good do they do to society? maybe it is acceptable for aspects of society to serve functions that are purely leisurely. or maybe as [MENTION=1669]Gist[/MENTION] wrote, they are worthwhile role models because they stand for the value of hard work against great odds towards succeeding in a goal.

 

[invisible]

i guess you cant control how an audience will respond. its not the fault of the performers if audiences riot.

should people have a goal that has some direction towards serving a greater good, or is it enough to pursue excellence for its own sake in any given field?

 

[sprinkles]

[MENTION=1814]invisible[/MENTION]
There will always be a low end of the spectrum where a certain thing seems to have the least value. If sports players stop existing it'll probably be musicians instead.

Bands have caused riots too and many musicians were famous for their drugs and hotel wrecking parties. At least in sports if you do stuff like that there's a high chance of being fined and reprimanded by the league, or even suspended.

They can't help it that fans are batshit insane. That's the fans fault.

 

[Tin Man]

No, most sports don't interest me. As for whether professional sports is a leech on society, in some ways that's true. I think John Oliver covered it quite well.

[video=youtube;xcwJt4bcnXs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcwJt4bcnXs[/video]

 

[invisible]

No, most sports don't interest me. As for whether professional sports is a leech on society, in some ways that's true. I think John Oliver covered it quite well.

[video=youtube;xcwJt4bcnXs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcwJt4bcnXs[/video]

thanks for posting that. i was really interested by the parts about municipal bonds financing stadium construction, and the study about stadium construction doing nothing for local economies. after watching this, when i have thought more carefully about how these facilities are being financed at the expense of public infrastructure and services such as hospitals and schools, it has seemed clear to me that sports is not an industry that is essential to the public good. the cultural priorities in which these decisions are embedded are truly disturbing.

 

[Tin Man]

thanks for posting that. i was really interested by the parts about municipal bonds financing stadium construction, and the study about stadium construction doing nothing for local economies. after watching this, when i have thought more carefully about how these facilities are being financed at the expense of public infrastructure and services such as hospitals and schools, it has seemed clear to me that sports is not an industry that is essential to the public good. the cultural priorities in which these decisions are embedded are truly disturbing.

Yes, it is. I think professional sports are a lot like religion. They can bring people together, create a sense of community and offer support for those in need. But given too much control and they can be a destructive influence, they can cause violence and exclusion and can be a serious resource drain on society.

 

[Eventhorizon]

No I am not.

 

[invisible]

i agree with sprinkles - there is no point blaming the athletes for the insane behaviour of crowds.

when i think about musicians and music, usually i think about recordings, ie. the creation of an enduring artistic product that contains a high level of abstraction, and that enlarges our knowledge of the human condition, involving an understanding of historical forms, and innovation that is creative and intellectual.

usually when i think about sports, i dont think about enduring intellectual products that contribute to humanity in any lasting way. i could be wrong however. what does it contribute, if anything? maybe sports on a high level constitutes a form of pure research into the performance and limitations of the human body.

or maybe it doesnt matter that much. should a field of human endeavour consistently contribute to humanity in lasting ways in order to justify its pursuit? maybe justification is not necessarily required. we do things for their own sake, because by doing them, we give meaning to them. our choices are valid because we make them and we are responsible for their outcomes.

 

[Freyja]

I hope I don't offend anyone.....


do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch? Nope, None.

do you watch sports being played on television, or on location? N/A

do you support particular favourite athletes or teams? if so, why? N/A.

what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings? It's todays Roman Colosseum. Distraction from the truth of what is happening. Heroes? PLEASE. Not even close. They are disgustingly overpaid. Very few of them give that any of that money back to people in need. Why should they be paid so much to play a game? What about teachers? What about midwives? ugh.

have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching? I watched baseball once with my family as a kid.

if you dont watch sports, why not? I have never been interested in watching sports. Why would you want to stand on the sidelines when you can participate? Sports lack depth. It's one thing if you want to play sports. Being athletic in a social way is awesome. But watching others do this and pretend that you are part of the team? What?

what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople? I think professional athletes are lucky. I respect anyone (at least a little) who was able to reach the top of their field, but they are lucky to be born athletic and to live in a time and culture where they can become filthy rich playing a game. I think people who are obsessed with professional sports are stunted in some way. In my experience, every person who is REALLY into sports is completely ignorant to whats really going on in the world. They are simple. They want to stay that way. Maybe I have missed some of them? But that has been my experience.

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society? I think they are a tool of the elite, to dumb down the masses and distract them from what they should be putting their energies and even their aggression into. There are way more important things. I suppose it's possible for people to enjoy them as just a little fun, but the true fans I think take it way too seriously.

 

[Artisan]

do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch?
Sometimes, Kendo, HMB, Naginata.
I also sometimes watch Top Gun of Japanese Motorcycle Police contests.

do you watch sports being played on television, or on location?
Youtube.

do you support particular favorite athletes or teams? if so, why?
No. I don't remember names that well so I do not favor any particular athlete.

what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings?
They represent commercial brands to promote the sale of their products. They're not heroes, they're businessmen.

have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching?
No, I just came across them on YouTube someday thought it was cool so I sometimes watch a few matches.

if you dont watch sports, why not?
I don't watch actively because it does not interest me that much.

what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople?
They have fun doing what they do.

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society?
Whatever floats your boat.

 

[drummergirlbk]

do you watch professional sports? which sports do you watch?

do you watch sports being played on television, or on location?

do you support particular favourite athletes or teams? if so, why?

what is the role of sportspeople in society - are they heroes? do they deserve their monetary earnings?

have you always watched sports, or did you make a decision at some point to start watching?

if you dont watch sports, why not?

what do you think of professional sports and sportspeople?

are professional sports just a bit of fun, do they provide a cultural release valve for inherent social aggression, or are they a blight on society?

1. I only watch Hockey on rare occassions, and I do that mostly just to watch a fight break out.

2. Only on location

3. Not really.

4. @wolkennkraetzer said it beautifly.

5. I've never really gotten into itt

6. Personally, I don't see much of a point in becoming emotionally entangled in the outcome of games from a particular sports team when I haven't lifted a finger in order to help someone achieve such said success.

7. meh...

8. uh...what? it's just a game. It's all rather boring anyway IMO.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

I think a question should be added to the list:

* Are you out of shape, fat, or otherwise unsuited for sports?