You know. I find it mind boggling

[Touchdown]

...that co-workers of mine, all union, can be so well versed in sports trivia, stats, and player advatages for their teams. Right now, my desk is surrounded by 3 guys debating how some basketball team needs some guy because he's a good center and that's where they're weak, and yada, yada, yada...which quickly turns to stats and predictions on the AVs and Hockey.

They know all this, but they have no clue who Valerie Plame is, what Tom Delay did, what Scalito stands for, why they should vote "yes" today on Colorado C & D, and why they should not pay any attention to Wolf Blitzer, who's on our office TVs for 6 hours a day. They're all Dems, or liberal independants, but are clueless about the issues that affect their lives, and instead live by proxy to a bunch of athletes who's been elevated to hero status.

With their brains chock full of useless sports shit, one would figure they can save some room for at least the minimal amount of issues that daily affect all of us. Instead we get arguments on which team needs to recruit new centers.:eyes:

[tx_dem41]

1. It is possible to have your brain full of "useless sports shit"...

and still be a political junkie. But, I understand what you are talking about. I tend to dislike it when people cram useless celebrity news down their throats.

BTW...I find it ironic that your name is "Touchdown"! ;)

[Touchdown]

2. Eh'. I like football.. and baseball.

... but I know where the line is between fandom and obsession. I'm not a 40 year old wearing a jersey of my favorite player for a family protrait. I don't go to work wearing a cup either.

...besides "TD" is my initials as well.:hi:

[Walt Starr]

3. I wish I could slip into that mode

Life would be so much easier if I didn't pay attention to the evil Republican Male politicians do.

[Lars39]

4. They're willing or unwitting victims of the "bread and circuses".

[Opusnone]

5. Sports and religion

The opiates of the masses

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Sports and religion

Is there a difference? It's all 'hooray for our side', and holding deep feelings about trivial differences between teams. Both provide an instant community between like-minded people. And both are designed to take money out of the pockets of the devout.

[MadHound]

7. Well, it is possible two hold two or more sets of data in your mind

Have you talked politics with them? Have you tried to engage them politically? Many, many people(myself included) use sports as small talk and a way to get along smoothly with their co-workers. Lord knows, if I started talking politics with most of my co-workers, fights would be breaking out and I would probably get canned.

And brains are able to store a lot of information. My hobby is history, and there is a lot of it crammed into my brain. I also have it stuffed with all sorts of useless trivia, current events, politics, and yes, sports information, along with a few million other things. It is possible for most people to do this.

And like me, they are probably using sports as an escape. One cannot be political 24/7 for very long without burning out. So you turn to other diversions, and that includes sports.

[unrepuke]

8. I used to know two guys whose lives revolved around sports and scores,

they knew and remembered every score ever made. Their conversations went like;

"Hey, Buddy - 138!"

"Yeah, Man - how about that 41? Huh?"

"Sheeeeit. 3 to 4 last night up north."

"Remember the ol' 1-2 last week?"

"Whooeeee - twice in '72."

"Championship this year, betcha 5 on 'er."

etc., etc., etc.

[ComerPerro]

9. I don't understand it either. But at least they are Dems

[leesa]

10. Thank you for saying this. It is so true. For many, it's a way of avoiding

the hard work of staying informed. For others, they have just fallen for all the propaganda that says sports are all important and if you don't know this stuff you aren't a real man, or a real American...whatever.
I don't mean to be sexist, either. Some women are into sports, but women have their own things to avoid adult responsibilities, like endless clothes shopping, or fooling around with their bodies (hair, nails, make-up, etc).

Moderately enjoying sports is fine...but this fanaticism is scary. Think of how so much of the war propaganda is sold to the American public as though it were 'my team' vs 'their team'. It's a propaganda tool to promote nationalism, which is a very scary thing. It's no coincidence that there are either US flags flapping from car antennas or sports teams flags....same mentality.