Admiral_Snackbar
Veni, vidi, Lionel Richie
Got into a "discussion" today with a co-worker. A woman in another department and her hubby are flying down to spring training next weekend for the St. Louis Cardinals. She and hubby are baseball FANATICS, but he's the primary one. Owns a whole row of seats from the original Bush stadium. He's an accountant and they spend most of their money flying all over creation for away games for the Cards. I'm guessing their firstborn (male or female) is going to have "Pujols" somewhere in their name, and they will be christened at home plate by a priest/umpire.
I made the point that rabid sports fans are fundamentally no different than science fiction/fantasy conventioneers or Trekkers: Spending large amounts of money and time to what amounts to living vicariously through athletes vs. movie stars or authors. The only difference my counterpart said is that sports fans at least follow something that is real, or play the sports they are fans of. There were the usual arguments of better looking, more sex, very few addresses with "mom's basement" in them, etc..
I said but what about the people who play whole SEASONS of fantasy NFL/MLB games? The guys who play John Madden's computer games every year and create a whole host of fictional or virtual pro athletes? What makes these guys any less nerdy than the guy who campaigns as a 2nd level half-orc barbarian, aside from the fact that his original inspiration is complete fantasy?
My thought is that sports fans don't see themselves as nerds, but in a way they really are just a different TYPE of nerd. The geek who dresses in a Starfleet uniform for convention doesn't see his interest as any less silly or shameful as painting your upper body in team colors and going around shirtless during a game (alcohol usage varies obviously). The football fan may be your average, every-day normal guy off the field, and may statistically have a better chance at a sexual encounter post-game but who knows? Everybody gets laid at a furry convention (or so I'm told :blink
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I'm just curious as to the general opinions of dimmers (our own little corner of Nerdopolis) on the subject. My debate opponent clung to his whole real/not-real point, at which time I informed him that he jinxed himself getting into a debate with the one guy who is NEVER wrong. I just got tired of his inane rattling on, shot him with a curare dart and dumped him naked in the parking lot with KLINGONS SUCK written on his chest in black Sharpie. I didn't see him when I left this afternoon, so I'm guessing the Targs got him.
I will occasionally engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent, but that little fucker made the mistake of bringing a knife to a bat'leth fight.
I made the point that rabid sports fans are fundamentally no different than science fiction/fantasy conventioneers or Trekkers: Spending large amounts of money and time to what amounts to living vicariously through athletes vs. movie stars or authors. The only difference my counterpart said is that sports fans at least follow something that is real, or play the sports they are fans of. There were the usual arguments of better looking, more sex, very few addresses with "mom's basement" in them, etc..
I said but what about the people who play whole SEASONS of fantasy NFL/MLB games? The guys who play John Madden's computer games every year and create a whole host of fictional or virtual pro athletes? What makes these guys any less nerdy than the guy who campaigns as a 2nd level half-orc barbarian, aside from the fact that his original inspiration is complete fantasy?
My thought is that sports fans don't see themselves as nerds, but in a way they really are just a different TYPE of nerd. The geek who dresses in a Starfleet uniform for convention doesn't see his interest as any less silly or shameful as painting your upper body in team colors and going around shirtless during a game (alcohol usage varies obviously). The football fan may be your average, every-day normal guy off the field, and may statistically have a better chance at a sexual encounter post-game but who knows? Everybody gets laid at a furry convention (or so I'm told :blink
.I'm just curious as to the general opinions of dimmers (our own little corner of Nerdopolis) on the subject. My debate opponent clung to his whole real/not-real point, at which time I informed him that he jinxed himself getting into a debate with the one guy who is NEVER wrong. I just got tired of his inane rattling on, shot him with a curare dart and dumped him naked in the parking lot with KLINGONS SUCK written on his chest in black Sharpie. I didn't see him when I left this afternoon, so I'm guessing the Targs got him.
I will occasionally engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent, but that little fucker made the mistake of bringing a knife to a bat'leth fight.
