For the longest time, I was under the impression anyone could like sports and if someone didn’t - no big deal, sports aren’t for everyone.

In the past year or so, anecdotally, I’ve noticed some politically active far left people (aged 18-29) who believe sports are “toxic”, “too masculine”, and serve a purpose of indoctrinating American culture to be “straight white culture”.

It came to a head today when I heard this:

“However I think the combination of hyper masculine whiteness that plagues the consumption of sport based media as well as a type of consumerism that so easily pervades every aspect of american society from juice boxes to church sermons, it can feel suffocating if you're not into it.”

“Not to mention that the NBA and NFL basically exploit black bodies for the entertainment of the masses which is troublesome in a lot of different ways.”

So in other words, these people believe sports exist as political symbolism or a political mechanism by the right. Rather than something that exists independent of politics simply as hobbies for anyone to enjoy.

Radical, insane feminism has become mainstream on the left (among other nutty ideologies)

Lots of conservatives dislike sports too. Lots of liberals love sports. To answer your question: different strokes for different folks. Fringes will always seem a bit odd to your average Joe. I'm a progressive independent and I love sports.

On a sidenote: American football is very gladitorialesque and I do find it a bit exploitive. I don't think it's the right doing the exploiting. Money is bipartisan.

Give me a damn break. Toxic my eye.

(06-26-2018 12:48 AM)JDTulane Wrote:  Lots of conservatives dislike sports too. Lots of liberals love sports. To answer your question: different strokes for different folks. Fringes will always seem a bit odd to your average Joe. I'm a progressive independent and I love sports.

On a sidenote: American football is very gladitorialesque and I do find it a bit exploitive. I don't think it's the right doing the exploiting. Money is bipartisan.

Exploit me like that please. Oh wait, I don't wish to be extremely well paid.

There are people on both sides that don't enjoy watching sports, but only the left has an ideological justification.

Sports is capitalism. Sports is competition. Sports is rewarding the winners more that the losers. Sports is destroying the level playing field by being better than the other guys. Sports isn't accessible to everyone, but only to those good enough to play.

Sports is everything that socialism/communism despises. The American left would like it to go away.

But there are some cracks in the wall. Title IX has created a women's sports system in this country that has seen competition fostered and adopted into the heart of modern lesbian culture. This is a bit problematic for the left. One of their safest core groups is becoming a strong adopter of traditional sports values of competition and reward. How will that plays out in the long term?

Rush made a great point yesterday... I am paraphrasing ... but:

It makes complete sense that liberals want to destroy the NFL. Even the Players Union is encouraging the players to act in ways that could directly affect their livelihood. The NFL has single handily made more black men millionaires than any other organization in the world. So, WHY would they want to dismantle that?

The same reason they want the United States (as we know it) to fail. The US the single greatest wealth creator in the history of the world, and the standard of living is also the best in the world... yet the libs want us to look more like Europe, where everyone is equally miserable.

Their self destructive nature to make everything "fair" is absurd.

I think the idea is that it glorifies violence. At least with football and sort of a "gang" type pack mentality being on a team.

I don't agree with it but that's the theme I've heard mentioned

(06-26-2018 12:34 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  For the longest time, I was under the impression anyone could like sports and if someone didn’t - no big deal, sports aren’t for everyone.

In the past year or so, anecdotally, I’ve noticed some politically active far left people (aged 18-29) who believe sports are “toxic”, “too masculine”, and serve a purpose of indoctrinating American culture to be “straight white culture”.

It came to a head today when I heard this:

“However I think the combination of hyper masculine whiteness that plagues the consumption of sport based media as well as a type of consumerism that so easily pervades every aspect of american society from juice boxes to church sermons, it can feel suffocating if you're not into it.”

“Not to mention that the NBA and NFL basically exploit black bodies for the entertainment of the masses which is troublesome in a lot of different ways.”

So in other words, these people believe sports exist as political symbolism or a political mechanism by the right. Rather than something that exists independent of politics simply as hobbies for anyone to enjoy.

Some of my most liberal friends play or played football and lacrosse and are crazy sports fans...so I dont know where this is coming from. This has never been something that i have seen libs talking about besides maybe football and concussions

(06-26-2018 08:50 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(06-26-2018 12:48 AM)JDTulane Wrote:  Lots of conservatives dislike sports too. Lots of liberals love sports. To answer your question: different strokes for different folks. Fringes will always seem a bit odd to your average Joe. I'm a progressive independent and I love sports.

On a sidenote: American football is very gladitorialesque and I do find it a bit exploitive. I don't think it's the right doing the exploiting. Money is bipartisan.

Exploit me like that please. Oh wait, I don't wish to be extremely well paid.

Exploitation can take place even when financially compensated. Tell me you're happy getting paid after your CTE. Also, the % of players getting to the get paid level is astronomically small. Shirk your education to try and go pro, barely miss, and still get CTE after not receiving the proper risk education? Exploitative.

Is Drew Brees exploited? No. But thousands of other young men and women are.

TBH, if you are the fan of a losing team year in and year out, then yes, sports is toxic in that sense.

(06-26-2018 10:11 AM)thespiritof1976 Wrote:  TBH, if you are the fan of a losing team year in and year out, then yes, sports is toxic in that sense.

I know a Browns fan. I'm not sure how he gets out of bed every day.

(06-26-2018 10:13 AM)Gakusei Wrote:  

(06-26-2018 10:11 AM)thespiritof1976 Wrote:  TBH, if you are the fan of a losing team year in and year out, then yes, sports is toxic in that sense.

I know a Browns fan. I'm not sure how he gets out of bed every day.

same lol, but they had the cavs...now its just the Indians they can be confident in

(06-26-2018 10:13 AM)Gakusei Wrote:  

(06-26-2018 10:11 AM)thespiritof1976 Wrote:  TBH, if you are the fan of a losing team year in and year out, then yes, sports is toxic in that sense.

I know a Browns fan. I'm not sure how he gets out of bed every day.

Try being a Bucs fan growing up in the 80's. Yeah, that was me....

(06-26-2018 09:34 AM)Huskypride Wrote:  

(06-26-2018 12:34 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  For the longest time, I was under the impression anyone could like sports and if someone didn’t - no big deal, sports aren’t for everyone.

In the past year or so, anecdotally, I’ve noticed some politically active far left people (aged 18-29) who believe sports are “toxic”, “too masculine”, and serve a purpose of indoctrinating American culture to be “straight white culture”.

It came to a head today when I heard this:

“However I think the combination of hyper masculine whiteness that plagues the consumption of sport based media as well as a type of consumerism that so easily pervades every aspect of american society from juice boxes to church sermons, it can feel suffocating if you're not into it.”

“Not to mention that the NBA and NFL basically exploit black bodies for the entertainment of the masses which is troublesome in a lot of different ways.”

So in other words, these people believe sports exist as political symbolism or a political mechanism by the right. Rather than something that exists independent of politics simply as hobbies for anyone to enjoy.

Some of my most liberal friends play or played football and lacrosse and are crazy sports fans...so I dont know where this is coming from. This has never been something that i have seen libs talking about besides maybe football and concussions

Pocket of women and pocket of LGBT friends/acquiantances who are politically active and extreme left. I know far more liberal women and liberal LGBT folks who like sports, but these two pockets are very vocal in believing sports foster a hyper masculine culture and that the right wants this.

(06-26-2018 12:48 AM)JDTulane Wrote:  Lots of conservatives dislike sports too. Lots of liberals love sports. To answer your question: different strokes for different folks. Fringes will always seem a bit odd to your average Joe. I'm a progressive independent and I love sports.

On a sidenote: American football is very gladitorialesque and I do find it a bit exploitive. I don't think it's the right doing the exploiting. Money is bipartisan.

I think you're right, people on both sides both love and hate sports.

The difference is in the reasoning for hating sports.

The lefties hate sports because it promotes and encourages competition, rewards excellence, has winners/losers. Their whole "we're all special and deserve a trophy" narrative is completely destroyed by sports.

People on the right who hate sports or in many cases stop watching has more to do with the peripheries. "Protesting", showboating, lack of sportsmanship, things like that. Myself and others just want to watch a game. I don't need players "protesting " whatever the latest cause célèbre might be. I also would like players to "act like they've been there". Not every first down requires an act or a dance.

Just MHO.

(06-26-2018 10:26 AM)BadgerMJ Wrote:  I also would like players to "act like they've been there". Not every first down requires an act or a dance.

These idiots catch a 10 yard out pattern and then they genuflect to themselves like they've just cured cancer....

(06-26-2018 10:26 AM)BadgerMJ Wrote:  

(06-26-2018 12:48 AM)JDTulane Wrote:  Lots of conservatives dislike sports too. Lots of liberals love sports. To answer your question: different strokes for different folks. Fringes will always seem a bit odd to your average Joe. I'm a progressive independent and I love sports.

On a sidenote: American football is very gladitorialesque and I do find it a bit exploitive. I don't think it's the right doing the exploiting. Money is bipartisan.

I think you're right, people on both sides both love and hate sports.

The difference is in the reasoning for hating sports.

The lefties hate sports because it promotes and encourages competition, rewards excellence, has winners/losers. Their whole "we're all special and deserve a trophy" narrative is completely destroyed by sports.

People on the right who hate sports or in many cases stop watching has more to do with the peripheries. "Protesting", showboating, lack of sportsmanship, things like that. Myself and others just want to watch a game. I don't need players "protesting " whatever the latest cause célèbre might be. I also would like players to "act like they've been there". Not every first down requires an act or a dance.

Just MHO.

Am more liberal. Love sports for all these reasons.

(06-26-2018 10:26 AM)BadgerMJ Wrote:  The lefties hate sports because it promotes and encourages competition, rewards excellence, has winners/losers. Their whole "we're all special and deserve a trophy" narrative is completely destroyed by sports.

Never run into any of that. I would agree that both sides have people that dislike sports. On the left, you're more likely to run into someone who believes they're above sports, or their cousins, those that believe the only real sport is soccer.

As a straight white hyper-masculine ex-athlete, I am tired of straight white hyper-masculine ex-athletes. We're sorta jerks in a lot of ways.