Sports

Look, mom!  It's Papa Smurf!!!  I wanna be just like him when I grow up!  NOT!

Why do people get so obsessive about sports?  I mean I've recently taken an interest in baseball, but do I ever think I will become like this fool, doubtful.

Here's my beef.  People schedule weddings around football games. They skip church, family events, holiday celebrations, birthday parties...because of football.  They ignore spouses, children, pets, work, responsibilities...because of football.  It's just some guys running up and down a field with a ball and smacking each other on the ass.  Why the obsession?  Why do people invest so much time and money into something that, truth be told, and the "obsessors" WILL NOT like this, has no effect on their lives AT ALL??  This is so cliche but I doubt very seriously Mr. Blue Face above will lay on his deathbed wishing he'd worn MORE blue make up.

I guess today's frustration comes from multiple calls I've received today with people who were "very angry" over missing a college basketball game Saturday night, because the newspaper's TV schedule isn't always correct.  I've gotten several earful's about how upsetting it is to miss the first game of the season and do you know what I wanted to say..."For the love of God, WHY??  Why does your life have to revolve around sweaty men and balls??"  And yes I get the pun there.   

Not to mention the preposterous amount of money that these athletes are paid.  According to USAtoday.com the average salary in 2009-2010 for the top paying franchise in the league, the New York Giants, was $2,470,622.  That means that even the players who warm benches and will never see any playing time make more money than I will ever make in my entire lifetime.  Meanwhile, there are families without homes, children starving, senior citizens without medication, and the list goes on and on, but let's keep overpaying professional athletes and let these people do without.

Now, I'm not saying that the sports themselves, have no merit.  They do. For sure.  Take it from me, when my son and daughter hit the ball for the first time in baseball or softball, I screamed like a little girl for them.  And should my son ever play football, I'll be on the sidelines for every single game.  I'll cheer.  I'll whoop.  I'll holler.  But, that is a mother cheering on her son, not the tool in blue above cheering on a bunch of men, he has likely never met.

I'm all for entertainment...but not obsession.