For the Love of Sport

For several years now I have written here mainly about my novel writing ventures and an occasional movie review.  Not one who likes to repeat himself unless it is absolutely necessary, I would like to utilize this spot to talk about more than just the act of writing and what movies are out in theaters.  As my Twitter page states, I have a passion for sports and other forms of entertainment, but what has shaped my writing even more are my other interests.  For the past twenty years the discoveries and advancements made in the fields of Science and Technology have piqued my curiosity enough to do extensive research.  However, it is not merely what makes the headlines that I gravitate towards.  My real interest comes from my own curiosity about how we as a civilization have gotten to this point and where we might go with what we learn.  For me, it puts the now in perspective to think about the future and the past.

Anyone who has read my work will know that I am fascinated with the human condition and especially the workings of the mind.  It is the main difference between us, our pets and the other animals in the world.  Sure, being bipedal and having hands that can do more than claw at the earth helps, but having a human mind allows me to put two thoughts together and is therefore far more interesting than my ability to type these words.  Now if I were a dog who could type out his thoughts that might be just as interesting.

To get back to another interest of mine, sports.  I grew up playing all sorts of organized sports: baseball, soccer, football, basketball, and later softball.  There were other sports I played without being in any sort of league: tennis, bowling, golf, volleyball and countless others.  Having such a great passion for playing sports, I also had teams that I cheered for.  The Atlanta sports team were natural fits.  My support for the Cowboys began when I was a kid and both Dallas and Pittsburgh were perennial Super Bowl adversaries.  My brother sided with the Steelers (Boo!) and I the Cowboys.  These were all natural fits for any American.  As I have gotten older my interest for sports has waxed and waned.  When I lived in California I all but stopped watching sports completely.  That was right as the internet was coming on line so it was relatively easy then to not keep up, I just needed to not turn on the TV.  Being in a different place where almost everything seemed new made the decision both easier and harder.  It was harder because I was away from childhood home and knew very few people, and even fewer well.  And at first I gravitated to sports as a common thread, something that felt familiar.  As time went by I wanted to immerse myself in the culture and sports became less important.  My worldview broadened and experience outside my norm was of greater value.

In recent years my passion for sport has returned, but not as expected.  For the majority of my life I was like most red-blooded Americans and watched primarily the big three - Football, Basketball and Baseball.  In 2002 I watched my first World Cup and I bloody loved it.  However, my interest in soccer did not extend past the subsequent World Cups for several more years.  It was after the summer of 2010 that my interest burgeoned beyond the World Cup.  Ironically, in 2012, the year I released my first book is when I became a Tottenham Hotspur fan.  US International star Clint Dempsey joined from Fulham and I wanted to keep up with his progress. It took a year to realize it but I learned that Dempsey was very good but not the best player on the team, at least not at Tottenham. He wasted too many chances in front of goal.  The star of the show at that time for Spurs was Gareth Bale.  Strangely enough, the fact that Dempsey was not the best player on the team actually made me appreciate the game even more and made me want to learn more before the next World Cup.  Bale is hands down my favorite player even though he has moved on to Madrid, yet my allegiance is firmly rooted at White Hart Lane in North London.  So don't be surprised if you see tweets about the Spurs as the lads are pushing for the title this year and it has been an amazing season.

While I still keep up with the other sports, they do not hold my interest like soccer.  If you had told me that I would rather watch a game of footie in another country than most American sports when I was a kid, I am sure I would have laughed in your face and told you you were full of it.  I think it happened because of my interests about life, past and future, as mentioned earlier.  Soccer is hands down the most popular sport in the world.  With all the injury concerns with football, on the field and long after playing days are over, I wouldn't be surprised if future generations don't stop playing it altogether.  Baseball suffers in the technology age from being so slow paced, thank God for DVRs.  Basketball on the other hand, in my opinion, is the only competition, on a global scale, that can hold people's interest like soccer.   The only problem it suffers from is continual stoppage in play, which has made me enjoy watching football less through the years. Commercials are just about the most annoying thing on this planet and some people actually watch the Super Bowl specifically for the commercials.  Drives me bonkers.  Soccer doesn't have that issue.  Two halves played straight through - Brilliant!

Now I'm not trying to tell people to stop watching other sports and just watch soccer.  On the contrary, I am just introducing you to my current view of sports these days.  With the European Championships starting up along with Copa America and the Olympics, there will be a ton of great soccer once the Barclay's Premiere League is decided in May.  And that is another thing that is brilliant about being a soccer fan.  You don't have to wait very long for games that matter like with other sports.  Don't even get me started on the Transfer window drama.