It’s something that I hear all the time from people who aren’t exactly fans. I get told all the time, “Why are you so into hockey? You don’t even play. You get all emotional over the Canucks, and you’ve never even laced up the skates to hit the ice for a game. Why do you watch? Why do you care?”
Newsflash: You don’t have to play the sport to enjoy watching it.
Absolutely, it’s true that I have never played a game of ice hockey in my life. I’ve played a little bit of floor hockey in my younger days, but the only real hockey in my life these days comes from the Vancouver Canucks and the rest of the NHL. And I’m okay with that.
If we were to follow the logic of the hypothetical naysayer above, I wouldn’t really be able to enjoy most of the entertainment that I find online, on television, or anywhere else. I don’t play the guitar, so I shouldn’t listen to rock music. I don’t bake, so I shouldn’t watch Cake Boss. I’m not involved in corporate America, so why should I follow who Donald Trump fires each week?
You don’t have to be able to do what you see in order to enjoy what you see. I throw my hat in with the Canucks the same way I threw my hat in with Team Canada during the Winter Olympic Games. Sports allow us to live vicariously through the athletes, participating in a competition and riding those same kinds of emotions without, well, actually participating in the competition.
A Roller Coaster of Emotions
It’s the same kind of experience you get with a particularly profound movie or a particularly thrilling TV series. You live vicariously through these characters, fictional or otherwise, and you get to ride that emotional wave along with them.
Professional sports are especially exciting when you have an allegiance to a certain team. That said, there’s no “local” NFL team in Vancouver, but I’m just as excited about the Super Bowl each year as I am about the Stanley Cup. Will I ever be able to do with Tom Brady or Daniel Sedin are able to do in their respective sports? Probably not… but I can watch them do it and revel in the competitive spirit.
I much prefer the “reality TV” of hockey and football over the “reality TV” of Snooki and Kate Gosselin.
Playing, But Not Watching
Interestingly enough, the reverse is also true: You don’t have to follow a professional league in order to play that sport either. I started playing tennis well before I expressed any interest in watching it on TV. I started curling in high school before I feigned any interest in watching it. In all honesty, I don’t watch curling at all (aside from the Olympic medal runs).
Are you a sports fan? Why or why not? What is (or isn’t) the appeal to you?
I played hockey as child from 7 years old until I was 16, including our 2 seasons as Delaware Valley Hockey League Champs when I was 13 and 14. I still love the game.
I’ve never played a game that I didn’t watch. But interestingly I HATE College football with a passion and as we know I LOVE Pro Football and my Eagles. I’m rooting for the Steelers in the Superbowl. It’s a Pa. thing.
I was a very active boy and played lots of sports in my school days.
The only sport which I don’t play but enjoy watching tremendously is Rugby.
Umm kind of a random comment… but am I the only one that sees the women touching… umm.. yeah…
Anyways as far as sports, I don’t watch as much as I used to, nowadays I mainly watch motorsports. The only time I will watch sports is when it comes to the big games, like world series, world cup, superbowl, etc.
-Jean
Much impressive “I don’t play the guitar, so I shouldn’t listen to rock music. I don’t bake, so I shouldn’t watch Cake Boss. I’m not involved in corporate America, so why should I follow who Donald Trump fires each week?” but dear all thinkg has become a part of life we can’t ignore………
@Addurbusiness, I’m kind of confused by your comment on the part you quoted from the post.
-Jean
Jean, I don’t believe it’s a real person. I get these type of responses all the time on my blog. Spam filter catches them for me.
@Ray, more than likely you are right, I am sure the more comments we see from him, the more we will know the truth 😉
-Jean
I go through the post and much impressed with it, I’ll share it with my friends..
I love playing Soccer and Rugby with my friends. I used to be very sporty in my school times. Good post, And sometimes watching is more fun than playing.
Great post. I came here looking for others like me. I have played some floor hockey in school, but I’ve never played ice hockey. Does that mean I can’t go for my hometown team, the Carolina Hurricanes? Hell no! Nice site in general man.