I’m a male, over 50, but I never liked sports at all. I’m posting this because I get a lot of weird vibes from other guys who don’t know quite what to make of this. Lots of small talk between guys involves sports (mostly basketball/football/baseball around here), and I can’t really participate. Lots of guys simply don’t know what else to talk about.
In business, it is sort of an icebreaker. I have several contacts who always launch into sports talk, and I wonder what they think when I can never offer anything back besides “Yup, you got that right”, or whatever BS I can string together. It makes me feel like some sort of outcast weirdo. :rolleyes: I can never tell you who is in the running for whatever championship.
I’m OK with it. The women in my life seem to really dig my independence from the sports tit. Funny thing, my dad was the same way. I’m just wondering how many other Dope guys are like this?
For the record, I do like watching the Olympics, or at least I did until recent years, when I feel it started getting WAY over-commercialized, and they started letting some pros in. I also enjoy a wee bit of open wheel auto racing, but cannot stand Nascar. Don’t get me started on publicly financed sports stadiums, because my head will explode.
I also do not care about pro sports. I’m mildly, very mildly, interested in baseball, but don’t know enough to have an intelligent conversation about it. And yes, it does put me in a weird position sometimes. I get the feeling some people think I’m being intentionally obtuse if I respond to a sports thing with a blank look. I’m not, I just really don’t know much about the subject, and wouldn’t know how to have a conversation about it.
If you just want to pick up enough to bluff your way through social stuff, listen to ESPN radio while you drive to work. You’ll probably catch the major headlines of the day, and have a little more ammo, so to speak.
My husband also does not like sports. He used to read the headlines so that he would not be caught out and embarrassed that he didn’t know the latest game scores. He has been known to turn on the last 20 minutes of the SuperBowl so he can fake it the next day.
He also hates to golf. Being in banking, this is problematic. Fortunately (sad to say), he was in a car accident many years ago that messed up his left hand a bit. Not enough to impair his mobility, but it left one knuckle looking weird. He excuses his poor game on this. It seems to work.
I’m 37 and am entirely disinterested in all sports. Always have been, so believe me when I say I feel your social small-talk pain (especially now with two jersey-wearing brother-in-laws who are heavily into sports).
However, I am very competitive, and do enjoy to play some sports, but not often especially as I get older and more busy with my career and family.
But mainly, to fill my competitive blood-lust, I play strategic board games, cards, and some RTS PC games.
Aside from an occasional World Series and watching Iowa State get their a kicked, I really don’t give a damn, either. But then again, I’m way off the guy radar.
Another over-50 guy who couldn’t care less about sports. In fact, I get annoyed at the prevalence of sports in popular culture; I’ve bitched here before about how often Sunday night television shows are delayed because of afternoon sports broadcasts. Also, the ability to watch sports shows seems to be used as a major selling point for large-screen TVs and cable/satellite systems.
Another over 50ish guy who doesn’t give a damn about sports, but I watch PLENTY of games.
Through an odd twist of fate my wife is a major sports nut. Right now she is watching the Lakers/Celtics game while I am trying to find something interesting to read on the internet. Fortunatly I think it’s the playoffs so there won’t be too much more basketball, just baseball,…until football season starts.
Speaking of basketball, are you aware of March Madness? The college basketball team playoffs last all goddamn month long! All. Damn. March! I never knew there were that many colleges in the entire country, but there are, and they all play basketball in March. All. Goddamn. Month!
Oh well, at least it’s not football season yet. Pittsburg fucking Steelers! Got to put on the jersey and waive the Terrible Towel.
I’m the same. Couldn’t care less. One of my brothers is a complete sports fanatic, the other is more like me. My dad watches a game occasionally, but doesn’t really follow anything.
Small talk can be a problem, though more so with casual acquaintances or business relationships than with true friends and family. If I’m inclined to try and change the subject I’ll say something to the effect of "I just don’t have time to follow anything what with all the time I spend on - " then I’ll list a couple hobbies or interests in hopes of finding some other trivial thing to talk about.
I’m a male, aged 29. I don’t hate or dislike sports, I just have zero interest in them whatsoever.
I played plenty of sports through high school - baseball, basketball, soccer. I was pretty average at baseball and basketball, maybe a shade above average in soccer.
Even as a kid - I really wondered WTF the big deal was. I never had a favorite team and never felt any sort of connection with any athlete. I quit all sports around my junior year of high school to join the debate team and the jazz ensemble.
I don’t regret any of my athletic history. Hell, the healthiest I’ve ever been was when I was busting my ass on the sophomore Basketball and Soccer teams. I have fond memories of Little League Baseball. I just don’t feel compelled to ever do that again. It was fun, but it was always sort of - well, I’m not passionate about this, but all my friends are doing it, so I’ll stick it out.
I can relate completely with the “work-related sports awkwardness”. I work in an industry that is completely male dominated with a strong blue-collar slant. 98% of the guys I work with are all passionate sports fans and I just really can’t bring myself to even fake an interest.
Like you, I get by with a lot of non-committal and non-judgmental statements - “Yeah, that was quite a game. Think they have a shot this year?” …etc, etc.
I only see posters explaining that they don’t like sports, and how they deal with other people due to their lack of knowledge on the subject. No one is gloating.
To address the OP: almost 39 here, and I don’t care for sports either. Like someone else said, I don’t hate them, there’s just very little interest. The exceptions are a tiny interest in the Dodgers and the Sharks - if I hear one of them has made the playoffs, I’ll pay a bit of attention. Not enough that I’d watch a game, but enough to keep up with the scores, and be bummed when they inevitably lose.
ShermanAter, you’re right you don’t get it. It’s not getting on the “go me, I hate sports” bandwagon, he’s saying when most males are into sports and you are not, it makes for awkward conversation. Think if you were in the break room at work and people were talking like they are in this thread. Now, imagine that you think Star Wars is boring and stupid and you have NO interest in it. Suddenly the Star Wars nerds start talking to you about it, and what do you say?
I don’t know nor care about any kind of sporting events at all. My parents weren’t into it either, and I’m sure that has a lot to do with it. There’s a whole social aspect and culture with watching sports, and I was never exposed to that. Just the other day I was invited to watch the Lakers Celtics game at a sports bar, I couldn’t think of a more boring time!
I’m a guy who doesn’t like sports too - I have to make a conscious effort to remember the main heads from the sports pages so I am not a total noob in conversation with other guys.
Which is curious because I do like noncompetitive physical activity - spend an hour per day at average in gymnastics group, running, swimming and strength training, plus a group hike on Sundays.
I was also born without the sports gene. What I don’t get is the sheer amount of time it takes to be a sports fan. There’s not just all the incredibly long games you have to watch, but you also have to keep track of dozens of teams and hundreds of players, managers, agents, umpires, journalists, what have you. I honestly don’t know how people do it. If I tried really hard, I might be able to free up enough time to watch a game every week. Maybe.
It may sound odd: I don’t much care for football but I like to watch the Cowboys play.
For me, it has more to do with a gladiator type entertainment than anything else. In other words, I get a kick out of saying: “Ha ha, my city kicks your city’s ass!” (or not)
Chalk me up as another guy who just can’t get into it. When someone asks me “Hey, what about those Red Sox/Celtics/Pats/Bruins”, my eyes just glaze over. And it’s like I’ve thrown a monkey wrench into their machinery. They just don’t know how to respond.
Funny thing, my dad was the same way. I’m just wondering how many other Dope guys are like this?