# What's a more admirable activity : watching sports or playing video games? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771 "2015-08-13T20:39:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/41 "2015-08-14T00:36:13Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > The first statement is false. The second is true but irrelevant, since the question was about proportions. Women also play all video games. And the third is too meaningless to even evaluate. > > But this is a fun gish gallop. What will you have for us next? More dark stereotypes of psychopathic loners? Cites please ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/42 "2015-08-14T00:37:51Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Cites please LOL. They’re your claims! Reason please. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/43 "2015-08-14T00:40:46Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > LOL. They’re your claims! > > Reason please. When has your local government spent hundreds of millions of dollars to lure anything gaming to a city? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/44 "2015-08-14T00:44:41Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Hey, I’m one of them. On the rare occasion I watch sports on TV, my coffee table is loaded with enough junk food to block the screen. 😛 Sorry…didnt mean to come off snarky. Sport are a major industry in many cities and suck off many millions of dollars that could be better spent elsewhere. The gaming industry is insignificant outside of basically California. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/45 "2015-08-14T11:50:44Z")
Neither? Both? Equal? I guess I’m just not sure why you would care? Do you want to feel better about yourself, because of your choice of entertainment activities? Do you feel like an outside of some sort because you don’t like sports? I watch a lot of sports. I play video games. I’ve never thought of either as an admirable thing. I’ve thought of both as enjoyable things to do. There is such a strange human phenomena in determining that My thing is the best… and people that aren’t into MY thing are stupid. My music rules, yours sucks, therefore mine is better. I know more about movies than you, therefore you’re dumb. I know computers and you don’t, you are clearly a moron. Obviously the thing that matters to you, takes up your time and brainspace. But people are different and occupy their brainspace with the things that matter to them. I don’t understand why we have to make value judgements against anybody because they listen to Metallica; or have never seen Citizen Kane, or like to watch Football. So, I guess what I’m saying is that neither a sports fan or a gamer is a loser, neither are “admirable”. both are ways to choose to spend time and money. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/46 "2015-08-14T14:19:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > It’s not what you **consume** that determines whether you’re admirable or an utter loser; it’s what you **produce** , and how you affect other people. Which makes reading fiction as much of a loser activity as playing games, despite readers being generally perceived positively and non readers being generally despised. Which I entirely agree with, by the way. Reading a novel isn’t IMO any nobler than playing a game. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/47 "2015-08-14T14:29:39Z")
Provided neither is taken to excess both are, as noted up-thread, an enjoyable waste of time. That said, I tend to regard gaming, particularly things like RPG and MMORPGs where do you, in fact, interact with other people albeit at a distance to be better in some ways than passively watching sports because you are doing something and interacting with other people. Of course, sports watching can also be a group activity as well. Basically, to the extent one of those two activities involves some sort of interaction with others and something more than just passively watching events unfold it’s a positive. Admittedly, I am biased in favor of gaming because I’m a gamer and watching sports bores me to tears. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/48 "2015-08-14T14:46:58Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I assume that it’s just a polite way of asking: “Which non-productive activity that can be performed while sitting on your fat ass and showing Doritos in your face is marginally less loathsome and pointless?” Or, restating with a more positive spin: “Which is more admirable, a couch poTAYto or a couch poTAHto?” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/49 "2015-08-14T15:02:52Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Which makes reading fiction as much of a loser activity as playing games, despite readers being generally perceived positively and non readers being generally despised. To call it a “loser activity” kind of misses my point: the entertainment you consume isn’t what determines whether you’re admirable or a loser; it isn’t (directly) relevant to that. And readers aren’t universally perceived positively; in some circles they’re looked down upon as bookworms, or just perceived neutrally. Where readers—or sports fans, or movie fans, or video gamers—are perceived positively, I think a lot of that reaction is a matter of “Hey, you like that? I like it too! We have that in common; we’re kindred spirits. You’re my kind of person.” > [@](#): > > Which I entirely agree with, by the way. Reading a novel isn’t IMO any nobler than playing a game. I said earlier that what you do for entertainment isn’t _directly_ relevant to whether you’re a “loser” or not; but indirectly it can be, because the things we take in can affect and influence us and, therefore, the things we do that _do_ make us “winners” or “losers.” Reading can teach, guide, and inspire us. So, potentially, can video games, but they’re a much younger medium, and only relatively recently have they had that potential. It’s not uncommon to hear people say things like “That book changed my life” or “Reading was a key ingredient in making that person the success they are today.” I seldom hear that about gaming. But that may just be because the written word has such a long head start. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/50 "2015-08-14T15:14:33Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Which makes reading fiction as much of a loser activity as playing games, despite readers being generally perceived positively and non readers being generally despised. > Which I entirely agree with, by the way. Reading a novel isn’t IMO any nobler than playing a game. It’s a fair point. In fairness, thought, reading actually takes more work than TV and video games. Ask an average couch potato how he would feel about slogging his way through War and Peace. It’s _boring_. And it’s _hard_. Your brain needs to be a lot more involved. Reading often has the side effect of making you smarter. It can be self-improvement. So it’s not productive per se, but it may improve you and inspire you to be productive. Of course, there is the risk that your brain might dry up like a raisin, causing you to lose your wits instead. So it could backfire catastrophically. Anyway, \*playing \*sports, or just exercise in general, is also considered positive, even though that isn’t exactly productive either. You’re not really helping anyone else by playing squash or going for a jog. I don’t think it’s exactly about producing vs consuming. Rather just activity vs passivity. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/51 "2015-08-14T15:27:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > It’s not uncommon to hear people say things like “That book changed my life” or “Reading was a key ingredient in making that person the success they are today.” I seldom hear that about gaming. But that may just be because the written word has such a long head start. In my experience, gaming is mostly a complete waste of time, and when I think about the thousands of hours I’ve wasted on it, I hate myself and want to jump off a bridge. Of, course, God willing, I still have every intention of wasting thousands of \*more \*hours on it. There are exceptions, though. Games can be educational. For a while now, I’ve been obsessing about Roman history. And if, as part of such a project, you want to internalize a map of the ancient Mediterranean world, with its geographical and cultural relationships, just go play a shitload of _Rome II: Total War._ It was actually extremely helpful for that particular purpose, if not so much for the actual timeline of events. In my case, anyway. And I’m glad that I did it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/52 "2015-08-14T15:51:58Z")
Well, let me start out by explaining a few things about me and my lifestyle: (1) I don’t watch sports or play video games. (2) My husband doesn’t watch sports but plays video games. (3) In general, I find watching sports “more admirable” than playing video games, though I wouldn’t say it’s admirable, just more admirable. But what it really comes down to for me is how much time you spend on the activity. Since video games can be played just about anytime you’re free, people who are into video games can really let the things take over their lives, and since sports are only broadcasted during certain times, sports fans tend to have a bit more of a life outside of their chosen hobby. Since my husband doesn’t play video games obsessively, I’m totally fine with him doing it for a few hours a week. And the same goes for anyone else. In general, what’s admirable is when you can keep your unwinding time restricted to a logical amount of time, and not get so wrapped up in it that you neglect your health, socialization, and intellectual progress. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/53 "2015-08-14T17:04:12Z")
Anyone remember RBI Baseball? Here’s [the 1986 world series game 6 Red Sox vs. Mets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtitj4eFHqw). ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/54 "2015-08-14T17:05:03Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > In general, what’s admirable is when you can keep your unwinding time restricted to a logical amount of time, and not get so wrapped up in it that you neglect your health, socialization, and intellectual progress. I have to agree. Watching sports is fine. But if your identity is being a sports fan, then not so much. Playing video games is fine. But if your identity is being a gamer, then, again, not so much. That said, if I had to choose a group to hang with, I personally like gamers a lot more than sports fans. But that might just be me. Who would win if we got a bunch of each group together for a street fight? Not sure. I’ll bring some chairs, if someone gets the popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/55 "2015-08-14T17:22:40Z")
Gamers are technically “doing something”. You’d have to compare people watching others play sports to people watching “Let’s Play” videos which, for the uninitiated, is just a video of someone else playing a video game. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/56 "2015-08-14T17:43:08Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Gamers are technically “doing something”. > > You’d have to compare people watching others play sports to people watching “Let’s Play” videos which, for the uninitiated, is just a video of someone else playing a video game. Watching sport is watching the best of the best do something most of us have done. Not so much so in gaming. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/57 "2015-08-14T17:55:13Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I have to agree. > That said, if I had to choose a group to hang with, I personally like gamers a lot more than sports fans. But that might just be me. I would choose sports fans over gamers, as long as they more fans of the sports than they were of any particular teams. People who slobber over their favorite teams and don’t appreciate the sports in a larger sense are pretty unbearable to be around. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/58 "2015-08-14T17:58:37Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > In my experience, gaming is mostly a complete waste of time, and when I think about the thousands of hours I’ve wasted on it, I hate myself and want to jump off a bridge. > > Of, course, God willing, I still have every intention of wasting thousands of \*more \*hours on it. Gaming is entertainment, something you do for enjoyment. It is not a waste of time as long as you enjoyed yourself while doing it. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/59 "2015-08-14T18:09:53Z")
Along with everything else, it depends. I generally find the sports are a more communal activity. Many bars are still in existence due to the fact that there are sports on TV - people gather to drink and chat with other fans. And happen to be the topic of conversation at work the next day a lot. On the other hand, gaming is also become more communal. The internet has been a massive boon there. In either case, overdoing it is not a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771/60 "2015-08-14T18:19:20Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > In general, what’s admirable is when you can keep your unwinding time restricted to a logical amount of time Come to think of it, I think I can forgive anyone for doing anything if the purpose is to unwind. Because fuck, the world can wind you up pretty good sometimes. A lot of mysteries about the world became a lot less mysterious to me as soon as I became part of the work force. Alcohol abuse, vapid consumer culture, drugs, violence, tentacle porn, superhero movies… When you spend all day, every day of the week, at work, and then have to _keep doing it_ next week, and the week after that… then, yeah. Whatever it takes during the weekend, dude, to blow off the steam. No problem. I get it. Whatever your particular thing is to keep you from losing your marbles. Games, TV, crystal meth… go right ahead. It’s only when it becomes a full time activity in itself, rather than a way to help you get through your actual full time activity, that it’s a problem in my book. So, I guess that I give myself a pass for the gaming I’ve done to unwind. It’s the gaming that I’ve done when I’m already unwound that I hate myself for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-more-admirable-activity-watching-sports-or-playing-video-games/727771.md?page=4)