Maybe I'm telling on myself, but I've always been a loyal fan of the teams of my choosing. I guess there's a childlike aspect about it. I grew up near the Dallas - Ft. Worth area and naturally, to me anyway, I was a Cowboys and Rangers fan. I cried when the Cowboys lost Superbowl XIII. I rejoiced when they won XXVII, XXVIII and XXX. I was watching the night that Nolan Ryan became the all-time strikeout leader in major league baseball. He was a Ranger then you know.
Now that we live in the Houston area, I've also become a fan of the Texans and Astros and follow them closely. As childish as I can be when sports are on the television, I'm no longer a child. As entertaining as professional sports can be, I'm at a point where I can't stomach watching them anymore. All the rivalries that were so real in my childhood are a distant memory, thanks to the free agency system of today. Despite all the claims that the superjocks are in it for the love of the game they play, it's pretty clear that it's all about the money. I was late to catch on because I hoped there might be some salvageable good still left in it. I'm now convinced that it's corrupt to the core. The love of money is at the heart of everything that is wrong with professional sports.
Case in point: Terrell Owens, the big-mouthed jackass who single-handedly dismantled the 2004 NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles franchise barely a month into the 2005 football season, was recently signed by the Dallas Cowboys for a 3-year deal . What is Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys' organization, smoking?!! Not only is the guy a discipline problem, he's a destructive influence on his OWN team. Who cares what he does to the opposition! It's ridiculous.
Those closest to me have heard me talk about getting out to see a real football or baseball game more and more lately. I don't want to bother with going to see "professionals" who are more interested with their health and marketability than in making a play. Instead, I'm planning to pick up a high school or college game instead. That is where real rivalries come alive and kids play to win because they love the game, not because they're getting paid to play.
2 comments:
The biggest problem I have with professional sports is the amount of money it costs for a ticket. I have no idea why it is hard for the fans to go on strike. For one season, no one go to a professional game. Watch how fast ticket prices come down. Plus, it would be funny to see the players have to deal with 1/10th of the paycheck.
In this age of the internet, why is it so hard to communicate a 2006 fan strike?
I think that was what I was originally upset about. It's ridiculous how much everything costs at the ballpark. I prefer minor league games myself. Though, I must admit, there's nothing quite like the "Big Show." Nothing.
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