I want to begin this blog with a disclaimer: This post is all George Barna's fault! I was simply looking up information on current habits and stats concerning Christian behavior and I came across an article called, "The Top 10 Findings from 2014" published by the Barna Report. And according to finding number 8, "Americans Say they Care Too Much about Sports." Here is a short paragraph on what they report: More than four in 10 adults (43%) strongly agree that sports are an important part of American culture; when you factor in those who also “somewhat agree”—an additional 46% of adults—it’s nearly nine out of 10 Americans (89%). But do Americans care too much about sports? Two out of three adults think so (67%). While men make up a larger viewing audience for sports and are more likely to play than women, they are also more likely to believe Americans care too much about sports: 72% of men believe so, compared to only 61% of women. Millennials are the most likely generation to say Americans care too much about sports (75% vs. 65% of Gen-Xers, 61% of Boomers and 70% of Elders). Downscale Americans (58%) are less likely than upscale Americans (68%) to think Americans over-prioritize sports. Practicing Christians, at 69%, are in line with the average adult. As I read this report, I do feel a little guilty. I love sports, but am I obsessed? Is our culture obsessed? That is all I am asking - - not looking for a cure, just attempting a diagnosis. So I did a little self-assessment and I found three clear evidences that proves to me that sports is taking over our country. I will offer them simply. You may disagree, but I am not so sure you can disprove this: (1) Being Sports Guy is the Norm for Most Boys I had a neighbor who could not live without sports. His name was Jim Whitley, he lived two doors down. My dad called him "Sports Guy." Not only was he good at basketball, baseball, and football; but he made his own golf-course across the street at the local park. Jim had one of those old fashioned lawnmowers that had a criss-cross blade which he would daily use on the putting greens. At the age of 15 he actually planted "Bentgrass", a short growing green grass, in order to perfect his own 5 hole/Par 3 golf course. He ate, drank, and slept sports. When I first met Jim I was about 8 years old. I liked sports, but as any normal kid in the late 1970's I liked doing other things too: skipping stones in the lake, throwing sticks to my dog, making model airplanes of WW2 bombers, or even playing monopoly with my sisters - - sports wasn't everything like it was to Jim. He actually formed a neighborhood backyard wiffle-ball league where he would keep batting averages and records the whole summer. He eventually became a great golfer, but sports was all he knew. I am finding that is all kids can talk about these days: Fantasy scores, pitchers in the Tiger's bull-pen, or why Matthew Stafford is ruining our lives. All I have to do is mention I am from Ohio and the first thing that comes up is hatred toward the Buckeyes and the mockery of Terrell Pryor getting a tattoo - - that was five years ago, get over it! Sports obsessed fans never will! (2) People take their Sportswear Way to Seriously I can remember my dad would spend his hard earned money on a tailored suit, dress shoes and a fancy tie - - now men's money goes to golf hats, Lebron James Basketball shoes, and Under Armor t-shirts. My son wanted some Addidas sandals for his birthday...30 bucks? For sandals? "Dad, everyone is wearing them." Socks for boys cost an arm and a leg, and you better buy the right kind of shorts. Some kids will only wear Nike, others will only get Reebok, and no one will dare put on plain old K-mart Fruit-of-the-Loom anymore. There are Pilates clothing lines, Yoga clothing lines, Running clothing lines, Tennis gear, Skiing glasses, Skateboarding apparel, Basketball shirts, and even gear for Ping-Pong champs. I use to get my brother's hand me down shirts with an iron-on that said "No Pain, No Gain" and that was enough. Now, you must get the Micheal Jordan signature briefs with a non "bacon neck" collar if you don't want to be mocked. At least that is what the television tells us. "You have got to be kidding me?" No, I am not! And just try to get any kid to wear a pair of simple black dress shoes and you are asking them to commit Hari-Kari. And for the final proof...I know I will get in trouble for this...but here it goes: (3) Mean Girls are out; Muscle Girls are In! I can remember the day when the most popular girls where the cheerleaders. They won the Homecoming Queen Crown, they were featured in the year-book, and little girls would watch them on the sidelines with awe learning all the famous cheers, "S-U-C-C-E-S-S, that's the way you spell SUCCESS!" Not any more, at least not in our local high school: Basketball is the road to the in-crowd for the popular girls. From second grade on, the new craze for little girls is learning how to dribble a basketball. Girls have gone from signing "Oh Ricky You're So Fine" and chasing boys at recess, to shooting foul shots and making layups. Kind of strange for me to see girls in high school wearing Nike basketball shorts and wearing their favorite teams bulky sweatshirt as they carry a rather masculine swagger while they walk down the hall (And they are not afraid to push people into the lockers if they don't get out of the way). If your daughter doesn't start basketball camp early, she will soon be left out of the popular girls basketball parade. And then there is summer basketball, winter basketball and someday a dream of playing in the WNBA. Women once would mock men for living in a sports fantasy land, where they found it silly spending all-day playing games hoping to be the 1 in a million to make it big. Now little girls too want in on the pipe-dream. I guess everyone is welcome to join everlasting adolescence that sports has to offer - - it is just that the women I grew up with knew when enough playing was enough, and they had the courage to tell the 'dumb jocks' so. Now both men and women are watching sports with the same gusto living in the "Glory Days" of years gone by. Is this wrong? I don't know? But I do think it is true: We are obsessed, and it is hard to find anyone out there that cares about anything else that is going on in the world...
1 Comment
Phil
10/1/2015 04:08:54 am
Just realized today that I have been on an unintentional hiatus from your blog this summer, so I took the time to look you up again and find you taking on sports. Really? What could be wrong with good old competition? We all know that sports are great for our kids. We are told it is always valuable. It keeps kids out of trouble, teaches teamwork, builds character and self confidence, teaches self discipline.
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