Today, Father’s Day, I got all sports out watching TV. Between watching parts of the 15 inning Brewer baseball game, the finals of the US open golf tournament and game 3 of the NBA basketball finals I did some other things, worked in the garden, read, enjoyed a nice dinner made by Pat, my wife, took some Father Day calls from my son and African nieces. However, spectacular sports did seem to dominate the day and left me all sports out.

Although today was an extreme sports watching day for me, I do find, as I become older spectator sports on TV or radio have more appeal to me. Maybe as young people listen to music in the background as they do their homework or other things old white guys watch sports in the background as they read the paper or do other things.

Passive things like watching sports on TV have some appeal when you are feeling down and just want something exciting but not too meaningful to view.

When I was young, participating in sports as a child, young man or as a father was important to me for recreation. I really did not follow spectator sports much. But now even the slow game of golf on TV seems to have appeal.

Watching sports on TV is not ‘doing nothing’ which I sometime joke as what I would like to do, but it sure comes close. Also in some strange way I find it more interesting to watch or hear news, especially political news which seems to be a more major distraction to living life than watching sports.

Politics, like war, seem to encourage ‘divide and conquer’ while sports seem to be more about working together and winning. Even in individual sports like golf you see the golfer talking with his caddy trying to figure out the best way to approach a shot. Sports are about winning but not gloating or tearing down the opposing players. Politics are about winning and tearing down opposing candidates.

People play politics professionally while others play sports professionally. Too much of any one of the two can be depressing but if it comes to a choice, I take sports over politics. If I have a choice, rather than be all politically worn out I rather be all sports out.

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