Nikky and Spectator Sports

I’m not here to delve into the reasons that modern spectator sports exist, or the morality of paying athletes millions of dollars to play games that involve balls for our amusement. Instead, I’m here to talk about something that I’ve never really figured out for myself: what sports I enjoy watching. Since I’m in a list mood, I will present this as a list of modern/popular sports, and my reaction/rating to each.

Baseball

American Flags, Apple Pie, and Baseball. It’s fairly impossible to claim that you don’t like watching baseball and yet still claim to be American. Luckily for me (I think), I don’t hate baseball. I’m known to attend about one or two Mariners games a year, and may even watch a couple on TV when I’m bored out of my mind and nothing else is on. Still, I don’t understand how people can be fascinated with this sport and follow every move. My verdict? Baseball: an okay sport to watch.

American Professional Football (NFL)

Professional football has always seemed to be rather pre-scripted and dull. The players are experienced, the plot lines are tired, and the teams are predictable. Yet at least 50% of my Sundays and Monday evenings find me in front of a TV or screen watching professional football. I don’t go to games, but find something primal and enjoyable with this sport. Professional Football: watching highly paid men hit each other really hard is pretty great, but I don’t care about the teams.

American Collegiate Football (NCAA)

I care a lot about the Huskies. About their games, their schedule, their lineups, their coaches, their players, and their record. I’m a season ticket holder, and can’t explain why I love the Huskies. Except I do. There’s nothing similar to watching 72,500 fans, decked out in Purple, causing the entire stadium to physically shake while they pound the crap out of lesser teams. Collegiate Football: OH HELL YEAH HUSKY FOOTBALL.

Professional Basketball

I miss the SuperSonics. I didn’t watch them that much, but there was something oddly refreshing watching and listening to their games. I still get cravings to attend their games. Professional Basketball: Dead to me without the Sonics.

Collegiate Basketball

Don’t really care about college basketball unless it’s March Madness. During March, my care-o-meter raises from about “what? colleges play basketball?” to “I guess this is kind of cool.” Collegiate Basketball: Don’t really care most of the time.

Soccer/Football

Now this is the sport you would think I would like to watch. I played Soccer until my junior year in High School, and was always really into it. When the Sounders joined the MLS, I tried to care, I really did. I watched their games, I read their news, and I payed attention to their schedule and year. But it just didn’t click. The World Cup is fairly interesting though. Soccer: Unexplained disinterest.

Roller Derby

Not really a “popular sport,” but I love watching the local Roller Derby teams. Perhaps it’s still not popular enough to be uncool. Roller Derby: Not popular enough, so I still like it.

Hockey

Hockey? I’ve heard of that before. Hockey: Eh?