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6.07.2004
A Sporting Chance I've always had a weird relationship with sports. When I was in high school I developed a deep resentment of all things sport related. I did so because of the overwhelming influence that football had over the small Catholic school that I attended. I always felt that since it was a small school with few resources it was foolish to spend a large chunk of that money on the football team. Many of the teachers were also coaches as well and you could feel the sense of entitlement that the athletes felt. That's not to say that many of the coaches were not also great teachers. But in this school the teacher was either a Catholic Brother or a coach. Strange as it may seem now I had much better relationships with the brothers than the coaches. So much so that I was once asked if I would be interested in entering the brotherhood. I declined. It always seemed that when the school had a fundraiser or received a gift at least half of that money went towards a stadium improvement or new changing rooms for the football team. I don't think it would have mattered to me as much except that at the time I was really getting involved in my guitar playing. The school had no music program at all. Nothing. Here I was in my little garage band toiling away in obscurity with no recognition from the school while other people's efforts in the sports arena were heralded at every opportunity. I abhorred pep rallies. Here we were, forced to attend a rally for the sport that I felt was sapping the resources from everything else. I, and many others showed our obvious lack of support by setting up in the top bleachers and talking amongst ourselves. Sure it was petty, we were in High School. The school's nearly non-existent art program consisted of one or two classes where we would learn to draw or paint. That was it. I debated whether to even mention that there was a "Music Appreciation" class that involved nothing more than listening to classical records. If there was a theater department I never heard of it. Though I do vaguely recall a Shakespeare play. But we had football. If we want to talk about a defining moment that set me off more than any other its this one: Senior year my band had a chance to play the big talent show. It was a big thing for us. We would actually appear before our fellow classmates. This would be our chance to be recognized. All went well. We played our songs and it felt like we were actually a part of the school experience. A teacher even wandered about during the performance to take a few pictures for the yearbook. When I got the yearbook I had a foot and a corner of my guitar amplifier in it. That much was in a photo of something else entirely. The band itself got no photos. I think that slight fueled my entire college year's worth of resentment towards sports. Instead of attending football games I would go to recitals and shows. I relished the existence of a music, theater and arts program. I just ignored the athletes, even though I knew that there was still much hullabaloo surrounding their activities. What I resented was not the existence of sports programs or the joy that athletes got from participating in those programs. But rather I was bitter about the relative importance that these sports received in contrast to the lack of support for other activities that provided many other with joy. I still don't know if this was a uniquely Oklahoma thing with football or if it was national. So now may years later I sit in front of the TV watching with rapt attention to the finals of the Stanley Cups Playoffs, I watched the College Basketball playoffs and I even follow the NFL each year. What gives? Well, like I hinted at before in this post, my problem was never with the sports themselves. I've always liked playing sports. I spent eight seasons playing recreational soccer and even played a couple of seasons of basketball my eighth grade year. But it wasn't until I got to high school that I felt that sports started getting in the way of other things. Not all sports really, just football. In fact football even overshadowed many of the other sports as well. I was told on more than one occasion it was because "The alumni wants it" or "It helps fundraising". As true as that might have been I still always felt that schools should afford all kids the opportunity to pursue their goals. Of course none of this stopped us from continuing to do the things we do, I still play my guitar, my other friend does animation and yet another is going to be a choir director. So you see its not so bad. It just pissed me off that's all. I've always resisted when I felt I was being forced to do something. But you should really just do and like what you want. Its just as silly to not do something out of spite as it is to do something just to belong. That being said... I think it was obvious in that last two games that Tampa Bay was playing at a higher level than Calgary. I didn't see the first 4 games but in the last few Tampa outplayed the Flames. Hockey is a superior sport in so many ways its a shame it isn't more popular here in the states, at least here in Oklahoma. I really should make an effort to see the Oilers next season. I probably won't be watching the NBA finals. Basketball at that level seems flawed on so many levels. Bring on the Olympics. |
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