Sneakylong I'm actually with Gary on this one. Yes, sports are fun. I love football, too, and I love to watch the games. And obviously I come to the forum to read and to post my opinion. It's enjoyable to me, and it's entertainment. I would also agree that life without entertainment of some sort would be much more difficult, not that a lot of our ancestors didn't live that kind of life.

But I wouldn't go so far as to say that sports are important or that they matter. Would lt give me a temporary thrill to have my favorite football team win the Super Bowl? Of course, and I would enjoy it immensely. Does that mean it matters if my team wins the Super Bowl? I don't think so.

A couple of months ago we lost all tv and internet for about three days at my house. To make matters worse, my wife was out of town. So when I got home from work it was just me and my cat. I'll be honest and say that at first there was a feeling of withdrawal that was uncomfortable. After that, though, I started to do other things, like read some books and play the piano. And you know what? Life went on, and it wasn't even horrible. In my opinion, most people would be slightly better off to turn off their tvs and their phones once in a while, maybe talk to the people who live in their house, you know, face to face? I know it's an antiquated notion. Might even be a good idea to have a media/device holiday once in a while, maybe even once a week (gasp).

At any rate, I stick with my former assertion that all sports are exhibitions, and not really important. Enjoy them if you want to, sure, but to pretend that they actually matter is folly, imo.

      rsvman2 At any rate, I stick with my former assertion that all sports are exhibitions, and not really important. Enjoy them if you want to, sure, but to pretend that they actually matter is folly, imo.

      It comes down to how an individual defines "important". Is entertainment a necessity for survival or just a nicety? Somewhere in between? It's like debating whether or not a particular woman is attractive. To each his own.

          sdandrea1 To each his own.

          As an example. I would never, on my own initiative, spend more than $25 on a ticket to any spectator form of entertainment. I do pay more for golf and will also for the occasional amusement park. My wife, on the other hand, doesn't even hesitate for concert or football tickets and as a result I actually probably spend a couple grand every year taking the family to these events she really wants to go to. Although I am accepting of this, I'd be very dishonest if I said I understand it. Maybe if we were filthy rich, but we're not. For her, there is quite a bit of value in attending these things while for me it is just throwing money away.

            rsvman2

            Again, it's all relative. Take any activity someone enjoys. Does it add value and significance to their life? If it does it has some level of importance to their life. Some people love running (not me lol). It's an obsession for some. For them it's a very important part of their life. And in many cases seemingly unimportant things can add value to one's life.

            Bottom line is this. To assume what is unimportant to you must also be unimportant for everyone else is presumptuous. Important things in life don't have to be necessities. Aside from food and shelter everything else has literally some level of unimportance in life.

            Another example. For some going to church every Sunday is an important part of their life. For me my religious experience is found on a golf course surrounded by nature. For me going to church would add no value to my life and to a non golfer spending 4 hours on a golf course would add no value to their life.

            The only argument I have is you can't project your opinion of what is important or unimportant onto anyone else. What's deemed important is in the eye of the beholder.

                garyt1957

                Sure it’s the point. Telling someone that sports have any real importance in their life is laughable, is telling someone what should or shouldn’t have any value in their life.

                But like many issues we disagree on we can agree to disagree.

                    Sneakylong Your last sentence is my whole point. Whatever you personally place value on is valuable to you. We place value on things that don't have intrinsic value. Sports only matter if one thinks they do, and to the extent one thinks they do.
                    I'm not projecting my values on anyone. I love sports more than probably 80% of the population. I am simply pointing out that the value of sports is extrinsic, not intrinsic. You or anybody else could make the Buccaneers games the most important thing in your life, if you want to, and I don't care at all. But those games still don't have intrinsic value.

                        Sneakylong nope, your missing the point, again. Sports are very important in my life, playing not pro sports though.
                        But rsvman2 was talking about your beloved "legacy" in pro sports and I think you know that. Who.wins the World Series or a major while entertaining at the time is meaningless in most anyone's life. I doubt you put your beloved Patriots SB wins on the same pedestal as the birth of your child, or your marriage and if you do I feel sorry for you.