With a strange ennui, I present...

[JRRRJ]

the per-40 stats spreadsheet thru the UCF game. Download here. (This is a direct link to the download rather than to my downloads page)

After watching the UCF game, I find myself in a state of detatchment. I stopped watching football, pro baseball, major league soccer and most every other land-based sport because I didn't care about the fates of teams composed of amazing athletes who looked for every way to find an edge that skirted the rules and spirit of their sports. They aren't sportsmen, they're entertainers who get paid to produce victories, in any way possible, regardless of the effects on others. In my view, sports are tests of strength, speed, strategy, and skill, sportsmen follow the rules and have respect for their opponents. I know in this day and age, when the dollar is the answer to every question and "It's not illegal." stands as a substitute for "It's an OK thing to do.", my feelings are not shared by a large segment of our society.

BUT, I was able to find a sport to be inspired by, where amazing unpaid athletes regularly produced a beautiful choreography of teamwork. For 24 years, it's been fun to watch, win or lose.

BUT, other than a small handful of schools, it seems that it's been declared impossible to match their terpsichorean productions and the thing to do is drop all pretense of respect and just see how far the rules can be bent (or broken) until they're called on it and they substitute thuggery for skill.

The girls have shown, in the past few games, a number of instances of the ball and personnel movement that comprise the dance I enjoy so much. I salute them. But I find myself wondering if I want to continue to watch the havoc their continuing success has brought from their opponents. Hence my detatchment.

 

[jimazee]

...I sense that our culture has increasingly leaned to bending 'the rules' as far as possible in many things, often adding some terpsichorean like moves to facilitate this.

Thanks for persevering and continuing the stats work.

 

[Bama fan]

the per-40 stats spreadsheet thru the UCF game. Download here. (This is a direct link to the download rather than to my downloads page)

After watching the UCF game, I find myself in a state of detatchment. I stopped watching football, pro baseball, major league soccer and most every other land-based sport because I didn't care about the fates of teams composed of amazing athletes who looked for every way to find an edge that skirted the rules and spirit of their sports. They aren't sportsmen, they're entertainers who get paid to produce victories, in any way possible, regardless of the effects on others. In my view, sportsmen follow the rules and have respect for their opponents. I know in this day and age, when the dollar is the answer to every question and "It's not illegal." stands as a substitute for "It's an OK thing to do.", my feelings are not shared by a large segment of our society.

BUT, I was able to find a sport to be inspired by, where amazing unpaid athletes regularly produced a beautiful choreography of teamwork. For 24 years, it's been fun to watch, win or lose.

BUT, other than a small handful of schools, it seems that it's been declared impossible to match their terpsichorean productions and the thing to do is drop all pretense of respect and just see how far the rules can be bent (or broken) until they're called on it and they substitute thuggery for skill.

The girls have shown, in the past few games, a number of instances of the ball and personnel movement that comprise the dance I enjoy so much. I salute them. But I find myself wondering if I want to continue to watch the havoc their continuing success has brought from their opponents. Hence my detatchment.

Ennui is a wonderful word. Unfortunately, bending rules as far as possible and beyond is prevalent across our society. Politicians, bankers, corporate wolves, big pharma, sports owners, and players are rewarded publicly for such behavior. The world has always had people who take advantage, but today it is so apparent and widespread and amped up in social media platforms that it is inescapable.

 

[meyers7]

 

[diggerfoot]

I identify with your sentiment completely. I even do not have much interest in the Olympics any more, for similar reasons. If I was a young guy perhaps I would start following a sport that was not mainstream. As it is, my sports fanaticism probably will die out when I stop following UConn women's basketball.