Some folks might consider me an embarrassment to my gender, but I confess to being far more hyped over last night’s American premier of Downton Abbey on PBS than today’s BCS title game between Alabama and Notre Dame on ESPN.
Image from USA Today sportsI do plan to watch the game, with book in hand or computer in lap, and I have a preference about who wins (an Alabama victory will make Georgia, whom they barely defeated, look better). But I won’t yell at the TV or get riled up or lose any sleep over the outcome — and if the game appears to be decided early, I’ll get to bed sooner.
A CBS reporter this morning commented on the mania surrounding the match, described the game as “the biggest event ever on ESPN,” and said the asking price for some tickets had reached $60,000 on StubHub.
That’s insane. I wouldn’t brave the crowd and attend the game if I you gave me tickets and a round trip ticket to Miami (though I might take the trip and sell the tickets). I understand the adrenaline rush that comes with being part of the crowd and seeing history in the making, but I can get my endorphins pumping on the elliptical walker, see the game a whole lot better on television, and avoid spending hours in traffic.
And did you hear the news? Hockey is back! And I have neighbors who actually care. I’m glad that the ordinary folks who rely on jobs in the arenas and associated businesses can get more work now, but I have no more interest in hockey results than in NBA basketball or a preschool inchworm race.
And the time and effort many people put into fantasy leagues? Don’t get me started.
I could go on, but prefer not to test readers’ snark factor. Sports can be exciting and offer a welcome diversion at times. Sometimes even I find certain games exciting, but a word of perspective is in order. In life, sports really should be peripheral: many other things — the work we do and the people around us, for example — are far more important.
And I’ll try to remember that, even when Duke is playing Carolina in basketball.
Professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and the Contributing Editor and Curriculum Writer at Good Faith Media.
