From my life... For many fans, talking sports is almost as fun as watching them. And, what better way to talk sports than to get a nice debate going about the hot topics of the day, right?
Well, for the most part, that’s true. But, sometimes, you run across a person who, for whatever reason, has such a delusional perspective that it makes a normal dialog utterly impossible. Their points make little sense, and their logic seems as though it came from a completely different dimension.
It’s frustrating. It’s infuriating. It makes you want to grab that person and shake them until their brain starts to function again.
Enter, my friend Will.
I’ll preface this by saying that Will is, without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable fans I know. He is well versed in many sports, and has a better than average understanding of sports history.
I’ve been friends with Will since college, and after having many time-consuming debates with him, I’ve come up with a small list of grievances.
Please tell me if you’ve experienced something similar, or if you think I’m the crazy one.
1. A general lack of perception when it comes to the realities of sports.
He believes that a team with “heart” can beat a team with talent. He thinks that professional players would rather sign with a winner than take a contract with the highest bidder... not ringless veterans, mind you, but guys at the beginning of their careers.
Basically, he prefers to ignore the monetary aspect of sports, and views things through the scope of a Disney movie. “Guys that try hard make the squad. The underdog team really can work together and win the championship.”
2. He has some kind of bizarre love affair with drafts, real and imaginary.
He loves to play video games on “manager mode”. He’ll simulate entire seasons of game play, only to focus on drafting and signing players.
Even when he does play a season of Madden, he’ll make due with a sub-par quarterback or running back, while hoarding picks for the draft. Doesn’t he realize he can trade his first-round pick and his mediocre quarterback for Tom Brady or LaDainian Tomlinson?
I know it wouldn’t work in reality, but it works in the game, so why not do it?
In real life, he’s quick to suggest trading proven players for picks in the draft. If he was an owner, every unhappy star would immediately be dealt for a 3rd and a 5th.
See ya, Ocho Cinco. See ya, Jason Taylor.
He honestly believes that picks are somehow equal to a Chad Johnson... even though history would show that those players have only a small chance to make a significant impact in the long run.
Don’t get me wrong, drafts are important... They’re just not as important as getting or keeping proven players.
*This trait isn’t all bad, it does help me beat him consistently at Madden.
3. He believes everything he hears.
Will heard an Atlanta Braves commentator say that John Smoltz studies hitters, so now he thinks Smoltz will be a MLB hitting coach when he retires.
He heard some crazy story about the Miami Heat trading Dwyane Wade for draft picks... so he told me about that “immanent” transaction.
When the guys on TV started to talk about the Triple Crown of horse racing, he immediately started thinking that winning one of those is just as hard as winning one in baseball. Never mind that most of baseball’s Triple Crowns came from an era of 16 teams... He didn’t want to hear it.
Doesn’t he understand that the TV media needs to come up with these things to generate interest, and that they’re not always factual or even possible? These guys say things like "LeBron is better than Jordan" or "Terrell Owens should be banned for celebrating." Why? Because it's inflammatory, or invokes a strong reaction... It's good television.
Nope... He doesn't get it.
From the Blogosphere...
Mock MLB drafts seem to be all the rage in the blogosphere lately, which is good, because most people pay little attention to baseball prospects. Today, it's time to take a look at a few our our member's picks.
DragonRider23
byronlhsdrmr
footballstu
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