Jolt Country

I just have to say that something I dreamed of all my life but never thought possible has finally come true - No pro sports! That is SO awesome!

It just feel so... refreshing! Like opening up a window in a smoky room. I have visions of men talking about... something other than Sportsball!! Visions of men... interacting with their families and speaking to their wives! Maybe even.... dare I dream? - thinking about other things! Maybe (gasp) something useful, or that makes some kind of actual difference in the real world instead of arguing about which corporate sportsball logo (sorry, "team") makes more money that year. Because, you know - just because not one of the players on "your" team is even from your area, it's important to be loyal to the logo! Gotta root for your home corporate marketing device!

I hope the pandemic lasts forever!

You missed that there's no hockey, either. No pair of multimillonaire men beating up each other in front of the audience.

Oh wait, that's boxing. Well, they ain't doing that either!

Aww, you guys are no fun at all. What's the point in trolling if I get no lulz???

Come one, can a sportsball fan answer this question for me?

"Do you have a favorite team? If so, why? Because the team name contains the name of a city near you?"

Sheez, I really gotta work to earn the hate here. Ben's right, this place *has* mellowed! :-)

/Paging Knuckles...

Finsternis wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 4:22 pmAww, you guys are no fun at all. What's the point in trolling if I get no lulz???

Basically I didn't have anything else to add here that you haven't already said. It's refreshing to see someone post here that is so dialed in and on the same page as me.

Billy Mays wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 9:23 pm Basically I didn't have anything else to add here that you haven't already said. It's refreshing to see someone post here that is so dialed in and on the same page as me.

Ah. So this whole time, the attempts at portraying yourself with hyper-masculinity was meant to hide the fact that you got bulled by athletes as a kid.

Finsternis wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 4:22 pm Aww, you guys are no fun at all. What's the point in trolling if I get no lulz???

Come one, can a sportsball fan answer this question for me?

"Do you have a favorite team? If so, why? Because the team name contains the name of a city near you?"

My best sports joke was, if someone asked me what I thought about the Redskins, I would say "I don't follow hockey."

Until the Nationals (baseball tem) were formed, the big interest here (the Wasington DC metro area) was the Baltimore Orioles. Every person who played the lottery in Maryland should be proud of Orioles Park stadium, which they helped pay for. That's right, the Maryland Lottery was established to provide the funds for Abe Pollin's brand new stadium. Well, at least it didn't cost the taxpayers anything.

From a psychological point of view, I find the concept of running sports reruns absolutely fascinating.

I get three ESPN cable channels plus Fox Sports and a few others that are all conveniently grouped together in the 720 channel range. When things started shutting down, all the cancelled game slots were filled with people talking about sports. Eventually there weren't any more sports to talk about, and they began showing reruns. Actually, one channel seems to show a lot of professional athletes playing video games. That's a concept that would have given me a pretty big erection thirty years ago... today, not so much. The other channels just seem to be showing reruns of old events. Basketball games from a year ago, hockey games from two years ago, and Superbowls from more than a decade ago. You would think (or at least I thought) the allure to sports was not knowing the outcome, but for some people watching a game unfold must be just as exciting. Over the weekend ESPN showed a bunch of old Mike Tyson fights and somehow stretched each one out to a 30 minute program.

I realize 100,000 Americans have passed away from Covid-19, but can we all agree that professional athletes sports fans have been the real victims here? RIP, XFL.

Tdarcos wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 7:23 am My best sports joke was, if someone asked me what I thought about the Redskins, I would say "I don't follow hockey."

That can't be your best sports joke.

Flack wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 8:24 am Over the weekend ESPN showed a bunch of old Mike Tyson fights and somehow stretched each one out to a 30 minute program.

This one makes sense to me - all his fights were on pay per view and there were a bunch where he destroyed his opponent in the first round. If you weren't a PPV guy you missed out seeing them back in the day.

(At this point, knowing the internet, someone would usually tell me that all of his fights have been on YouTube forever. Oh well.)

I was unclear; my amusement came from ESPN's ability to turn 90-second matches into 30 minute programs.

Tyson's final record was 50-8*, with 44 of 50 ending in knockouts. It's easy to forget what an animal he was in the ring. And outside the ring.

(*Assuming he doesn't get back in the ring soon, which he is teasing.)

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 6:00 am

Billy Mays wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 9:23 pm Basically I didn't have anything else to add here that you haven't already said. It's refreshing to see someone post here that is so dialed in and on the same page as me.

Ah. So this whole time, the attempts at portraying yourself with hyper-masculinity was meant to hide the fact that you got bulled by athletes as a kid.

You are to professional sports as I am to this BBS.

Billy Mays wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 9:04 am

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 6:00 am

Billy Mays wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 9:23 pm Basically I didn't have anything else to add here that you haven't already said. It's refreshing to see someone post here that is so dialed in and on the same page as me.

Ah. So this whole time, the attempts at portraying yourself with hyper-masculinity was meant to hide the fact that you got bulled by athletes as a kid.

You are to professional sports as I am to this BBS.

I don't remember a BBS throwing a dodge ball at me a little too hard when I was eight, so I dunno pal.

Yeah, I'm the sissy for not spending $300 to wear some other man's name on my back.

Flack wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 8:24 am The other channels just seem to be showing reruns of old events. Basketball games from a year ago, hockey games from two years ago, and Superbowls from more than a decade ago. You would think (or at least I thought) the allure to sports was not knowing the outcome, but for some people watching a game unfold must be just as exciting.

There has been some interesting stuff reshown on the sports networks lately. For instance, I caught a 2000 Olympics basketball game between the US and France. We had guys like Gary Payton, Ray Allen, young Kevin Garnett, and Air Carter (who is still playing in the NBA at age 43!!). France was the second best team in that Olympics despite mainly having a team that did not have NBA experience. Tony Parker and Boris Diaw weren't around yet. Instead, you had guys like Antoine Rigaudeau and Laurent Sciarra. There was even a really douchey-looking American named Crawford Palmer playing for France. Another thing I watched was an epic Borg-McEnroe Wimbledon final. How often do you see something like that rerun? If I was unemployed, I'd probably be watching tons of classic sports action at the moment...or be lying on my floor in a depressive heap.

Flack wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 8:24 am From a psychological point of view, I find the concept of running sports reruns absolutely fascinating. [...] You would think (or at least I thought) the allure to sports was not knowing the outcome,

I have also always wondered about it. But then, I never got why people like watching pro sports at all in the first place, so I just figured it was all just part of the Thing that I Just Don't Get.

Flack wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 8:24 am one channel seems to show a lot of professional athletes playing video games. That's a concept that would have given me a pretty big erection thirty years ago... today, not so much.

What you are seeing is Esports. You will be seeing a lot more in the future. I just spent most of the past 12 months working on a business plan to start my own esports-related business, but because reasons it looks like it won't work out. And the COVID-19 happened, so..... looks like all I will have to remember it is a very, very expensive business plan. But pretty, very pretty!

Esports is what pro sports will be in the future, maybe 20 years down the road while the others gradually either fade away or lose audience to esports. Already esports gaming leagues, marketing, advertising, viewership, etr are bigger than some american pro sports. Largely in Asia right now but expanding rapidly in the US. My plan was to get in early on the ground floor and make lots of moolah, but unless I happen to bump into a very friendly angel investors who is willing to fun it, that ain't gonna happen.

And if you're thinking "Sitting around watching people; play video games, how boring!" - well, now you know how the rest of us feel about traditional pro sports: "Why?"

The biggest difference to me is that I will never play in the NFL, but I am pretty good at Madden on the PlayStation. To watch an NFL game (or any professional competition) is to see some of the greatest athletes at their peak competing at a level none of us will ever realize. When I watch people compete in esports all I can think about the entire time is that I could be in the other room playing video games instead of sitting in the living room watching people play video games.

Finsternis wrote: Sun May 31, 2020 4:37 pm What you are seeing is Esports. You will be seeing a lot more in the future. I just spent most of the past 12 months working on a business plan to start my own esports-related business, but because reasons it looks like it won't work out. And the COVID-19 happened, so..... looks like all I will have to remember it is a very, very expensive business plan. But pretty, very pretty!

There's another forum member actively working on launching a videogame related non-profit -- maybe the two of you can combine forces. Have you met RetroRomper?

Flack wrote: Sun May 31, 2020 6:56 pmRetroRomper?

the shirt is a lie.
the shirt is a lie.
the shirt is a lie.
the shirt is a lie.

Madden did break the football barrier for me as well. I played little league but that doesn’t count. I bought Madden97 for Sega Saturn just so that I would have one multiplayer game besides Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate for when friends came over. I learned enough about the game then to be someone who feels justified to yell at the TV when the Panthers are fucking up.

But yeah really I never gave a shit about sports because I did not grow up in a family that was into sports. Instead they supported me skateboarding and eventually my father convinced me to start racing karts for money on dirt tracks (a whole other story).

I do really enjoy a good hockey game and the World Cup though.