BFD?

In the few days since I made my announcement, the Red Sox have played three games that demonstrate just how tough The Off-Season is going to be for me. A thrilling pitchers' duel, an absolute demolition, and a see-saw battle with a great rival (all Boston wins) have combined to make me realize what's so great about watching sports. I thought I'd talk about that for a bit here to raise the stakes for those of you who don't have skin in the sports watching game.

In some ways, I think sports was the first social media. Picture a kid in bed, pretending to be asleep while listening to a baseball game on a little radio sometime in the 1920's. The home team wins it in the bottom of the 9th and the kid can hear the fans roar. Thrilled, the kid knows other people out there, in the stadium and in their own houses across the region, "like" it too. They are separate, but they are together. The next day, the kid wears a hat with the team logo and instantly is connected to other people who are doing the same thing. They are on the same page. They know nothing of each other, and yet they know they have something in common. They share a smile over last nights win. Maybe even talk about it. That's powerful! 

Things that bring us together should be embraced.

These days, time shifting radio and TV have left sports and awards shows as the last bastion of large scale, shared public experiences. As I watched the last three Sox games, I knew that there were friends of mine out there wincing, sweating and cheering at the exact same moments I was. Again, power.

So why give it up? 

I'm not really sure. One thing I do know is that several years ago I have up listening to sports talk radio. I had been a loyal listener ever since about the 8th grade. Despite that, I had developed a sense that the constant arguing and rehashing of events, good and bad, was not quite in line with what I loved about sports. It wasn't about the wonder of the moment, and the unpredictability of the contest at hand. It was difficult at first, but I quickly saw that mu instinct had been right, and my quality of life improved greatly. The wins became more fun, and the losses less damaging, as I didn't have to worry about hearing about it for the rest of the day or week. I was happier.

It's not as if this is an easy time to turn away. The Sox have a great chance to win it all, as do the Patriots. The Bruins are a title contender with high expectations after a stunning end to last year. The Celtics are starting out on a very intriguing rebuilding process that may very well move pretty quickly. They won't likely be very good, but with that comes the ability to catch a game anytime you want at a reasonable price and be surrounded by actual fans. A nice benefit, but one I'll have to pass up, I guess. It's even a compelling and important year for my Tar Heels with new rivals to play and some status to reclaim after a down year.

I'm not sure what I will discover my giving up the games, but I'm curious, and that seems like a good enough reason, right?