[lbo-talk] Katha Pollit

[cgreen7223 at aol.com]

Mencken's statement may lack nuance, not the first time that he's 
lacked that. But I agree sports are way over-emphasized in this 
society. I may come with some baggage on this as I, for the most part, 
displayed extreme lack of coordination as a child and was reknowned 
amongst my peers for lack of athletic prowess. I got bullied by some 
jocks and developed something of an antipathy toward athletes. At the 
same time, as a child, I assiduously followed pro-sports and, like a 
good American male, had visions of someday, somehow succeeding as an 
athlete. I developed the thinking then and still believe now that the 
accomplishments of one's mind are infinitely more important than feats 
of physical prowess.

  After losing track of pro sports during my high school years, I've 
been following baseball and football to a lesser extent for about ten 
years now and I play fantasy sports. But I do agree with Chomsky's 
opinon on sports. Sports are essentially meaningless and the 
irrationality, commercialism, vulgarity violence and cruelty  it 
produces seems more frigthening to me than that produced in other 
fields of society.

I follow the Seattle Mariners but why? Why not root for some other gang 
of douchebag millionaires? Probably because it is the hometown team and 
I've been regularly following their games on radio and TV since the 
late 80's. They are the only team that is regularly available on TV and 
radio in my area.  I guess I follow baseball because I'm interested in 
the sociology of it, the strategy, personalities, etc.

Sports can be a harmless leisure activity but all too frequently it 
features alot of horrible stuff. Sit amongst the Jets fans at Giant 
stadium and watch men  spill beer on each other and fight and throw 
things at women who refuse to flash their breasts.

The answer is probably not to ban sports but to get people more 
interested in class-counscious activities so their energies might be 
diverted toward more important ends.