Why do so many people in the "geek" community dislike sports?

[OmniscientOstrich]

I like sports plenty, I just tend to have very little common ground with other people who like sports. It seems when I was a little kid like there was much less restriction/stigma on what you were allowed to like/what subcultures you were allowed to associate with in conjunction with enjoying sports. Then Chav culture happened. And everything was forever ruined. All of a sudden it wasn't socially permissible or believable to be into metal, video games, esoteric films/TV etc. as well as enjoy a bit of a kick around; as though some clandestine inexorable force had decreed that anyone without tracksuit bottoms, a shaved head, eyebrow studs and an affected wiggerised lexicon was no longer welcome. It pushed a divide not just between geek and sport culture but between sports and alternative/outsider cultures in general and exacerbated feelings of alienation in my teen years. Truly it was a horrible time to be alive. Gearing a little bit more on topic, I can kind of understand the frustrations people might have towards sports to a certain extent; it has a mainstream acceptance that geek interests never did, it's a pursuit that was/is encouraged rather than questioned and maligned. Thus it can feel like it's being shoved down people's throats with how heavily advertised it is like that one Mitchell and Webb sketch goes into, but then I hate mainstream pop music and I don't feel the need to get all alpha nerd over it and let people who never asked know just how much I hate it. And I can also see people balking at the frankly fucking ridiculous amount of money (Falcao gets £300,000 a week to not score against fucking Cambridge) that gets thrown around in aid of something that's ultimately inconsequential but then the same could be said about AAA development and media in general. One could also ask why it is sports fans have such a hostile attitude towards geek/alternative cultures at large. At the end of the day both of these interests cast a net over an incredibly vast and diverse number of people, with a fair amount of crossover so it's difficult to get an inkling as to why the nebulously defined sports/geek cultures are adjudged to hold certain attitudes or how pervasive these attitudes are exactly to begin with. To a certain extent perhaps people interpret a bit of friendly ribbing as representative of some sort of irrational deep seated resentment. Some people might take this Charlie Brooker quote the wrong way 'ordinarily I find sports about as entertaining as watching cardboard exist' and try to pin him as being bitter about being picked on at school or something, but I got a good chuckle out of it and in a general sense don't need to agree with what someone is saying to find humour in it. Ultimately I think people across the board could afford to be a little less inimical/immediately dismissive of sub cultures they only have a perfunctory understanding of and not be so vociferous in their distaste for certain factions when it's entirely unprompted.

 

[kasperbbs]

I like participating in sports, but watching others play bores me, the only exception being watching it live with my friends. I don't bother other people with my preferences, except that one annoying neighbour who yells at his TV every friday night as if he could do better being a 150kg+ slob that he is.

 

[Wasted]

Stuff

I don't want to derail this conversation further so this will be my last post on this thread. It seems you are "No True Scotsman"-ing away the volatile aspects of the video game community and only focusing on what you view as mature communities. I suspect that you are like me as in we have been gaming for decades, I personally started gaming on the original NES back in the early 90's. It would extremely elitist if I go around labeling what is or isn't part of this community just because I dislike it.

Am I happy that (FROM MY EXPERIENCE) any video game interaction (outside of well-moderated forums/servers/lobbies/etc.) more often than not turn aggressive and hostile? Absolutely not, it is an aspect that I hope improves and I have been devoted research into the subject for my school studies.

You are free to disagree since my evidence is anecdotal but please don't belittle my intelligence by saying, "im gonna say this just once so pay very close attention and you might learn something" only to then follow up with a Venn Diagram scenario on how little those aspects of the community overlap with no evidence to back it up.

Again, as someone who lives in the US, I have never seen any of this aggressively in any avenue in my life except from the video game community.

 

[Kolby Jack]

I don't dislike sports. Hell, I actually like a few of them. Hockey and American Football in particular. They're pretty fun to watch. Some of my fondest memories are my Dad taking me to watch our local hockey team's games, and I actually got into it. But I have other hobbies I prefer over following any team or season (it's quite a time investment). I do make a point of watching the Superbowl if I'm able (it also gives me a good excuse to gorge on buffalo wings; "it's tradition!"), and no, not for the commercials, for the football.

I will say this, I don't like ALL sports. I know how stereotypically American this is, but soccer is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING. To counter-act that overtly American attitude, let me also say that baseball is even MORE BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING. I hate going to baseball games. Basketball I'm not really in to, but it's not because it's boring, just because it's a sport I don't understand all too well.

I think the disconnect is that nerd activities and sports are too major time investments to really be a part of both in any deep way and most people suck at time-management, myself included. In the end, I think painting your face, fantasy teams, and batting averages are just as nerdy as cosplaying, RPG parties, and +1 bonuses to dexterity. It's just a matter of perspective.

 

[newuser0x0]

I've seen this happen a million times on sites like imgur and here and across the web. Somebody wants to talk about sports but then they usually just get shut down because "hurr durr sportz r dum." I really don't understand what geeks/gamers/nerds/whatever have against sports. I'm pretty fucking geeky but I also really love sports. So, why is this?

Why don't you go to a sports themed website and talk about sports there? I visit sites like this because I want to talk and read about video games. I wouldn't go to ESPN's forum and expect to have a conversation about video games, it just wouldn't make sense. Non-sports fans will talk trash about sports normally only when it invades their space. I don't recall seeing a topic made on a video game site just to start a sports trashing party. Usually it comes from someone putting a sports reference in their signature or avatar for the purpose of eliciting a response which, of course, usually turns negative and leaves the OP with a sour taste in their mouth.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

I've seen this happen a million times on sites like imgur and here and across the web. Somebody wants to talk about sports but then they usually just get shut down because "hurr durr sportz r dum." I really don't understand what geeks/gamers/nerds/whatever have against sports. I'm pretty fucking geeky but I also really love sports. So, why is this?

Why don't you go to a sports themed website and talk about sports there? I visit sites like this because I want to talk and read about video games. I wouldn't go to ESPN's forum and expect to have a conversation about video games, it just wouldn't make sense. Non-sports fans will talk trash about sports normally only when it invades their space. I don't recall seeing a topic made on a video game site just to start a sports trashing party. Usually it comes from someone putting a sports reference in their signature or avatar for the purpose of eliciting a response which, of course, usually turns negative and leaves the OP with a sour taste in their mouth.

Because that's not what I'm saying. I was just asking a question. I wasn't saying we should all be talking about sports.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Why don't you go to a sports themed website and talk about sports there?

It's the Off Topic forum. He can talk about anything he wants (within reason).

 

[wAriot]

I like sports. I play basketball and soccer with my friends from time to time. I do weightlifting as a hobby. I am planning to start doing some martial arts when I have the time.

I just don't like *watching* sports (with maybe the exception of basketball). I think it's incredibly boring to sit there for two hours waiting for something to happen just to be excited for a few seconds. I think it's an incredible waste of time and energy to memorize dozens of names, points, dates, awards, for something that you aren't even doing. And, to be honest, most of the people I know who are actually knowledgeable about sports can't talk about anything else: it's the only thing they know (but of course, that may just be me).
So when someone starts talking to me about how cool X player is or how well Y team is doing this season, I'll roll my eyes and start nodding distractedly.

PS: most of this also works for e-sports.

 

[Signa]

Stuff

I don't want to derail this conversation further so this will be my last post on this thread. It seems you are "No True Scotsman"-ing away the volatile aspects of the video game community and only focusing on what you view as mature communities. I suspect that you are like me as in we have been gaming for decades, I personally started gaming on the original NES back in the early 90's. It would extremely elitist if I go around labeling what is or isn't part of this community just because I dislike it.

Am I happy that (FROM MY EXPERIENCE) any video game interaction (outside of well-moderated forums/servers/lobbies/etc.) more often than not turn aggressive and hostile? Absolutely not, it is an aspect that I hope improves and I have been devoted research into the subject for my school studies.

You are free to disagree since my evidence is anecdotal but please don't belittle my intelligence by saying, "im gonna say this just once so pay very close attention and you might learn something" only to then follow up with a Venn Diagram scenario on how little those aspects of the community overlap with no evidence to back it up.

Again, as someone who lives in the US, I have never seen any of this aggressively in any avenue in my life except from the video game community.

Not saying you should ignore your experience, because that is what defines each of us, but I noticed the overall gamer culture become far more hostile after it went mainstream. I wager it's because the bad eggs that form the vocal sports fans also found their way into gaming. I think Sleekit hit the nail on the head. If you think that gamers are the worst people ever when they get mad, that's fine, but I've never seen an actual riot or someone flip over a car because they were unhappy about a video game.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

Why don't you go to a sports themed website and talk about sports there?

It's the Off Topic forum. He can talk about anything he wants (within reason).

Thanks Guppy for being one of the few users to not jump down my throat. I wasn't saying "everybody must like sports" or "all geeks hate sports" like most people posting seem to think.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Eh, I don't mind sports. I can happily watch the rugby. I even somewhat enjoy watching football on the occasions I'm forced to.

But, all of the petty bickering about whose team is better, who're the better players, all that shite? Urgh. It's so fecking boring. Why people stake such a big chunk of their ego on a game I will never understand. If you brag about how your team is the best, all it really means is 'my team had the most money and bought all the best players.'

Plus I hate how in the UK supporting a team is basically mandatory. You get weird looks if you say you don't.

 

[Winnosh]

Seeing as sports games are among the highest selling games around I see it as a stereotype. How many gamers eagerly await the next Madden, the n ext 2k anything. The days of gamers being nothing but bespecticled asthma having shut ins stopped decades ago.

 

[V4Viewtiful]

I never understood that stereotype, I was one of the better Players in my school footie team and I was a stones throw away from the Supernerd at the time.

Maybe I was a new bread?

 

[WhiteNachos]

I've seen this happen a million times on sites like imgur and here and across the web. Somebody wants to talk about sports but then they usually just get shut down because "hurr durr sportz r dum." I really don't understand what geeks/gamers/nerds/whatever have against sports. I'm pretty fucking geeky but I also really love sports. So, why is this?

Because pop culture has been telling us for years that jocks are our natural enemy. That they will bully us and make our lives miserable. I've seen tons of "jocks vs. nerds" battles play out in pop culture before I set foot in high school.

Although my high schools didn't have sports teams, not because I tried to avoid them it just turned out that way. The only jocks I've ever met were at the gym and they were nice to me. Then again I was showing an interest in their hobby so there's that (I'm not trying to say jocks are bad just that most people will be nicer to people who express an interest in their hobby)

Edit: To add, imagine you haven't been in high school yet. Your only knowledge of it will come from pop culture claiming to capture 'a slice of life for typical high schoolers' or whatever. When tons of them get together and say it'll be nerds vs. jocks that's all most of us have to go off.

 

[WhiteNachos]

Sports are about balls. They're about wanting really, really hard to put this ball in that one place. And I never saw the fun in that. I don't like playing sports, real or virtual, and can only tolerate watching them every four years in the World Cup midst.

In baseball you also to get to hit the ball really freaking hard with a baseball bat. That's fun (and so is playing catch). Also in dodgeball you throw balls at each other and that's a lot of fun unless you get those really light balls that are hard to aim with.

I also think dodgeball is a lot of fun to watch when it whittles down to less than 5 people on both sides. There's a lot of tension, because any bad move or good move can shift the tides dramatically. Is it 3 vs. 1, well the lone survivor can catch a ball and immediately make it 2 v. 2. Everyone plans their moves very carefully and it's fun to watch, also it's a nice contrast to the sheer chaos that happens when it's say 12 v. 12.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Sports are about balls. They're about wanting really, really hard to put this ball in that one place. And I never saw the fun in that. I don't like playing sports, real or virtual, and can only tolerate watching them every four years in the World Cup midst.

In baseball you also to get to hit the ball really freaking hard with a baseball bat. That's fun (and so is playing catch). Also in dodgeball you throw balls at each other and that's a lot of fun unless you get those really light balls that are hard to aim with.

You said it yourself, no matter what means you're using, it's always about "get ball here". And I always thought baseball was the most boring, bloodless, convoluted sport of them all. To me it looks and sounds as ridiculous as Whack-Bat.


Maybe you have to be American to truly appreciate it.

 

[WhiteNachos]

Sports are about balls. They're about wanting really, really hard to put this ball in that one place. And I never saw the fun in that. I don't like playing sports, real or virtual, and can only tolerate watching them every four years in the World Cup midst.

In baseball you also to get to hit the ball really freaking hard with a baseball bat. That's fun (and so is playing catch). Also in dodgeball you throw balls at each other and that's a lot of fun unless you get those really light balls that are hard to aim with.

You said it yourself, no matter what means you're using, it's always about "get ball here". And I always thought baseball was the most boring, bloodless, convoluted sport of them all. To me it looks and sounds as ridiculous as Whack-Bat.


Maybe you have to be American to truly appreciate it.

It's more fun to play than to watch IMO, but I do like watching, I like games with tension and there's instant tension when there's 2 outs, or 3 balls and 2 strikes.

And not every sport is about moving a ball (only most of them), there's also combat sports (like boxing) and racing.

 

[Varrdy]

Many a time during sports / PE at school I was always the last one picked as I was the geeky, scrawny one. That kind of rejection and humiliation can stay with someone.

Not me though, I like sports and even played some of them in the past. I'd love to get back into football (or "soccer" as some people insist on calling it) again, too.

Some people like different stuff although I can see what the OP is on about. I suppose it's different from person to person; some see it as tribal and what the "cool" kids do/did and others were picked on by jocks.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I don't like playing sport, because I'm not athletic, or good at them. I like swimming casually, night walks, and watching tennis though.

 

[jackpipsam]

Personally it's because I find sport boring.
I was never 'bad' at sports at school, but I never enjoyed it (aside from swimming).
I never saw the point, It didn't help my education and I thought the school put too much emphasis on it.

I dislike Sport for the same reason I dislike games like DOTA or LOL. It feels like the same thing done over and over again.
Same map, same rules, ect.

I just find it as dull thing which society puts too much praise into.
I love video games, but even I think E-sports is silly and not because "video games can't be sport", but I think the whole thing is rather over-blown.