Mine didn't.

/Who dat?

An article about why sports brings out the worst in people and no mention of hockey moms? Fail...

Because America is the greatest, duh.

Maybe if the team names (and owners) were not overtly racist, this wouldn't be a problem.

... because nationalism and regionalism is the province of the knuckle-dragging stupid, maybe?

Canadians are keeping everyone off the downhills and other alpine courses and to themselves and they STILL won't win jack shiat this year.

Yeah, competitions where people try to beat their opponents to win money and fame will always bring out the best in people. [/sarcasm]

It's entertainment and nothing more. I used to participate in soccer and football in high school, but I grew tired of it because of the numb-nuts on the team who got themselves all fired up to win before the game, then did nothing but sulk for days if we lost. Idiots.

What the worst in people might look like:

Lost Thought 00: Maybe if the team names (and owners) were not overtly racist, this wouldn't be a problem.

Yes I agree, Saints should not be a team name! Down with the fighting Irish! Giants!

Racists!

bronyaur1: ... because nationalism and regionalism is the province of the knuckle-dragging stupid, maybe?



Consider my knuckles dragged.

The Madd Man: What the worst in people might look like:

dstanley: bronyaur1: ... because nationalism and regionalism is the province of the knuckle-dragging stupid, maybe?



Consider my knuckles dragged.

Done!

What's not to hate about this guy?

I'm surprise more Farkers haven't commented yet. Sports is a remnant of tribal warfare. Competition is supposedly good, forging independence and progression; Collaboration is supposedly bad,fostering dependency and stagnation. This is considered common thought, common wisdom.

However nature has provided us with a different blueprint. Collaboration has created you; millions of cells working together in an inhospitable world. Competition is has killed ones we love: the body's sell attacking eachother resulting in painful death.

Darth_Lukecash: I'm surprise more Farkers haven't commented yet. Sports is a remnant of tribal warfare.

Not quite. Sports competition is a substitute for tribal warfare. It's a (relatively) non-violent, non-fatal outlet for the apparent human need to band together into groups and come into conflict with outsiders, and contend for social supremacy and resources.

I tend to think that sports is a rather creative solution that human culture has come up with to deal with these tendencies, as civilization advanced and the need for greater social stability arose. Instead of killing each other for actual social power and actual resources, we root for sports teams as our proxies, and contend for bragging rights instead of actual status, and cups and medals instead of actual resources. These things are stand-ins, and they satisfy the same primal human emotional needs in a relatively harmless way.

To me, it sounded like the author's main problem isn't with sports. It's with people.

Two World Wars and One World Cup doo da doo da

Doc Daneeka: Darth_Lukecash: I'm surprise more Farkers haven't commented yet. Sports is a remnant of tribal warfare.

Not quite. Sports competition is a substitute for tribal warfare. It's a (relatively) non-violent, non-fatal outlet for the apparent human need to band together into groups and come into conflict with outsiders, and contend for social supremacy and resources.

I tend to think that sports is a rather creative solution that human culture has come up with to deal with these tendencies, as civilization advanced and the need for greater social stability arose. Instead of killing each other for actual social power and actual resources, we root for sports teams as our proxies, and contend for bragging rights instead of actual status, and cups and medals instead of actual resources. These things are stand-ins, and they satisfy the same primal human emotional needs in a relatively harmless way.

To me, it sounded like the author's main problem isn't with sports. It's with people.

Absolutely. Hitchens problem is really with himself.

The reason Christopher Hitchens has so much wharrgarbl for sports is because they are an outgrowth of humanity, a thing he cannot understand. He does not belong to humanity, as sports do; therefore it irks him that humanity insists on being unlike him in this regard.

If he could be human, he would understand that we humans like to identify with groups; and that we like to advance our groups through competition. To a non-human it makes no sense that groups would form in order to have contrived contests and "unnecessary" frictions.

People need to be part of a story; we need heroes. The fact that we tolerate such miserable heroes -in sports and elsewhere- is not proof of the worthlessness of heroism any more than living in a shanty prooves the worthlessness of housing. It is a human need, and we're desperate to have it filled. Sports also answers the twin human needs to band together and to be distinct from each other.

True, along with all the benefits of sports, people get hurt and killed, and divisions are created. But there is far less of this in sporting contests than in military contests. Would removing the safety valve of sports increase or decrease agression and violence worldwide?

If Hitchens could join the human race, he could accept what is within all of us. But to him humanity is not a group where he can find welcome, it is a housepet he can't seem to train. He is a classic misanthrope.

Hmmm. Angola, Egypt/Algeria, India/Pakistan, El Salvador/Honduras...

With the exception of Canada (brrr), all of the examples that TFA brought up were from crappy backwater shiatholes. What makes you think that sports in a terrible, depressing, violent place are going to be anything but terrible, depressing, and violent? Last time I checked, New Orleans and Indianapolis haven't declared war on each other. Michigan didn't stop selling cars to Colorado after Fight Night at the Joe.

Prattle Assassin: Doc Daneeka: Darth_Lukecash: I'm surprise more Farkers haven't commented yet. Sports is a remnant of tribal warfare.

Not quite. Sports competition is a substitute for tribal warfare. It's a (relatively) non-violent, non-fatal outlet for the apparent human need to band together into groups and come into conflict with outsiders, and contend for social supremacy and resources.

I tend to think that sports is a rather creative solution that human culture has come up with to deal with these tendencies, as civilization advanced and the need for greater social stability arose. Instead of killing each other for actual social power and actual resources, we root for sports teams as our proxies, and contend for bragging rights instead of actual status, and cups and medals instead of actual resources. These things are stand-ins, and they satisfy the same primal human emotional needs in a relatively harmless way.

To me, it sounded like the author's main problem isn't with sports. It's with people.

Absolutely. Hitchens problem is really with himself.

The reason Christopher Hitchens has so much wharrgarbl for sports is because they are an outgrowth of humanity, a thing he cannot understand. He does not belong to humanity, as sports do; therefore it irks him that humanity insists on being unlike him in this regard.

If he could be human, he would understand that we humans like to identify with groups; and that we like to advance our groups through competition. To a non-human it makes no sense that groups would form in order to have contrived contests and "unnecessary" frictions.

People need to be part of a story; we need heroes. The fact that we tolerate such miserable heroes -in sports and elsewhere- is not proof of the worthlessness of heroism any more than living in a shanty prooves the worthlessness of housing. It is a human need, and we're desperate to have it filled. Sports also answers the twin human needs to band together and to be distinct from each other.

True, along with all the benefits of sports, people get hurt and killed, and divisions are created. But there is far less of this in sporting contests than in military contests. Would removing the safety valve of sports increase or decrease agression and violence worldwide?

If Hitchens could join the human race, he could accept what is within all of us. But to him humanity is not a group where he can find welcome, it is a housepet he can't seem to train. He is a classic misanthrope.

Sports also serve as a religious/spiritual outlet for many people. If want proof that football is the opiate of the masses, just look at CBS's ratings for the other night.

LarryDan43: What's not to hate about this guy?

Dear Lord, can you just imagine the amount of trim this guy is pulling down right now? I hates him I do, but he better win gold...

/that's for you subby

Another Government Employee: Sports also serve as a religious/spiritual outlet for many people. If want proof that football is the opiate of the masses, just look at CBS's ratings for the other night.

Not that you don't have a valid point but I think a large part of the ratings boom from Sunday was half the eastern seaboard and much of the midwest being snowed in with little else to watch.

/Snowpocalypse 2010 FTW!

Darth_Lukecash:
However nature has provided us with a different blueprint. Collaboration has created you; millions of cells working together in an inhospitable world. Competition is has killed ones we love: the body's sell attacking eachother resulting in painful death.

Go read about evolution and come back when you don't sound so silly.

Another Government Employee: Sports also serve as a religious/spiritual outlet for many people. If want proof that football is the opiate of the masses, just look at CBS's ratings for the other night.

You know, I don't need to know why people take their sports affiliations seriously, but I do want to know why people are so eager to treat politics the same way.

There will be no ill effects of me holding onto the belief that the Dallas Cowboys and everything about them sucks for the rest of my life, as it is an irrational belief pertaining to leisure activities. The same cannot be said for politics and yet people constantly treat it like Red Sox v. Yankees with no middle ground and no reason to try and even see one.

We all know Duke sucks. That can't be helped.

factoryconnection: You know, I don't need to know why people take their sports affiliations seriously, but I do want to know why people are so eager to treat politics the same way.

There will be no ill effects of me holding onto the belief that the Dallas Cowboys and everything about them sucks for the rest of my life, as it is an irrational belief pertaining to leisure activities. The same cannot be said for politics and yet people constantly treat it like Red Sox v. Yankees with no middle ground and no reason to try and even see one.

People treat everything that way. My brand of corn chips is seriously better than yours. My kid is smarter than, and can beat up your kid. My car is faster. My wiener is bigger. My house is more expensive. My god is the only one. You don't agree? Well fark you. We inherently pick sides. Politics isn't an exception.

pixelnaut: People treat everything that way. My brand of corn chips is seriously better than yours. My kid is smarter than, and can beat up your kid. My car is faster. My wiener is bigger. My house is more expensive. My god is the only one. You don't agree? Well fark you. We inherently pick sides. Politics isn't an exception.

Yeah, but with many things, there is an objective measure (penis size, god greatness) or it really doesn't matter (tortilla chips, penis size). The attribution of sports-hero status to not just a politician but ANY of a particular party is troubling. You have a point but man the blind loyalty is really sad.

factoryconnection: pixelnaut: People treat everything that way. My brand of corn chips is seriously better than yours. My kid is smarter than, and can beat up your kid. My car is faster. My wiener is bigger. My house is more expensive. My god is the only one. You don't agree? Well fark you. We inherently pick sides. Politics isn't an exception.

Yeah, but with many things, there is an objective measure (penis size, god greatness) or it really doesn't matter (tortilla chips, penis size). The attribution of sports-hero status to not just a politician but ANY of a particular party is troubling. You have a point but man the blind loyalty is really sad.

Please tell me how you measure god greatness? :)

Yeah, it's sad. But once you accept that you can't change it, you can sit back and watch the game (be it sports or politics). If you don't have a horse in the race, politics is kinda like watching the NBA. No one's following the rules, both teams are just mauling each other, and eventually someone wins ... but no one really cares.

The shame isn't that we take sporting events too seriously; it's that we treat our wars like sporting events.

pixelnaut: People treat everything that way. My brand of corn chips is seriously better than yours. My kid is smarter than, and can beat up your kid. My car is faster. My wiener is bigger. My house is more expensive. My god is the only one. You don't agree? Well fark you. We inherently pick sides. Politics isn't an exception.

Well, I think you're wrong.

Rectum damn near killed em: Well, I think you're wrong.

Well played, sir.

lots of things in sports are true. But the one thing i know to be true....Philadelphia is just the worst.

Darth_Lukecash: I'm surprise more Farkers haven't commented yet. Sports is a remnant of tribal warfare.

You will suffer humiliation when the sports team from my area defeats the sports team from your area

Robert1966: The shame isn't that we take sporting events too seriously; it's that we treat our wars like sporting events.

and that we treat our sports like wars. "He's a warrior, he's courageous, etc."

Shut the fark up, he's got a sore knee.

"he" can be anyone.

/except you

It appears Mr. Kitchens has made the age old mistake of confusing "causation" with "correlation.."

Two of the examples used have nothing to do with the sport itself, rather a big sporting event was used by terrorists to make the biggest possible affect (the munich olympics and the Afican Cup this year).

Wow, I wish he had stopped writing that article after the first page.

Oh please. I'm a huge sports fan who's very kind and level-headed, and I can rationally...YOU FARKING IDIOTS!!!! YOU CALL THAT A PASS, ROMO?! I WILL MURDER YOUR FARKING FAMILY IF YOU MAKE ONE MORE INTERCEPTION. PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS!!

Mr. Chainsaw 2010-02-09 08:02:57 PM
Oh please. I'm a huge sports fan who's very kind and level-headed, and I can rationally...YOU FARKING IDIOTS!!!! YOU CALL THAT A PASS, ROMO?! I WILL MURDER YOUR FARKING FAMILY IF YOU MAKE ONE MORE INTERCEPTION. PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS!!

Let me guess, you have never gotten frustrated at an inconsiderate driver while in traffic...? Humans are emotional creatures and it isn't just sports which get us to act out those emotions..

Yup, the worst...

Leafs suck.

"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting."
- George Orwell

dstanley: bronyaur1: ... because nationalism and regionalism is the province of the knuckle-dragging stupid, maybe?



/As soon as these guys bury their comrade, they will continue to drag their knuckles

LarryDan43: What's not to hate about this guy?

That photo, for one thing...

That's funny. I would have thought that politics brought out the worst in people.

Sports bring out the worst in this guy.