HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

No subject (Part 5)

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/3/2023 9:25 PM (GMT 0)

alephnull said...
…It seems like coaches are telling these kids and their parents they can make it at the next level….

What is even more insidious is that in some sports, volleyball is just one that comes to mind, the coach runs a year-round program. Part of the year is “officially” for school but then when the season ends they run off-campus “clinics,” “workshops,” “competitions,” and the word goes out that if a kid doesn’t devote themselves to the single sport, they’ll spend lots of time on the bench if they even make the school team.
Posted 9/4/2023 6:04 AM (GMT 0)
I saw this celebration of sports over academics when we lived in small town central Illinois. The athlete who signed an NCAA national letter of intent to play his/her sport at the local community college got a half-page "below the fold" on the local daily paper sports page.

A student who managed to pull an academic scholarship got no notice at all.

I think the wildest example was some years ago a young man went to Princeton, managed to graduate pre-med, went on to med school, all from Princeton. Quite an accomplishment. His local notice came when he also played Basketball for Princeton and played one or two games in the NCAA tournament one year.

Play college basketball in a D1 school? Front page news. Graduate Princeton and go on to medical school? Afterthought.

Sigh.
Posted 9/4/2023 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
On a related note.

Jocks vs. future docs confrontations, usually in high school, are ubiquitous.

We've all seen them, maybe even been a target in one of them unfortunately, but, oh boy, can they really make for karma quite possibly coming around some day and evening things out!

It might just happen that the 98-pound nerd that the football team linebacker is now pushing around might just go on to become the heart surgeon who saves the linebacker's life one day.

Could happen.

That is, the pushy jock is peaking now, with a possibly disappointing adult life to come, while the nerd is brainy enough to peak in a few years, post college, as a doctor, lawyer, etc., and do good for life.

Reminds me of the Springsteen song "Glory Days":

I had a friend who was a big baseball player
Back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool, boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We went back inside, sat down, had a few drinks
But all he kept talking about was
Glory days
Well, they'll pass you by, glory days
In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days
Glory days
(Alright)
Well, there's a girl that lives up the block
Back in school, she could turn all the boy's heads
Sometimes on a Friday I'll stop by and have a few drinks
After she put her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby, well, they split up
I guess it's two years gone by now
We just sit around talking about the old times
She says when she feels like crying
She starts laughing thinking 'bout
Glory days
They'll pass you by, glory days
In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days
Glory days
(Alright boys, watch 'em work) rock it now
Think I'm going down to the well tonight
And I'm going to drink 'til I get my fill
And I hope when I get old, I don't sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back
Trying to recapture a little of the glory of
Well, the time slips away
Leaves you with nothing, mister, but boring stories of
Glory days
They'll pass you by, glory days
In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days
Glory days
Well, they'll pass you by, glory days
In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days
Glory days
(I've got this)
Well alright, ooh yeah
Well alright (alright)
Come on now (oh yeah)
Well alright (alright)
Ooh yeah (oh yeah)
Alright (alright)
Come on now (oh yeah)
Alright boys, keep it rockin' now
Keep on goin'
We're goin' for home now
Bring it home, yeah
Bring it home, oh oh oh
Alright, well alright
Well alright, well alright
Well alright, well alright
Alright, alright
Let's go

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sprinsteen%20glory%20days%20youtube%20videos&form=vire0&mid=43465c1d53a3c3053a8643465c1d53a3c3053a86&view=detail&ru=%2Fsearch%3fq%3Dsprinsteen%20glory%20days%20youtube

As I said, karma has a way of evening things out.
Posted 9/29/2023 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Well, there I go again not stirring this post up so as to not let it die.
My Royals dead last, please please put them out of their misery.
And spend some money on those poor guys.
Last place sucks!!

My Cats on the other hand are smoothing out the kinks but this season is looking pretty good.
My only issue is that a lot of their games aren't on TV, just on radio. WTheck!!
At least that's what Kstatesports.com says.
Big 12 Champs and can't get all your games on TV.
Can we please go back to the days of local stations doing coverage and sharing their feed with the other teams local stations? PLEASE!!!!!!!

BASKETBALL: FIRST GAME NOVEMBER 1ST!!!!!!!! YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 9/29/2023 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
So glad baseball season is over, in NY it sucked and I couldn't take much more.

Now I get to focus on what coulda woulda shoulda been , had Aaron Rogers not torn his Achilles
Posted 10/3/2023 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Prato, He looked miserable up watching the game Sunday night. I feel for the man.
But my Chiefs keep rolling.
I was wondering what was wrong with da Chiefs offense, then I remembered that Bienimy is no longer with them, he went to Washington. We will work out the kinks, and hopefully for you so will the Jets.
Posted 10/3/2023 4:13 PM (GMT 0)

Pratoman said...
Now I get to focus on what coulda woulda shoulda been , had Aaron Rogers not torn his Achilles

Rodgers is way past his prime and seems to be into the drama. I think ZW is the best man for the job in the long run.
Posted 10/3/2023 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
If Zach continues to play consistently, the way he played Sunday night, the Jets will have a big problem if Aaron is ready to come back late this season
Posted 10/4/2023 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
The Twins 18-game post season losing streak is over. It helps when you don’t play the Yankees almost every playoff series. If I can find my old Twins t-shirt, I may wear it once again.
Posted 10/4/2023 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
I was out with friends last weekend we were joined by a couple who comes along occasionally. The guy is a massive sports fan. No, a fanatic. It’s like the only thing he can talk about. “His” team this, “his” team that. I just sat quietly and sipped my beer until he asked me who I “follow.” I told him I’ve never watched sports in my life and that it really doesn’t hold my interest. “What? Not even the Super Bowl?” Nope. “Not even the Olympics?” Nope. “That’s un-American!” I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not with that last comment but I told him that as a veteran, my patriotism isn’t defined by watching wealthy adults playing children’s games. He really didn’t have an answer to that.

A few weeks prior, at the same place, a guy I’ve known for years, professionally, happened to join us. We were not talking sports but, rather, traveling. A woman at the table had just returned from a business meeting in Pittsburgh, PA and was commenting about how impressed she was with that city. I have a son there and having visited many times, and agreed that if I was going to relocate, something that is under discussion at home, Pittsburgh would be a good option. The new guy at the table almost exploded. “Pittsburgh! That’s the home of the fxxxxxx Steelers. I hate the fxxxxxx Steelers and could never live in that city.”

I was in Pittsburgh in 2019 and ran their half-marathon. As is the case with most runs, I got the t-shirt, a nice long-sleeve tech shirt that has the run’s logo on the front. Across the logo is the name of the city. I showed up at a small race in our city, wearing that shirt, and woman I’d never seen before came up and started on me about how I could possibly support the “fxxxxxx Steelers.” I didn’t understand where she was coming from but when she was pointing at my shirt it came to me. I told her that the shirt was for a race I did and it had nothing to do with the Steelers. She was wound up and didn’t want to let it go.

This is something I don’t understand about the psyche of sports fans. What leads someone to “hate” a team or place with this kind of intensity?
Posted 10/4/2023 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
"most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Maybe having a "my team" gives some people something to hang onto. For most us, having a "my team" is just fun.

Some folks on my Hawkeye fan sites are unbelievably invested in the team.

PS, Isn't looking at a computer screen just as bad as watching TV?
Posted 10/4/2023 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
Vince, I'm a sports fan but clearly know the difference between "avid" and "rabid". Obviously some folks don't...

I just don't get fans who behave like the ones you encountered. They must have sad little lives.

Jim
Posted 10/4/2023 3:05 PM (GMT 0)

mattam said...
PS, Isn't looking at a computer screen just as bad as watching TV?

Computer screens can be productive and interactive when TV is just passive.
Posted 10/4/2023 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
Mattam,
I agree but Vince is right about productivity and the interactive nature.
Vince,
For me the hatred of the rival usually involves arse hole fans, me being outnumbered (I'm a contrarian)
not being the favorite (I almost always route for the underdog, that's just my nature, AKA 1980 USA Hockey, a lot patriotism in that one)
Or, having all the 6th grade boys being KU Fans and I am the only KSU fan. That will develop some character(or lack of it).

But everyone has their thing, you love running, I did too when I was literally half the man I am now.
I wouldn't classify myself as rabid, but I do route for whoever is playing against the team from Lowrents, KS.
Posted 10/4/2023 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
Another angle on this (and I seem to remember commenting on the forum on this before).

There is another factor which disposes people towards avid, and, yes, rabid, support of their chosen teams: money.

In a lot of cities, such as Gainesville here, that are home to a major university with a major sports program, the various university teams, especially football and basketball, bring in large numbers of fans to Gainesville, especially in the fall, who while they are here spend good amounts of cash on lodging, food, gas, souvenirs, etc.

That is, they are a boost to the local economy when they are here, and they are here thanks to the sports teams.

Here's a good write-up on this phenomenon in the UF student newspaper from a couple of years ago:

https://www.alligator.org/article/2022/09/selling-in-the-swamp-gators-football-fuels-gainesville-gameday-micro-economy

Some noteworthy observations from it:

"Beneath all the noise is a thriving gameday micro-economy, ranging from some of the most popular restaurants in Gainesville down to every booth stationed along West University Avenue."

“When the Gators win, it affects business in a positive way because people are more inclined to come out to the bar, have a few drinks to celebrate.”

"While downtown Gainesville quiets down leading up to kickoff, Midtown and its surrounding area ramp up. The newly reopened Swamp Restaurant floods with patrons eager for a gator-themed party. Lines of orange and blue form as soon as the restaurant’s doors are opened."

"As fans dash to secure a spot at popular bars and restaurants, they often stop at little booths hosted by Alachua County locals along the way."

It's probably still true that the majority of the truly rabid-and-hysterical fans are super-devoted to their teams for various deep-seated psychological reasons. And some of those reasons ought to require a self-examination to see if they are directing one's behavior in extreme ways, if that applies to individuals.

But for others, who make some or a lot of their incomes on gameday, it's more a matter of cash than passion.
Posted 10/5/2023 2:22 PM (GMT 0)

81GyGuy said...
…But for others, who make some or a lot of their incomes on gameday, it's more a matter of cash than passion.

Oh, yes, I fully understand the money behind all of it. In fact, I see the money side in a symbiotic relationship with the fan base.

I’ve thought that this whole sports fandom thing is akin to religion as the parallels are too strong to ignore. Each denomination claims that theirs is the one true way and those on the other side need to be condemn if not converted. And, which sport team/religion one aligns with appears to be an accident of birthplace. Maybe, as such, sports is a topic not suitable for forums that also ban religion. ;-)

Also on the money note, I object to being taxed to support sports. In my city we have a minor league baseball team that threatened to leave if “their” field wasn’t upgraded. So the city put a bond together to tear down the old stadium and to build a new one that would be a “multi-events” center. This “multi-event” aspect was probably what got it passed, yet in the last 15 years since it opened, they’ve only had a couple concerts there and that’s about it. It’s a baseball stadium for a baseball team. In the meantime our city library’s building was condemned and the bond to replace it barely passed. We now have a bond coming up to build a recreation center (pool, courts, track, etc.), thinks WE can actually use rather than spectate, and that is unlikely to pass.

Post Edited (VinceInMT) : 10/5/2023 6:39:02 AM (GMT-8)

Posted 10/12/2023 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
On the issue of sports in schools and how athletics are raised to a higher goal than academics, a few schools in my state received grants to install fitness rooms. These rooms have the weight machines and other fitness equipment one might find in a gym. That’s great and I have no problem with that BUT when a middle school in our capital debuted their facility the governor showed up and here is part of what he said:

“I learned more playing football than I did in the classroom," he told the students.
Posted 1/8/2024 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
A few moons have passed since I last commented on this thread.
But I won't let this thread die yet, not until I do at least.
Having cognition problems while working as a Programmer/Analyst is tough.
I almost lost my job, because of it.
I am thankful for the ADHD drugs my PCP has prescribed for me.
It certainly has helped and it has saved my job.

The message is, do drugs my friends! /SARC

But I still think my non-I/T boss wants to get rid of me.
I'm her highest paid employee and she just doesn't understand the programming process. Especially when you are asked to use and modify another person's code.

On to something fun, football and basketball commentary about teams I love.

KC Chiefs are in the playoffs even though they aren't playing nearly as well as in years past.
Lack of great receivers is part of the problem, also they have a different OC this year, Bienimy is gone. Argh!!
Maybe Kelce's girlfriend is part of the issue too, a pretty distraction. I can't blame him.
But we've made it this far, Go Chiefs!!

But more importantly, My KSU Wildcats!! #EMAW !!!
Football without Deuce Vaughn has been tough, but we still made it to a bowl game.
(let's forget the name, let's go back to bowls with fruit or flowers as the name)
And we beat NC State!! We looked pretty good doing it too!
Our freshman QB looked great. He's Avery Johnson, he's from Kansas and he and his have been lifelong KSU fans.
Who knows, maybe he'll stay for another three years!

On to Women's Basketball!!
The ladies are 15-1 and 3-0 in conference play.
They also have a 9 game winning streak going on.
And they are rated eleventh in the nation.
They are 1-1 against Iowa the 4th rated team.

Men's BBall!!
Although not 15-1, they are a very respectable 11-3, and 1-0 in conference play.
And they are short two players that we were expecting to contribute a lot!
Neither of which will play this year!
Coach Tang is an awesome coach and Man.
His Players love him, and the Fans love him.
AND he got the fans at the games to stop the FU KU chant.
I have no love for KU, but that's kind of low class.
Admittedly, I had enjoyed hearing the chant.
But that was the baser part of me.

#EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW #EMAW
Posted 1/8/2024 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Thank goodness for Kaitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeye women's basketball. Hawkeye football had a good record except when they played good teams -- it was difficult to watch, and I often didn't watch much beyond the first quarter. Hawkeye men's basketball is having an off year and I'll watch the games when it's convenient.

I never miss the Lady Hawks. I think Clark could just about be a starter on many men's teams. She'll shoot 3s from the half court logo. The home court games are absolutely sold out. And the arena usually sells out for away games too, because everybody wants to see her. She's quite a spectacal, but she also seems to be a grounded and gracious kid -- unlike some of the college gal players.
Posted 1/8/2024 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
Mattam,
I think it's neat that the only losses Iowa and K-State women's teams, were to each other.
Both 15-1, both ranked!
Posted 1/8/2024 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, and it's pretty rare, I think, to be playing the same non-conference team twice in 10 days. K-State women are very good, so I'll gladly take the split.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply