A Sports Weekend

I felt well enough to walk on Christina's path this weekend.  I attended the rose seminar.  But mostly, there was football.  

A friend wondered if I liked it.  I asked what she meant by it.

I despise the culture of violence.  I am discomfited by the exploitation and the physical toll on bodies pushed to the breaking point and playing on (cf Patrick Mahomes on Sunday).   I'm uncomfortable with the white patriarchy's inability to recognize potential head coaches of color.  The whole thing feels very 20th century to me..... when it doesn't feel vaguely 3rd century BCE. 

Y'know, the whole gladiators in the Colosseum thing, an opportunity for the rich aristocrats to display ... wealth and power (cf Jerry Jones in his box during the game; Jerry Jones discussing Dak Prescott in the press scrum after the game).

Most of the time I'm on the couch without my hearing aids, reading or crocheting or playing Candy Crush Soda Saga on my phone, while TBG talks to the refs and the coaches and the players.  Sometimes they listen.  Sometimes, I listen. For the most part, it's white noise to whatever else I'm doing.

But when the boys are together on the couch, hooting and hollering and high fiving, then I like it.  When TBG nudges me and rewinds to a really special play, I like that, too.  There are often teams that capture my attention, and then I care.  

But this weekend there were teams and players and rivalries - twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday.  I did crossword puzzles and read books and cooked and thought about things and the games were always on.  I paid attention to the 49'ers defeating Dallas because my emotional investment was required.

I'm an ambivalent football fan.  As long as the 9'ers are winning I'll be watching.  Ambivalently.