The Rock jock

As the Tigers look to sneak the American League Championship Series, as the Lions continue their winning start to the season, as the Red Wings embark on what will, God willing, be another march towards the play-offs and beyond, and as the Pistons warm up, Detroit sports fans have much to be excited, optimistic and positive about. The bars are happy as people pile in to watch games with their friends during October, which really is the sweet spot when the Tigers make the post-season. It seems like there's a big game every day. Hoot, holler and cheer for the city.

But there’s another phenomenon which occurs around this time of year, a personality disorder which emerges like a lumbering, grumpy bear after hibernation. I’m referring, of course, to the arty anti-sports type. The guys and gals who were so damaged by some teasing dished out by high school jocks that they now associate all team sport support with meat-headedness, idiocy and mainstream mindlessness.

You all know who I’m talking about. Maybe you are one of these people. Believe me, I can relate. I was terrible at Phys. Ed. at school and was ridiculed as a result. I also caught shit because I was socially awkward and didn’t get facial hair until just about everybody else had a full-on moustache. But, you know, we move on.

The resulting notion is that a person can’t be both an arty, deep-thinking music-loving type, and a fan of sports. Sorry, but that’s bullshit. Worse, it stinks of snobbery and elitism. The underlying thought is, “I’m smarter and deeper than that guy because he loves football.” For fuck’s sake.

Baseball seems to be slightly more acceptable to the music community than football or hockey, possibly because it’s played at a more sedate pace and involves little in the way of violence. And naturally, there are plenty of people who are intelligent enough to know that you can like team games and art, and it doesn’t affect your intelligence one bit.

Sadly, the anti-sports brigade is tough to ignore because they are so vocal with their negativity, yet it’s all so nonsensical. The idea that you have to sit in a box marked with your personality type and not budge at all, the idea that watching sports will instantly turn you into Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds, is a cultural hurdle that really needs to be cleared.

If you don’t like it, fine. But quit pretending that it’s because you’re smarter than the people who do.