The sports world is on hold right now due to the coronavirus pandemic. All of the sports we love to watch and the teams we like to support are currently on a break because of the global outbreak of the infectious COVID-19 virus.
This halt in action has caused millions of disappointed fans to look for entertainment elsewhere. And you can count me in on that majority! But after more than a week of not having any exciting sporting events around the world, I’ve come to realize that maybe we don’t need sports.
Perhaps, we can live our lives without sports… That’s right, I said it. We don’t need it! And I’ll explain why with seven good reasons below.
1. It’s Foolish
When you look closely, pro sports is just a bunch of grown men running around a field or stadium while wearing matching costumes. Take a closer look and realize that hockey and football costumes are pretty bizarre.
I can imagine myself wearing a helmet when I’m riding a motorbike or a bicycle. But going to work with a helmet on your head? If you work in construction, that’s fine. When you’re into sports, that’s odd.
And in baseball, you have to wear stirrups, which may not be necessary. And sure, you do have to wear protective armor on your exposed hands when you come to the plate to bat. At one point, basketball players used to wear short-shorts that cut off just below the crotch. Nowadays, NBA players wear baggy shorts that reach the knees. It’s a little silly if you ask me!
2. Team Owners Don’t Care About You
The Baltimore Colts became the Indianapolis Colts. The Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and renamed themselves the Ravens. The St. Louis Rams relocated to Los Angeles and the San Diego Chargers also moved to the City of Angels. The Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles too but returned to Oakland before moving to Las Vegas.
The list could go on really. If you look at the NBA, the Seattle SuperSonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis. In baseball, the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals, while the Washington Senators relocated to Texas and became the Rangers. And so on.
So, what’s my point? Team owners don’t care about you. If they’re financially in trouble or if they get a better deal from another city, they won’t hesitate to leave you, regardless of whether you’re a die-hard fan or a player on the team. You will be heartbroken.
3. Sometimes, Players Don’t Care Either
If the owners don’t care, neither do the players. These players are businessmen, too. If another team offers them a higher salary, they may just sign with that other team. If they can’t win a championship in your city, then they will ask to be traded to another team. And you can’t blame them either, because being an athlete isn’t a job where you retire at the age of 60 and get a pension.
These players risk their bodies every single game. If they get injured, their careers could easily be over. Even if they stay healthy, they won’t probably play for more than 20 years. If a player decides to leave a team for one reason or another, he won’t ask your permission. You’ll just hear it from the news. You’ll be heartbroken here, too. And you may get feisty and end up calling Kevin Durant a snake or burn the jersey you bought for yourself.
4. It’s Expensive
For the 2019-20 NBA season, watching a Los Angeles Lakers game at Staples Center is roughly $40 per ticket per game or $1,640 ($40 x 41 home games) for upper deck tickets. For courtside seats, it’s about $350 per game or $14,000 per season. That’s not even counting the cost of hotdog, beer, parking, gas, and extra fees.
You can double the ticket cost if your spouse tags along with you. And oh, by the way, we’re talking about the original ticket prices here. When we’re dealing with secondary market tickets, it’s around $549 per game for the Lakers tickets. Do the math. It’s pretty expensive to be a sports fan. And that doesn’t include the cost of any sports memorabilia, like t-shirts, jerseys, and other souvenirs.
5. It’s Very Expensive
We talked about the cost of watching the games live in our reason #5. But that’s not it. When you’re a true sports fan, it gives additional fulfillment if you put some cash on where your heart is.
There is nothing like cheering for your team with something in it for you. Betting has always been synonymous with sports and in this day and age, it’s easy to bet online.
For the basketball fan, NBA betting online can be done at the convenience of your palm, using your mobile phone or at home, using your desktop. You don’t even have to have cash inside your wallet. You just need to have a credit card or bank account. That’s it.
If you’re a die-hard fan of say, the Knicks or Warriors this season, your credit card bills are piling up. It’s very expensive, right?
6. It Takes Up Your Precious Time
From April to November, you watch the Majors as a baseball fan. And just when you think you have time to take a break after the World Series, the NBA season starts and doesn’t end until June.
By September, the NFL season also begins and in February, it’s time for the Super Bowl. Then, you wait for April when the NBA playoffs begin. Wait a second. This doesn’t even include hockey or the jam-packed NHL schedule…
Bottom line? Imagine how much better your life would be if you spent all of those hours doing something for your kids, making your spouse happy, or learning a new skill?
7. It Doesn’t Matter
That’s right. In the end, sports don’t matter. Results don’t matter. When your team wins the NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL championship, they go around the city for the traditional parade. You celebrate with them, but after the parade, then what?
The players receive fat bonuses and go on vacations. And you? Well, not much changes. You still work at the same job with the same salary and live in the same house, driving the same car. Your life doesn’t change when your team wins the championship, but theirs do.
To read more on topics like this, check out the health category.
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