Is there something that I can read?

[episodic]

Where I work, sports is a big topic among the guys in the office. I try to fake it, but do terrible. I have never in my life been able to watch a baseball, basketball, football, hockey game with ANY interest at all.

I know I'm not the only guy out there that could care less, but in office politics it would help if I could at least talk the talk.

I've tried to read sports sections but they are written for people that know the games. I could not tell you how to get a batting average, don't know what the heck RBI is, etc.

I just want to be able to read something and make some witty comments occasionally to make it look as if I am mildly interested. . .

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Unless you're legitimately going to start getting into sports, why try being fake at all? Is it that important to you to "fit in" with the guys at work?

 

[MournSanity]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Unless you're legitimately going to start getting into sports, why try being fake at all? Is it that important to you to "fit in" with the guys at work?

Exactly. If you aren't into sports and you try to fake it, you will make yourself sound even more dumb.

 

[xcript]

 

[episodic]

It just seems to be 'important' here, I was hoping there would be something good I could read. . .

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Unless you're legitimately going to start getting into sports, why try being fake at all? Is it that important to you to "fit in" with the guys at work?

It does help believe it or not . . .

I swear I lost a job once cause I could not play golf to save my life . . . (another story long ago)

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: hypersonic5

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Unless you're legitimately going to start getting into sports, why try being fake at all? Is it that important to you to "fit in" with the guys at work?

Exactly. If you aren't into sports and you try to fake it, you will make yourself sound even more dumb.

Sounding dumb aside, the people at work are going to get to know a fake-you. Someone that doesn't exist. Why not talk about what you enjoy instead of bending over backwards for a shallow and short-lived comfort of acceptance?

 

[episodic]

surely someone will acknowledge this 'pressure' is real . . .

 

[MournSanity]

Dude, why don't you just try getting into sports? How about watching the Lakers on their 4th title run in 5 years? Pay attention to the play and what the commentators say, you can pick up a few of the rules from there. Then you can always check out websites such as www.nba.com to learn about the other rules.

You can never fake it. People can and will tell. Then they will shun you even more. Getting into sports for real though, is always possible.

 

[sash1]

on a semi-related note, anyone else pissed the Pistons lost?

such a damn close game, I thought towards the end of the 4th quarter they were gonna win, they had a few chances, but blew it on their last two possessions.

Damn,

`K

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: hypersonic5
Dude, why don't you just try getting into sports? How about watching the Lakers on their 4th title run in 5 years? Pay attention to the play and what the commentators say, you can pick up a few of the rules from there. Then you can always check out websites such as www.nba.com to learn about the other rules.

You can never fake it. People can and will tell. Then they will shun you even more. Getting into sports for real though, is always possible.

I actually tried once, and there seems to be this shared history you can't get away from not knowing. The annoucers are constantly referring to he plays like x, and remember this season, and this is the teams 1st in x years. . .

Honestly someone that can absorb all that I tip my hat to. . .

 

[sonambulo]

before long you'll be suckered into fake-going to games and fake-watching that sh!t at their houses. pick one team in one sport and follow them fairly well. best bet is one baseball, one basketball, one football. just keep an eye on their standings and read up on the highlights at sportscenter. you can just say you're a casual fan if you're ever backed up against a corner in a conversation.

and if they start asking about history of the team or whatever, just say you're nephew took up junior league of whatever sport.


as far as getting your junk in order, after you pick the team(s) snoop around the league(nba, nfl, mba) webpages and start reading. also, don't jump into a conversation that's intense if you don't know what's up.

 

[nick1985]

sports section of a newspaper?

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: episodic
I actually tried once, and there seems to be this shared history you can't get away from not knowing. The annoucers are constantly referring to he plays like x, and remember this season, and this is the teams 1st in x years. . .

Honestly someone that can absorb all that I tip my hat to. . .

hmmm....

My father played football in HS and college. He's a pretty big sports fan with an intimate knowledge of Golf, Baseball and Football. He never taught me any of it.

I decried sport sin general until last years Cubs season when I got caught up in the fever like every other Chicagoan and because of that started to learn a bit more about the game.

I would agree that you should not fake an interest in this stuff, the guys at work who do rabidly like sports, like me particualarly because I don't pretend to know WTF they are talking about. If you develop any kind of interest start asking intelligent questions. They'll probably be happy to take you under thier wing.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: episodic
surely someone will acknowledge this 'pressure' is real . . .

It's just as real as it is stupid. Very.

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt

Originally posted by: episodic
surely someone will acknowledge this 'pressure' is real . . .

It's just as real as it is stupid. Very.

I agree about stupid. It is hard to get people interested in talking about my hobbies (raising parrotlets), coin collecting, and computers of course . . .

 

[MournSanity]

Originally posted by: episodic

Originally posted by: hypersonic5
Dude, why don't you just try getting into sports? How about watching the Lakers on their 4th title run in 5 years? Pay attention to the play and what the commentators say, you can pick up a few of the rules from there. Then you can always check out websites such as www.nba.com to learn about the other rules.

You can never fake it. People can and will tell. Then they will shun you even more. Getting into sports for real though, is always possible.

I actually tried once, and there seems to be this shared history you can't get away from not knowing. The annoucers are constantly referring to he plays like x, and remember this season, and this is the teams 1st in x years. . .

Honestly someone that can absorb all that I tip my hat to. . .

Get into basketball. It's probably the easiest one to get into (too many baseball games in a season and too many players on a football team to keep track of ). Then go here.

 

[BullsOnParade]

Only thing i can think of is actually playing something yourself. I can't
really watch any of the sports you mentioned, and only care about them
when the local teams do exceptionally well. Soccer and to a lesser extent
Tennis, I watch and follow with zest because I play them.

If you're not apt to get into them that way, following a winning team
in titles games or finals etc is the easiest to have something to quip about
the next day.

 

[neilm]

Originally posted by: BullsOnParade
Only thing i can think of is actually playing something yourself. I can't
really watch any of the sports you mentioned, and only care about them
when the local teams do exceptionally well. Soccer and to a lesser extent
Tennis, I watch and follow with zest because I play them.

If you're not apt to get into them that way, following a winning team
in titles games or finals etc is the easiest to have something to quip about
the next day.

Euro 2004 is coming up soon, can't wait.


I hate baseball and american football, just horrible sports, and I wouldn't force myself to watch them. If you have a mild interest in a sport that is discussed at your work, follow it.. pick a team, go to a game, you will get into it in no time when you see it being played. Then you can talk about your experience then follow how your team is doing... pretty much common sense stuff, ya know.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Talk down to them in leet: "OMG STFU N00Bs I PWN J00!!!"- and actually say 'O-M-G....'. That'll show em.

 

[xcript]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
Talk down to them in leet: "OMG STFU N00Bs I PWN J00!!!"- and actually say 'O-M-G....'.

No no no. You pronounce it "Om-guh".

"Om-guh stuh-foo noobs, I pone joo!!!".

 

[SludgeFactory]

You would be surprised how much sports knowledge you can pick up by playing... video games.

You can learn the rules and the current players/teams by sitting down and playing a lot of any pro licensed sports game. Do that, then start in and follow a season. The NFL season is pretty easy to follow because they play so few games. The longer you keep up with a sport, the more history you'll pick up. Frankly, a lot of people don't pay any attention at all to the regular seasons of the different sports and only start talking about them when they hit their respective playoffs. They're basically posers, you can do at least as well as them with a little effort to learn a few nuances of the sport and then some SportsCenter viewing to stay current.

However, if you have to force yourself to "like" sports, it's probably not going to work and not worth the time.

 

[rival]

well whenever you walk into the room, just say, 'how bout that cubs game!'

 

[Bowmaster]

I would be condescending to them. "Man, Pro Basketball just sucks. That's not real basketball. College is much better!". Whatever they say, just tell them that they are wrong. That'll teach them!

 

[Taggart]

I never played any sports after 10 years old or so and haven't had anyone teach me how to follow the different leagues. You know what works for me? Just watch Sportscenter, watch games on TV and do some reading on a sports news site and you'll be all set. ESPECIALLY watch games on TV. You WILL pick up the rules and lingo by doing this in no time. And if you have any questions just post them on ATOT.