I've never championed myself as a traditionalist when it comes to sports. I started off craving information, the only data resources I could get was from the box score in the newspaper articles and from limited late-night tv recaps. How I loved waking up in the morning for breakfast and my mother not giving me food first but giving me the paper first, so I could catch up with yesterday's events. It was a simple time of life, I can even remember her mailing me box-scores to summer camp, so I could catch up on the latest Braves action. It's amazing when you can visualize the three-run inning in your head, just from a box score and wonder the excitement, the movement and all that took place to produce that type of inning. Where has it gone?
For the first time in 15 years I'm not playing fantasy baseball. I can honestly say my knowledge of baseball has waned severely because of this. My team is a complete loser in the Astros, but a fan is a fan and I'll never will bail on them. However technology has ruined it. Let me explain:
My daughters mini iPad has been broken for a week now, and the local repair guy keeps promising me each and every day it will be fixed to no avail. The Saints nugget is a wonderful kid, does not pitch a fit but I can tell she really misses having the information in contact with her friends and life via the Internet. So today I ride the repair guy hard & even stay at the repair shop until he's finished. I think, kids these days .... they just have to have everything at their fingertips. Then I look at the TV at the repair shop and I realize, I am just as guilty. I missed that Braun was suspended and a few other tidbits I should've easily paid attention to but don't really care about anymore
One thing I am a champion of is the NFL, especially how free agency works, widespread flexibility , leading teams who never have a chance -- have a chance all because of revenue-sharing and constant player movement. To me, it is by far the best sport in the world due to that & continuous league news and data. However, it comes at a severe cost. The world is a copycat league, and now it seems every professional sports franchise has adopted wheeling and dealing, comings and goings, and more importantly the information overload.
So how does this pertain to my daughter and her generation and mini iPad? Answer is everything. I cannot get enough sports from the time I wake up till I go to bed, and even though I do cohost radio show, there is so much I can only digest every day. Truth is I can tear up a buffet, but would much rather have ribeye steak with a killer side instead.
Point being, maybe there is some truth to being a jack of all trades but master of none. The Internet has ruined it for a lot of once purists like myself and has made us Jack of all trades.
However, have no fear as one of my favorite quotes of all time still remains, "I love me some me".. just kidding, it really is "Stats are for losers". Statistics back in the day was an art to collect, translate and appreciate. Nowadays it's like taking candy away from a baby, way too easy. Maybe it's just our times but you know what, maybe it isn't so bad to be a one trick pony, as long as your passion is fully there.
So as my baseball prowess is waning, instead of being sad I can relish at the fact that my other sports passions are getting even stronger. Picking and choosing the battles I guess. How in the heck did I come to this revelation at a computer repair shop, who knows.
Go Saints
EH
Out!!!
