Comments on: The “Unfriending” of a Lifelong Sports Fan http://slkelly.org/2015/06/14/the-unfriending-of-a-lifelong-sports-fan/ Musings from an old pro. Tue, 22 Mar 2016 22:09:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: slkelly2015 http://slkelly.org/2015/06/14/the-unfriending-of-a-lifelong-sports-fan/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 02:07:22 +0000 http://slkelly.org/?p=24#comment-28 Brian – beautifully stated and I agree with so much you have to say. I will never regret the thousands of hours spent watching the B’s, Sox, Pats, and C’s over the years, that’s for sure. My sports fandom came to define me in many ways – and I will be forever proud of that connection. I will never castigate anyone who still has the passion – no way! I actually love reading what is happening in those worlds; it will always mean a lot to me on a host of levels.

Hope you’ve seen “Love and Mercy” – so powerful and well done. Doc is waiting to see it with Lauren next week for Father’s Day. I’ve already prepared him for the fact that Mike Love comes off as a dick, but I think he’ll come away with an even greater appreciation for Brian.

By the way, if you haven’t read the linked book on the Fab Four. The best book on one of our favorite subjects as I’ve ever read. http://www.amazon.com/Shout-The-Beatles-Their-Generation/dp/0743235657

Finally, do you know about the musical site, Tunecaster? Right up Jack’s and Doc’s alley – you will love it as well. http://tunecaster.com/

Thanks for reaching out. My best to your family, especially your Mom!

Shaun

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]]> By: Brian Falla http://slkelly.org/2015/06/14/the-unfriending-of-a-lifelong-sports-fan/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 00:28:08 +0000 http://slkelly.org/?p=24#comment-27 Shaun,
Nice piece, and in my mind, completely understandable. I think most sports fans, at least those prone to some level of introspection, have grappled with the oft-overblown role sports have played in our lives. There comes a time when we start to entertain more existentialist thoughts about life and own mortality, which of course, brings into stark relief why the heck Zdeno Chara’s injury or deflated footballs matter to us at all. It’s an interesting question.
I’ve gone through my own divorce in the sports realm. I grew up a die-hard Sox fan and still count 2004 as one of the top sports-related moments in my life, and yet I am no longer a fan. I ditched the Sox six years ago when realized I despised ownership, as well as more than half the players on the roster, and couldn’t possible “cheer” for them any longer (this was the Crawford, Beckett, Lackey, etc years). I haven’t watched a single pitch since and don’t miss it at all. I just don’t care. And yet, I still faithfully watch every Bruins game even when Lucic and Marchand are pulling their juvenile cheap-shot pranks and making me want to stick my head in the ground and become a beet.
Like most sports fans pressed with Greatest Lifetime Moments queries, once I got beyond wedding day and the birth of my kids, the rest of the Top 10 is embarrassingly heavy with sports moments. But, here’s where I agree with Nick Hornby in his wonderfully introspective book “Fever Pitch” when he tried to describe the sheer elation he felt after his team finally won a championship, and why I will never divorce sports entirely: “So please, be tolerant of those who describe a sporting moment as their best ever. We do not lack imagination, nor have we had sad and barren lives; it is just that real life is paler, duller and contains less potential for unexpected delirium.”
Hope you and yours are well.
Best,
Brian

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