Dwindled Interest

I guess since I sort of sparked this, I should provide more detail/explanation.

I used to be a huge sports fan. Football, baseball, hockey, soccer, along with odd sports like Australian rules football, rugby, etc. Pretty much anything but pro basketball. Loved loved loved college sports.

But then the strikes started. Football, baseball and hockey all had them and it was apparent to me that neither the players or owners were looking out for the fans in any way shape or form. So I figured that since they clearly did not care about me, I was not going to care about them and basically stopped watching nearly all professional sports. I still loved college sports, specially KU basketball, but my interest in pro sports went to 0.

I will admit that when the Nats came to DC I was all set to pretty much ignore them. But folks gave me tickets (I went to about 35 home games the first year and again the second) and I got hooked again to just the one team. If I had still been into pro sports, the last few years would have been great for me. My childhood hockey team the Blues won the Stanley cup and the local Caps won it. The Nats won the World Series as well, so you would think I would really be back into it, but I haven't changed back and the baseball "talks" going on now once again reaffirm my thought that neither the players nor the owners care, so why should I.

College basketball was really the last major sport that I followed. With all the college realignment happening over the years tearing apart regional rivalries and chasing the almighty football dollar, it was clear, yet again, that consideration for the fans come in last. They bank on blind loyalty to make them money while not really caring about those the are counting on. Toss in absurd signing parties and then add in some absolutely ridiculous NCAA decisions (yes I am looking at the UNC fake classes as well as others) and it just isn't as fun to me.

So my guess is that I will slowly phase college hoops out as well, even though I have fond memories and would love to get back to a game at Allen Field House on a big night for a game. It probably will never happen and in the end, I won't miss the game so mush as the memories the games invoked

Growing up an Air Force kid in the 1950s & 60s I spent so much time away from TV and mainland US sports that I was never really a big sports fan until Dad retired in 1967 just in time for me to start high school in western Maryland. I really only liked baseball before that — 1964 in Germany crying myself to sleep with my transistor radio plugged into my ear listening to Bobby Richardson line out in game 7 to end the Yankees bid for another WS title; 1966 back in Massachusetts before heading to Dad’s last assignment in San Antonio and Uncle Frank taking us all to a Tigers-Red Sox doubleheader in Fenway (Yaz, Rico, Tony C and big George Scott playing Al Kaline and Norm Cash; BOSOX my 2nd favorite team, Mom’s team).

Became a Baltimore Colts fan as I got caught up in football — high school, college (my team then being Texas as I discovered the college game while living in SATX), then pro with Dad retiring and settling down to a more mundane life in Cumberland. (Also ironically became something of a Chiefs fan, even though I would not live within 100 miles of Arrowhead until a decade later. I always figured it was because of Hank Stram and especially Uncle Lenny* und Jan.) I was never really a hoops fan at any level, and never really understood or cared for hockey or soccer.

My love for college hoops started during my 2 years at Allegany Community College (ACC then, Allegany College of Maryland today) with future NJCAA HOF coach Bob Kirk always fielding incredible teams (and teaching Phys Ed! Classes with the Coach! Yeah, baby!)

During my enlisted years in the Army after ACC my ability to follow and interest in the game waned so that when I came to KU in the fall of 1980 my focus was finishing my bachelors degree, and then my masters. I was finishing up just as Larry Brown was getting everybody all excited for KU hoops again.

Since then my only consistent sports interests have been KU hoops & football, occasionally enjoying the Royals and the Chiefs over the years. Everything else has been “that’s nice”, but only KU really gets my constant year in, year out interest.

And like others here, I’m getting rather worn down with all the “other” baggage. Hitting 67 this year doesn’t help (still so many other things I want to do, and like our recent trip Down Under most require time & $$$), and the joke that is the NCAA is frankly a burr under my saddle when it comes to trying to enjoy KU sports. I hope KU wins it’s case and doesn’t need to sue, and I hope KU — and Self — sue the bastards as needed if needed (after the UNC decision the NCAA bastards need to be).

So yeah, throw in everything else, waning interest. I would love to see the top kids go pro and the Mitch Lightfoots of the world get their chance to *want* to be in college and to shine.

Another lawn needing vacating?
Probably...


*No, despite sharing the same last name Len and I are not (TTBOMK) related. When I moved to Leavenworth and later Lawrence, I started calling him Uncle Lenny whenever people asked how to spell my family name (“just like Uncle Lenny”), and I never had to spell it out. I was surprised how many people wanted to spell it “Dosson” until I gave them “Uncle Lenny” as an example.

“Dosson”?
I’ve never forgiven Bill Gates.