I like sports.
I play Ultimate Frisbee every Saturday in Central Park and I’ve followed the NFL closely since 1971 and MLB (albeit less closely) since then too. When people ask me “what are you listening to?” I can honestly say WFAN - Mike and the Mad Dog.”
I’m tired of it… not the Ultimate part (I’ll be out there tomorrow) but the professional sports league part. Between steroids and the lousy superbowl (does anyone really believe the Pittsburgh Steelers were the best team in the NFL this year?) I think I’m over my youthful nostalgia for all things athletic.
Not to say that I didn’t learn a few musical things along the way – those NFL Films “shorts” of various early superbowl highlights and weekly game re-caps, with amazing music written by someone named Sam Spence, are among my earliest musical influences.
I like to think that, as the “product” of the professional sports leagues gets watered-down, either by labor strife, corruption or just plain incompetence, some of the audience looking for “true human excellence” will turn to the arts. After all, no amount of steroids can make you play “Giant Steps” faster than Coltrane or compose more thoughtfully than Bach.
Just a wish on my part…
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