A question of sport

I love sport as much as the next person. It is after all a display of the human sprit and perseverance. One should as such have a view that matches that fundamental idea. I don’t. I follow some teams and some individual athletes with a bias. 

The last couple of days has been a mixed bag for teams I like (more so towards the negative side) and I got wondering about the why behind the bias. The level of professionalism showcased by the athletes has been very high; even so there has been this dark cloud over my head that gives me this sense of doom or gloom. It ain’t me playing or performing; but the hurt is as bad as if I was in the thick of things. One, I guess looks for some level of commonality with the professional. The city,  the country, the flag, the cast, the team, the brand etc. It is in my opinion a mechanism to adapt with one’s own short comings at the sport in question, more so if you have played that sport or taken part of some level of competitiveness. One always looks up to the accomplishments of others in an area where one would have like to perform. The performance of the professional is put through a microscope in ones head and every thing that deviates from the expected outcome is scrutinised further. One tends to find an explanation where logically it does not exist. All just to pacify the mind that is looking at the professional as someone that one could have been if the chips had fallen in a the correct place. It’s the same reason that makes you feel disappointed when someone cheats. I remember rooting for Ben Johnson in 87 only to be let down in a big way in the Olympics. I would have never run a sub 10 sec 100 but I always would like to believe that maybe in different circumstance I might have loved running; maybe loved it enough to do a 10 sec 100. A Sub 10 Sec was the pinnacle of that sport in the 80’s. It’s that essential longing with the outcome, and that mental construct of “This is the best - I could have reached this level or close but for…” that makes sport real. 

I have tried to wilfully ignore and disregard that feeling of”I could have…”; however then the construct in my head is “Wow , the level showcased is far better than what I expect of anyone” and a new expectation arises; one of performance 100% of the time, all the time.

I would love to look at a competitive sport with zero bias. Enjoy the performance of the athletes. Just for what it is. So far there aren’t too many sports where I can experience that.  Maybe because of the bias outlined above or because it can’t be explained. I love sport, I love the performance of individuals. There is a bias; and I don’t want to change that. What’s you story with sport ?

C