Isabelle Gall wrote:

Ty Webb wrote:And whether you like it or not, existence is competition.

Ty, come on. If you're American, maybe. Otherwise, no.

That's a ridiculous cheap shot, not to mention a gross oversimplification.

You are in competition every day of your life. Are the resources of the earth infinite? The pool of acceptable and desirable mates? The number of jobs for which you are qualified and which you will enjoy doing?

Existence=competition.

Competition is not an inherently evil, or even destructive, thing. It is healthy and necessary.

Ty Webb wrote: Learn it on the field or suffer it in life.

http://www.richardhellergallery.com/dyn ... workID=126

Big surprise. Clowes hates jocks. This is just another example, in a thread full of them, of confusing sports with its most unpleasant practitioners. That's a handy shortcut to feeling superior, but it says nothing substantive about sports.

Love a lot of sports, and play one.

I have watched college and professional Football my whole life and both are games I love.

There is no finer sport than Major League Baseball in my opinion. Though many are inclined to look down on it and say its all spitting and crotch rubbing, I think it is actually one of the sports that requires the most mental prowess. I could watch it every day.

Finally I come to golf. Not so great to watch, but super-fun to play. Though most enjoy it in groups (me too on occasion) I love to play it alone. It gets me away from the stresses of the world and allows me to be in a beautiful and (mostly) quiet environment for a few hours. I reccomend it to anyone who will listen.

o_d_m wrote:
Finally I come to golf. Not so great to watch, but super-fun to play. Though most enjoy it in groups (me too on occasion) I love to play it alone. It gets me away from the stresses of the world and allows me to be in a beautiful and (mostly) quiet environment for a few hours. I reccomend it to anyone who will listen.

I feel exactly the same way. (And we've already had the C/NC scuffle on golf here, so expect some familiarly extreme opinions on this one.)

But there is no feeling quite like hitting a good golf shot because it requires every single part of your body to work perfectly and just so. You must be mindful of hundreds of potential problems in the swing, yet not think about it at all while performing it. There is nothing natural about a golf swing, yet when learned and practiced to a high-level, it becomes second nature and feels indescribably...right.

Hitting the appropriate golf shot and doing it consistently well is the second-hardest thing to do in sports, right after hitting a major-league fast ball.

And (if I can preempt a few responses), like all the other sports mentioned here, it's a beautiful thing ruined by a few assholes.

The sad thing about golf is, for many players it is the only time they spend out-of-doors, and it's an artificial paradise of poisoned grass.

All too true, though I wouldn't call them all an "artificial paradise". The course I play on minimizes pesticides and is surrounded by woodlands. Last week, I saw my first wild groundhog up close, as he ambled up within 12 feet while I was waiting to tee off.

I've looked a hawk in the eye from less than 6 feet away, watched a gray heron stalk and catch a catfish, and shooed a garter snake from my ball on that course.

I don't get those opportunities in Brooklyn and it's one of my favorite parts of playing the game.

Boombats wrote:The sad thing about golf is, for many players it is the only time they spend out-of-doors, and it's an artificial paradise of poisoned grass.

Agreed. I truly hate to see nice parcels of land plowed over for the toxic artificial environment the turf requires. More and more courses are being created and they are hideous sources of pollution.

I've played golf. I used to have my own clubs. I guess it's sort of fun. Not enough fun to me anymore.

zom-zom wrote:

Boombats wrote:The sad thing about golf is, for many players it is the only time they spend out-of-doors, and it's an artificial paradise of poisoned grass.

Agreed. I truly hate to see nice parcels of land plowed over for the toxic artificial environment the turf requires. More and more courses are being created and they are hideous sources of pollution.

I've played golf. I used to have my own clubs. I guess it's sort of fun. Not enough fun to me anymore.

I played golf for a while. Started out as a nice way to enjoy the day and dispose of a 12 pack. Ended up getting pretty good. Now it just takes too much time - who has a whole day to devote to a game?

*raises hand*

What else am I going to do on Sunday? Go to church?

I realize that we're closer to the woods and "real" outdoors in Minneapolis, but you're not far from some nature in NYC either.

Try something non-competitive. I like to hike, mountain-bike, ski, snowshoe. I guess I also like to be away from people.

Plenty of options other than chasing a little white ball around a toxic lawn.

you are too a sports fan. byeeeeelchh. ya boy.