The 50 Worst Things to Happen to Sports: Part II

Continuing with the countdown after yesterday's first take:

40 “You da man!” No, me be a man. You be a dink. "In the hole!" a close runner-up here.

Associated Press

Nebiolo, Blatter: Race you to the caviar table.

39 Poker. Began as lockout replacement programming. Endures, somehow, as the 2006 version of self-help success stories, slouching how-to and the latest in sunglass fashion.
38 Streaking. Never was much as a fad - it's soooo 1974 - but streaking as ambush marketing takes it to whole new depths.
37 Judges handing out marks for “artistic impression”. Although the Kiss 'n Cry pen isn't bad compensation.
36 The postgame, on-field prayer circle. Fellas, God doesn’t care about your games.
35 National anthems. We get to listen to two of them a night here. Lucky us.
34 Soccer’s offside rule. What exactly is it? Today, I mean.
33 “I’m going to Disneyland”. Marketing trumps spontaneity. Again.
32 European poo-bahs. Sepp Blatter ought to have his very own list, shouldn’t he?
31 On-field celebrations. Touchdowns, goals, etc. are okay. But a sack dance? Grabbing your crotch after a basket? Signalling "first down"?

50-41

(Tomorrow: Nos. 30-21)

Comments

[Julian]

The best celebrations are when so no-mark linebacker tackles a running back after an 8-yard gain and jumps up and acts like an idiot.

And yes, this 'no affecting play' version of soccer's offside is a travesty. No one understands it least of all the linesmen.

[Carla]

Re: #37... If there's judging involved, it ain't a sport. Sez me.

[Ken]

Carla, I'd tend to agree. But then again, does an NFL referee trying to work out whether a receiver would have landed in bounds count as judging? It's a hard thing to prove...

[Carla]

Nah, IMO, that's not the same thing, Ken. There are rules in a game like football and the ref is there to interpret the game according to them. Football = "sport". Ice dancing = er... "entertainment" (although certainly not for me).

[croghan27]

well said about prayer circles and anthems.

If a God or a country needs to be praised at any and all occasions, neither deserve it.

[Larry Wood]

I have no idea what the Top (Bottom?) 10 Worst Things about sports are going to be but I have my own ideas.

1) Ear-splitting, clangy music played mostly at hockey games.

2) The worst facet of all, however, is the fact that players' salaries are now the most important factors in pro sports. It's all about salary caps and the zillions players earn. Such discussions dominate sports gab radio. We don't know the personal stats of our favourite players but we know how much dough they make.

3) Sports commentators as sports stars. When and why did that happen? People who know nothing more than the average fans are hired at TV and radio stations as 'experts'. The in-your-face type are the worst. Could be the reason I don't listen!

[Larry Wood]

Okay, another 'Worst'. Advertising all over the boards and ice in pro hockey rinks. The really dark ones on the boards can actually camouflage a rapidly fired puck if fired from the right place. The rinks here now look as ridiculous as hockey players' uniforms in Europe. NASCAR hockey anyone?

[Larry Wood]

How about the 10 hour Super Bowl pre-game show in which all of the 'experts' give their opinions and none one syllable of it means anything. Even during the season, listening to Terry, Boomer, Jimmy and the rest of those buffoons is a pain in the ear.

Several years ago I listened to Andy Rooney as he told his TV audience the way to best survive TV sports. Watch no pre-game shows, half-time shows (between periods in hockey) or post game shows. Turn it on when the ball is put in play (or the puck dropped) and turn it off when the game is over. It's much more pleasant and bearable.

The one exception is Coach's Corner, which is really more funny than informative.