How do you feel about the often repeated claim that athletics are for children?

[Kblaze8855]

When I saw you had replied, I figured it was either talking about how you play as an adult or agreeing specifically with that tweet for reasons that don’t need saying after all these years.

[tpols]

I feel like that's something women say because the large majority of them never could or didn't compete. Guys like sports because it reminds us of great times in life playing them and competing with each other before we got tossed in this corporate "adult" matrix.

[ILLsmak]

No offense KB, but I'm not gonna read the whole post, but I am going to give you a long response, cuz I kinda see where you are coming from already.

First of all, there are NBA players who say that, esp dudes who came from poverty, who have been working manual labor, etc, like man I get paid to play this kid's game. It's not really sensible because boxing, for instance, isn't a child's game. If you go way back, probably one of the first things people were doing competitively was fighting or practicing fighting with weapons, then kids emulated that. I feel like it all goes from there. Sports are just a more creative version of that.

I've said many places that I believe sports are necessary because humans have primal urges and a well thought-out sport ( read: like NOT rugby haha) allows people to compete and people generally don't get hurt as much as they would if they were competing on that level in something else. Is chess a kid's game because children play board games? No... I mean, people say that about art, too, or video games, even though movies aren't seen as 'created by' children, I bet they are seen more as 'aimed towards' them. The main idea I think is that it's not real work. It's something you can do best when you have a child's schedule, and that makes sense, but there are plenty of people who can live that life... entertainers, etc. If you can live that life, good on ya. Playing bball for a living even if you're only making nurse money is gg if you can survive.

It's definitely a much better job than a lot of things, at least in theory. Once you start realizing how hard some of those people work, though, you have to wonder, but they do have the set up, like personal gym, access to courts, personal chef, etc. Trainer...

Just like to be a pro board game player or even be a pro video gamer seems like it would be an awesome life, but when you really think about it, it actually would be hard. I'd say the most kiddie thing would be art, honestly, because you don't have to push yourself as hard. People put a lot of time into it, but board / card guys are probably studying most of the time, video game people are giving themselves carpal tunnel, sports people are breaking their body down, actors / comedians / musicians are working their ass off doing coke and speed to stay awake and performing constantly. You give a child a piece of paper, he might write a story or draw a picture. That'd be the ultimate child's thing... but hey, I ain't mad. It's hard in its own way haha.

-Smak

[iamgine]

this is one of those things that sounds true, but if we could get the real numbers, I’m not sure it is. Kind of like reading comic books. I can see why someone would think it’s an industry supported mostly by kids but I don’t actually know any kids who read comic books. the big-time gamer kids I’ve known continue to be as adults. It’s entirely possible and maybe even likely there are more video game playing adults than there are children.

It isn’t 10 year olds arguing the morality of using unfairly effective dribble combinations on 2K if you look it up on Twitter.

I'm not saying it's not mostly adults who plays it by the numbers.

I'm saying lots of kids like to play sports and video games.

That's why it's called kid's game.

It is what it is.

Oh and add things like pro card players (Pokemon/Magic the gathering cards).

[ILLsmak]

I also think we need to separate enjoyment of true competition from the intellectual growth that leads you to realize pro sports are not that. If anything, it’s not a child game but an entertainment meme.

Ppl ballin in prison or on pick up courts aren’t feeling like children as they scrape for everything. Its a shame we can’t get our best athletes to care that much.

-Smak

[fsvr54]

BS. So many grown men play sports into their 60s.

[DCL]

both jj redick and richard jefferson have joked that they got paid a lot of money playing a kid's game. if they call it like that thenselves, they're obviously fine with that notion. it doesn't bother me either way. kid's game or not, this is not a fight that must be argued for or against. lol

[GimmeThat]

as being the expert on accurately predicting the future, yet being completely ignored and not fully understood, I'd have to appreciate the fundamentals where reptition is what hones skills and knowledge

and so, I can only rely on athletics to prove my future to be exact, since that's suppose to speed up the cycle and provide concrete evidence.

[SATAN]

They are just saying most jobs suck basically. And they are right. They get paid a fortune to have fun and avoid or delay living a very average or below average life with worry of being old, homeless, unable to afford healthcare etc. They know it's bigger than what they do on the court.