4 ms·

It is ok if you don't like sports (which is obvious from your comments about Tokyo, London, and Paris which all have notably big sports cultures), but you don'

by slg 5y ago

It is ok if you don't like sports (which is obvious from your comments about Tokyo, London, and Paris which all have notably big sports cultures), but you don't have to pretend that other people don't find value in it. A city with a sports team benefits in numerous intangible ways. These teams serve as marketing for a city, both internationally and externally. It is a marker of quality for a city, a stamp of approval. They help contribute to a public identity of a city. There is value in having a communal identity. It unites people and helps them work together on more serious problems. People also love following the local sports team. Yes, this is entertainment similar to other forms, but it can often be free. You don't need to buy tickets to a game to enjoy it. For example, every soldout NFL game is broadcast for free over-the-air in their local market. Marvel movies don't premier for free on the TV in my home.

TulliusCicero 5y ago
> It is ok if you don't like sports (which is obvious from your comments about Tokyo, London, and Paris which all have notably big sports cultures) It's amazing how twisted adult mindsets about sports are. Notice how not caring about watching pro sports teams is, in your mind, "not liking sports." As if the primary function of "sports" is to be watched, rather than, y'know, played. > It is a marker of quality for a city, a stamp of approval. I really don't think so. It's more likely that causation works the other way: cities that are successful tend to attract sports teams to take advantage of the local market. Take Seattle: lost its NBA team, lost its NHL team until very recently. Was just found to be the most desirable city for new college grads anyway. Nobody's been thinking that Seattle sucks because they only had two of the four major US pro sports present in the region.
- slg 5y ago
  We are talking about the context of publicly funded professional sports stadiums. Unless you are a professional athlete, we are talking about watching and not participating in sports.
  - TulliusCicero 5y ago
    You didn't say "It is ok if you don't like watching sports." The way people frame and phrase things is quite revealing.
    - slg 5y ago
      Seriously, this is what you are focusing on in my comments? I tried to engage with you in a constructive conversation about this issue, but I guess forget that because I wasn't 100% explicit that when talking about funding professional sports stadiums that we are talking about watching rather than participating in sports.
      - TulliusCicero 5y ago
        > Seriously, this is what you are focusing on in my comments? What are you talking about? I responded with multiple points. Look at the comment chain.
        slg 5y ago
        You responded with multiple points. I responded with multiple points. Then you responded with only the comment about watching/playing sports. You then edited in the point about Seattle after I already responded. Now you are acting like I am the one focusing too much on this semantics issue. This is genuinely weird behavior and I'm done with it.
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        TulliusCicero 5y ago
        I edited it in immediately after posting the comment, I tend to review what I initially wrote after replying and then extend or refactor the comment. But you're still not responding to it.
      - nosianu 5y ago
- vel0city 5y ago
  > Nobody's been thinking that Seattle sucks because they only had two of the four major US pro sports present in the region. A part of the reason why I live where I live is good access to live sports I'm interested in. Even within the city where I currently live, I chose the area in the city based on good transit options to the stadiums or decently close geographic distances. While it wouldn't be a deal breaker to move to a place where I don't have access to those live sports, it would be a part of the considerations on my move. And then its not even just the sports but also all the other events which go on at such stadiums and venues. I wouldn't say Seattle sucks because they didn't have an NHL team, but it absolutely would have impacted my math on moving at least some amount and would have affected where I would have decided to live in Seattle or the surrounding area. Now that they are soon to have an NHL team again, I'm more likely to find it agreeable to move there. I wouldn't even consider myself a major sports fanatic.

by slg 5y ago

TulliusCicero 5y ago

> It is ok if you don't like sports (which is obvious from your comments about Tokyo, London, and Paris which all have notably big sports cultures) It's amazing how twisted adult mindsets about sports are. Notice how not caring about watching pro sports teams is, in your mind, "not liking sports." As if the primary function of "sports" is to be watched, rather than, y'know, played. > It is a marker of quality for a city, a stamp of approval. I really don't think so. It's more likely that causation works the other way: cities that are successful tend to attract sports teams to take advantage of the local market. Take Seattle: lost its NBA team, lost its NHL team until very recently. Was just found to be the most desirable city for new college grads anyway. Nobody's been thinking that Seattle sucks because they only had two of the four major US pro sports present in the region.

slg 5y ago
We are talking about the context of publicly funded professional sports stadiums. Unless you are a professional athlete, we are talking about watching and not participating in sports.
- TulliusCicero 5y ago
  You didn't say "It is ok if you don't like watching sports." The way people frame and phrase things is quite revealing.
  - slg 5y ago
    Seriously, this is what you are focusing on in my comments? I tried to engage with you in a constructive conversation about this issue, but I guess forget that because I wasn't 100% explicit that when talking about funding professional sports stadiums that we are talking about watching rather than participating in sports.
    - TulliusCicero 5y ago
      > Seriously, this is what you are focusing on in my comments? What are you talking about? I responded with multiple points. Look at the comment chain.
      - slg 5y ago
        You responded with multiple points. I responded with multiple points. Then you responded with only the comment about watching/playing sports. You then edited in the point about Seattle after I already responded. Now you are acting like I am the one focusing too much on this semantics issue. This is genuinely weird behavior and I'm done with it.
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        TulliusCicero 5y ago
        I edited it in immediately after posting the comment, I tend to review what I initially wrote after replying and then extend or refactor the comment. But you're still not responding to it.
    - nosianu 5y ago
vel0city 5y ago
> Nobody's been thinking that Seattle sucks because they only had two of the four major US pro sports present in the region. A part of the reason why I live where I live is good access to live sports I'm interested in. Even within the city where I currently live, I chose the area in the city based on good transit options to the stadiums or decently close geographic distances. While it wouldn't be a deal breaker to move to a place where I don't have access to those live sports, it would be a part of the considerations on my move. And then its not even just the sports but also all the other events which go on at such stadiums and venues. I wouldn't say Seattle sucks because they didn't have an NHL team, but it absolutely would have impacted my math on moving at least some amount and would have affected where I would have decided to live in Seattle or the surrounding area. Now that they are soon to have an NHL team again, I'm more likely to find it agreeable to move there. I wouldn't even consider myself a major sports fanatic.