Jock-less Family

I could see Fenian leading a toga party in the Talladega infield.

 

I would pay money to see Fenian in the Talladega infield with no protection. Just him among the local yokels.


And he watches it, kind of. Just not huge. He's a Chevy guy.

 

Fenian_Bastard, right, and his siblings prepare for a night of drinking and frivolity in the infield of Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala., Oct. 6, 2007. (Getty Images)

 

I think Fenian is gonna need some protection.

 

The girl's dad isn't a sports guy, but my dad and I follow most of the same teams.

The phenomenon I love is meeting people who assume -- as soon as I tell them what I do -- I want to talk all sports, all the time.

My buddies and I recently decided there should have to be a test you make people pass before you'll even talk sports with them. One guy my buddy works with found out he's a Braves fan and has spent the past few weeks regaling him with quips about Mark Teixeira (with a hard X).

The look on their faces when you say you don't watch sports when you aren't on the clock is priceless, however.

 

My dad, and his dad, were the two people who totally shaped my life, especially in regard to sports. Grew up hearing stories from both of them -- was put to sleep as a kid by "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," no lie -- so I was never without family members who shared my love of sports. ... My mom's side was different -- they love their UofL basketball and the Derby, but not much outside of that. We talk about a lot of other things, though. It's a nice balance.

 

My best friends in college didn't watch any sports. Didn't care. It's a big performing-arts school and they were either music majors, English majors or theatre majors.

I went back for Homecoming last year, and not only were they suddenly big baseball guys, they knew more than I did about the teams in the ALCS. I'm trying to figure out where that started to happen.

 

Eating lunch with one of my best friends on Sunday with Pittsburgh-Cleveland on the TV. Following conversation occurs:

Friend: Cleveland must not be very good if Pittsburgh already has 17 in the second inning.
Me: Actually, it's quarters, not innings.
Friend: But they're the same length, aren't they?

 

Let's see.

My dad (RIP) taught me how to play golf, baseball and threw me out on the frozen ponds when I was four.

He never missed golf on TV and although he'd watch pretty much anything, was never what I'd call a jock.

My mother (RIP)---=well, she'd place bets with me on The Grey Cup--and let me pick the team. That's about it.

I have four sisters, none of whom care for sports although my eldest played university badminton.

My only brother is outright disdainful about all sports but my three brothers-in-law make up for it. Two played university football and one TAPES hockey games if he's out and was a Red Wings prospect about four million years ago.

And of course, God bless, HC. She can keep up her side of hockey conversations with ANYONE.

 

My dad is a football (both NFL and college) fan, UK basketball/football fan (go figure), but that's about it for my family. My little sister plays soccer for my alma mater, but that's it.

My girlfriend's family, OTOH, all of them are diehard Bengals' fans and they're all split between UK and Louisville. She has three brothers who are all big sports fans (two of them coach on the high school team where she lives), so I fit right in.

 

My late father didn't care about sports at all, even though he had four sons.
He would bring a book to the one baseball game a year we cajoled him into taking us to.
When I became a sports writer, I asked him if he wanted a mail subscription to my paper.
"No thanks," he said.
Mom is a big fan of the local teams, but not beyond that.
My wife became a sports fan when she was trying to reel me in, and that helped her dad get back into watching sports, which he does all the time now.

 

My side of the family is into sports big-time. My wife's side, not so. I have a brother-in-law and nephew who watch NASCAR, but that's all.