Sporting events

Mr Bloat

Just reading the Euro 2016 thread in this forum and it made me wonder, how many men aren't too bothered about it? Does this make you less of a man?*

I know that a good few women will watch the upcoming football games but it is far more acceptable for a woman to say that she has no interest in the event than it would for a man. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the event and I will take a passing interest in it but most of my interest will purely be so that I can engage in an informed discussion on the event or so that I won't get funny looks from people when I tell them I'm not too interested in it.

It isn't just football either. Personally, I'm not very sporty in general. I will take a passing interest in the Olympics during the summer and I enjoy watching the odd golf tournament or game of rugby. Just don't ask me to name the starting team.

*This is mostly rhetorical, I believe the answer is no but on many occasions I have been made to feel less "worthy" because I didn't devote my weekend to watching a plethora of different sporting events.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I think it's because men are naturally more inclined to be fans of competitive sporting encounters. It brings out a lot of our primeval instincts.

However like you said there are plenty of exceptions to this rule also.

ted1

I'm not to bothered , professional football has turned me off the sport. A bunch of whingers who roll around the ground acting , not very sporting off them.

Wibbs

I got caught up a little with the Italia 90 footy thing alright. I think the dogs and cats on the street got caught up in that mind you. Otherwise the football, rugby and such never really interested me much(though I played the latter in school). I used to watch Formula 1 from early on as a kid with my da, but I first watched it in the 70's when it was actual death and destruction and passing and fighting for corners, sideways. In the piddling rain. When I watched a man like Niki Lauda crash, nearly die, be horribly scarred from burns and then came back a few races later. These days it's much more a noisy procession of boredom.

HalloweenJack

I'm really into football but apart from that I'm not too bothered about watching sports. I much prefer playing sports, football is the only one I actively follow.

Couldn't give two ****es if other lads aren't into sports, doesn't make them any less of a man.

I'd reckon that anyone who makes you feel less of a man because you don't like sports is probably massively insecure about their masculinity themselves.

mzungu

Horses for courses OP.

It's not a biggie that you don't follow sport in a big way. I wouldn't think much of anybody that would look down on another person for simply not liking sport.

ancapailldorcha

Football and F1 were the main ones growing up. I went to a Church of Ireland school so we didn't really have Gaelic games. I've never really been bothered with football or any sport for that matter. Just never really "got" it. Don't mind playing it or anything but watching foreign millionaires chase a ball around a field was just how I saw it. F1 used to be fairly good fun but it got quite boring and I never went back to it. Fortunately, it seems to be becoming more and more common that many men just aren't bothered with sport.

jimgoose

I have no interest whatsoever in soccer regardless of who's playing it and wouldn't cross the road to watch it.

Corvo

I wouldn't worry OP, not liking sport doesn't make you any less of a man.

In fact, I love sport.

And I'm a sissy.

Timberrrrrrrr

I enjoy watching sport simply because it's enjoyable to watch and (especially on a sunday) doesn't require too much brain effort

I cannot for the life of me gwt passionate about it though and hate being in a bar where there are screaming zealots foaming at the mouth.

Soccer/football for me is particularly annoying as it's horrible to watch cheats diving with the full intention of gaining an advantage and (even worse) getting a fellow professional sent off.

Love it or hate it , it will be EVERYWHERE for the next few weeks, hopefully for all the right reasons.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Jawgap

Loved soccer and most sports. Played soccer, gaelic and rugby growing up.

Moved on to ref soccer and rugby (once the knees got a bit creaky) and within a few years completely lost any real love I had of soccer. Frankly, soccer is all about cheating - players trying to cheat their way to an advantage, trying to cheat to get other players in trouble and trying to cheat to avoid responsibility for their actions. The values it espouses and promotes are essentially corrupt so it's no wonder FIFA have had their troubles.

But I still enjoy watching a good game, on that rare occasion when one emerges - it really is 'working class ballet' when it's played well. So while I'll watch and support Ireland in the Euros, I really think people who pay to go and watch them are off their heads - especially when you see that the sport's chief administrator here is being paid somewhere around €360,000!!