Ok...I'm a rare bird. I admit it. I'm a gay may who loves sports. While that's not probably that unusual considering all the gay jocks in the world, I'm rare because I never really played sports as a kid.
Oh I tried....played kid's minor league baseball when I was a peewee and I distinctly remember not being very co-ordinated or good. But I also remember that I didn't really care and it didn't matter. I was left field.....put him where no ball will ever go. And I couldn't hit. Another year I somehow became a catcher and had to wear an official cup. I was catcher for two kids who ended up being the star pitchers of the high school team. And me, scared of the ball and all...go figure.
After a couple of years you became too old for minors and went to major league....still kids. Suddenly everything changed...it mattered that I sucked. I was mocked and teased and basically tortured. My mother had this thing...."you start something, you stick with it till it's finished". So she refused to let me quit even though I knew on the 2nd day I wanted to.
In 7th grade, my skinny (and it turns out gay) best friend begged me to join basketball with him. Then he promptly quit after one rehearsal (oops, guess it's a practice...can you tell I'm a musician?)....leaving me stuck with my mother's rule. I lasted about a week, then quit without telling my mother for another month. She thought I went to practice every night after school....hehe.
Joined track in 8th grade. I actually just went to the coach and said "I do not want to be on the team, but i need to lose weight and would like to practice with them....is that ok?" He was totally cool with that, and I ended up going to every single meet and doing the shotput, discus and 400-yard plod. I sucked, but again, no one cared as they didn't expect me to score any points. I was the only person who practically got lapped in a 400-yard dash. Oh, when I finished with track....I was as fat as ever.
Did no other sports other than neighborhood stuff.
Oh wait, joined the golf team in high school...having never held a club. If you joined the team you got to play at the local par3 golf course (9 holes) for free. So I joined....I was 8th out of 10 on the team, not bad considering.
There's my life-long career with sports. Somehow I love them anyway....once I got out on my own I started reading the sports page...love the numbers, love the competition. My first real job at Schwartz Brothers was in Landham, with a whole lotta straight people. I won the football pool 8 times one season and the whole office was pissed...lol.
I bring this up because tonight is the 7th game of the hockey playoffs between the caps and the flyers. I'm a huge Caps fan and Ovechkin, Semin and Backstrom fan (hope I spelled those right.) It's on right now and Tivo is getting it for me....can't wait.
Oh yeah......there's one other reason I love sports....
yep, a gay man who loves to watch sports, and read about them....so sue me.
Oh I tried....played kid's minor league baseball when I was a peewee and I distinctly remember not being very co-ordinated or good. But I also remember that I didn't really care and it didn't matter. I was left field.....put him where no ball will ever go. And I couldn't hit. Another year I somehow became a catcher and had to wear an official cup. I was catcher for two kids who ended up being the star pitchers of the high school team. And me, scared of the ball and all...go figure.
After a couple of years you became too old for minors and went to major league....still kids. Suddenly everything changed...it mattered that I sucked. I was mocked and teased and basically tortured. My mother had this thing...."you start something, you stick with it till it's finished". So she refused to let me quit even though I knew on the 2nd day I wanted to.
In 7th grade, my skinny (and it turns out gay) best friend begged me to join basketball with him. Then he promptly quit after one rehearsal (oops, guess it's a practice...can you tell I'm a musician?)....leaving me stuck with my mother's rule. I lasted about a week, then quit without telling my mother for another month. She thought I went to practice every night after school....hehe.
Joined track in 8th grade. I actually just went to the coach and said "I do not want to be on the team, but i need to lose weight and would like to practice with them....is that ok?" He was totally cool with that, and I ended up going to every single meet and doing the shotput, discus and 400-yard plod. I sucked, but again, no one cared as they didn't expect me to score any points. I was the only person who practically got lapped in a 400-yard dash. Oh, when I finished with track....I was as fat as ever.
Did no other sports other than neighborhood stuff.
Oh wait, joined the golf team in high school...having never held a club. If you joined the team you got to play at the local par3 golf course (9 holes) for free. So I joined....I was 8th out of 10 on the team, not bad considering.
There's my life-long career with sports. Somehow I love them anyway....once I got out on my own I started reading the sports page...love the numbers, love the competition. My first real job at Schwartz Brothers was in Landham, with a whole lotta straight people. I won the football pool 8 times one season and the whole office was pissed...lol.
I bring this up because tonight is the 7th game of the hockey playoffs between the caps and the flyers. I'm a huge Caps fan and Ovechkin, Semin and Backstrom fan (hope I spelled those right.) It's on right now and Tivo is getting it for me....can't wait.
Oh yeah......there's one other reason I love sports....
yep, a gay man who loves to watch sports, and read about them....so sue me.
1 comment:
Honey - I don't get sports, but I get Patrick Kerney's butt and abs! WOOF!
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