What Can a Poor Boy Do Except to Sing in a Rock n Roll Band

Congratulations to Mr. John Middleton for correctly naming "A Long December" by the Counting Crows as the Monday Song of the Day. Congratulations to my sister, Katie, for coming up juuuuuuuuuust short. Sorry, Katie.

Part XIX (Luke's Response)

This is sort of a zig in topic, but the idea of balance is common to this and our conversation thus far. On my list of interests is sports fanaticism. Sports teams, in some people, arouse more passion than any other subject. More than politics, more than religion, and (sadly) more than some human relationships.

This is a topic I've wanted to discuss with you (and others who are warmly invited into this conversation via the blog). Many of these prompts we've been discussing are explicitly categorizable as, as you tag it "amateur philosophy." But some might say sports fanaticism doesn't fit there; that it isn't a serious topic. I'd argue the converse. Sports and sports fanaticism is a meaningful discussion topic. Tribalism, vicariousness, competition.

Of the discussion topics we've discussed, this one isn't merely a prompt for me. I really don't get it like many people do. Sure, there are teams for whom I root. But I don't think I treat sports like other people. I've more than once been derided, called a sports heretic. My sports loyalties aren't geographically based, nor are they divided by rivals. That is, I'm a fan of both Williams and Krzyzewski.

So because I know you've got more than one man's share of opinions on this subject, I'm leaving it vague and just saying, let's talk about sports fanaticism.

There will be blood.