As an athlete and once-avid sports watcher, my decision about why I stopped watching sports may seem surprising to many.
Sports were not just a pastime for me; they were a passion, a source of excitement, and even a way of life.
However, as time passed and priorities shifted, I found myself gradually distancing from the spectator stands and redirecting my focus toward more productive endeavors.
In this reflection, I aim to elucidate why I chose this and how it has enriched my life beyond sports.
Why I No Longer Watch Sports
Firstly, let me clarify that my decision to stop watching sports wasn’t a sudden epiphany but rather a gradual realization.
It dawned on me that while watching sports provided temporary entertainment, it consumed a significant portion of my time without yielding tangible benefits.
Hours spent glued to the screen could have been allocated to activities that contribute to personal growth, skill development, or fostering meaningful relationships.
As an athlete, I understood the stark contrast between active participation in sports and passive consumption of televised matches.
While watching athletes compete can be inspiring, it pales compared to the fulfillment derived from actively engaging in physical activities, honing my skills, and pushing my limits.
The joy of scoring a goal, hitting a perfect shot, or achieving a personal best in a race far surpasses the thrill of witnessing someone else accomplish these feats from a distance.
Moreover, I began to question the significance of investing emotional energy into the outcomes of games played by strangers.
While sports have the power to unite people and ignite passion, they can also breed toxicity, divisiveness, and undue stress.
The intense emotional attachment to a particular team’s success or failure often leads to disappointment, frustration, or hostility toward opposing fans.
Stepping back from this cycle of vicarious triumphs and defeats allowed me to prioritize emotional well-being and cultivate a more balanced perspective.
Beyond personal fulfillment and emotional well-being, my decision to cease watching sports was also motivated by a desire to reclaim my time and channel it toward activities that align with my long-term goals.
Whether pursuing further education, developing new skills, nurturing relationships, or pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors, time is a precious commodity that should be invested wisely.
By eliminating the habit of passively consuming sports, I unlocked additional hours to pursue endeavors contributing to my personal and professional growth.
Furthermore, I’ve found that stepping away from the constant stream of sports coverage has expanded my horizons and diversified my interests.
Instead of limiting my exposure to a few activities, I’ve explored many hobbies, ranging from reading and writing to hiking and volunteering. Embracing this diversity has enriched my life, broadened my perspective, and fostered greater fulfillment than I ever derived from watching sports.
Why I Lost Interest In Sports
Being a personal development enthusiast, I prefer to do more productive things with my time.
I gave up watching football cold turkey for good in 2013 after the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl. What led to my awakening was realizing how stressed I was getting over a game that had no natural consequence.
At this point, football was the last sports entertainment that I was watching. I gave up on baseball and college basketball years ago, and the only sport left to watch was the NFL.
I became tired of racing home on Sundays to watch the game while omitting three hours of my day. I had never thrown my remote control through the television, but I understand the temptation to do so.
I became a die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan in 2000. I watched every Ravens game and listened to the game on the radio while I did some house chores; sports talk was all I heard on the radio back then.
It later became disconcerting to listen to fans call in radio shows to bash the team they were supposedly rooting for after they had a bad game or season. I noticed one thing about some sports players and watchers: Most are whiners. It’s just a game!
When I went to work in the morning, I first grabbed the sports section from the newspaper. I knew what was happening with my favorite teams, like the Ravens, the Orioles, and the Terps.
In my lifetime, I’ve been to over 20 Ravens games, 50 Orioles games, about 2 or 3 Baltimore Colts games, 6 Baltimore Stallions games, 7 Baltimore Bandits games, one Terps Basketball game, and about 25 Maryland Terrapins Football games.
Getting Sports Players’ Autographs
I once owned a bunch of sports memorabilia that I had signed by Baltimore Ravens players and coaches. If I recall correctly, I had autographs from:
- Jonathan Ogden
- Brian Billick
- Chris McCallister
- Kelly Gregg
- Mike Singletary
- Ed Reed
- and many more that I can’t remember
I still own two autographed portraits of Lenny Moore and Art Donavan that they graciously signed for me. I talked with Artie for about 20 minutes the day he signed my photo of him, and these two former Baltimore Colts are way more important to me than any current athlete.
I was also happy to get Gino Marchetti and John Mackey’s autographs at a Baltimore Colt reunion in Woodlawn.
I didn’t stop watching sports out of spite; I stopped because I realized it took too much time and energy. I stopped because I was a sports addict. I look back and see how invested I was mentally, emotionally, time-wise, and financially.
I don’t have an issue with professional athletes making the money they do for the record. I understand entirely how the market dictates the teams’ income and how much money players earn because of it. I knew I had to let go of spending time watching grown adults earn millions of dollars playing games I used to play for free.
I watch very little television now, and removing sports makes it even less so.
Yes, I was an Athlete & I Enjoyed Playing Sports
As a youngster, I played recreational baseball and football and J.V. and Varsity football in High School. My favorite class in school was gym (P.E.).
In my senior year, my football team was undefeated in the regular season—10-0. I made the All-County and All-Metro teams and earned a 3.5 GPA.
When I wasn’t playing sports for a league, it was common for me to play a pick-up game of basketball or volleyball, grab my glove, get a baseball game together, or throw the football around.
I loved playing sports as a kid. Even now, I wouldn’t mind getting into a low-impact game like disc golf. However, I don’t see myself investing more time or energy watching it on television.
I believe we should be playing sports more than watching them, or if we are going to attend a sporting event, it should be watching our kids or nephews, nieces, and grandchildren.
If you think you are too old to play a sport, check out the senior citizens who play pickleball.
Related: Brian Tracy Productivity Online Course
Invest in Your Personal Growth
As a personal growth enthusiast, I always ponder better ways to spend my time while being productive. Watching sports is a passive activity over which I have no control. I prefer to be more involved with things I can control.
Besides, most sporting events, whether watching it at the stadium or with a group of friends at home, are more social events than anything. Plus, you can guarantee almost everyone is drinking alcohol, which I gave up for good back in 2005.
I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff happen during the world soccer games. Plus, have you seen the number of beatdowns that fans of opposing teams get? This happens all over the world.
Whether “my team” wins or loses doesn’t matter. Sports are entertainment—sometimes horrible entertainment, but entertaining nonetheless. And yes, for many, including me, sports can be a tremendous positive distraction from the uglier aspects of life that we all must deal with.
Return on Investment
I have never worn a professional athlete’s athletic jersey in my life. The only jerseys I have ever worn were my own from playing sports. I cannot see myself as an older adult sitting in my rocking chair and regret not spending more time watching sports.
Inconsequential pretty much sums up my beliefs about watching professional sports. The only people truly benefitting from professional sports are the owners, the players, the agents, the coaches, and the advertisers.
My favorite sporting teams never sent me a check to wear their gear. They never sent me a thank you card for supporting them. So why should I care? I have plenty of ways to entertain myself, and I certainly don’t need to watch sports to do that.
Be a Producer, Not a Consumer
Media consumption is a huge challenge we all face; however, we would be much better off doing less.
I have never been more creative in my life than now. Why? Over the past 20 years, I have been slowly and methodically shedding activities from my life that aren’t serving me.
Shedding time on wasteful activities frees me to be more creative and productive. Last week, I made two homemade rectangular Planter Boxes from some scrap wood a friend gave me.
Those planter boxes will remain helpful after most sports figures and even some teams.
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Would I go to a stadium or arena to watch a game?
It’s a lot different watching sports live in person than on television; however, doing this would only happen occasionally.
I plan to attend an Aberdeen Iron Birds game or games next season. I want to watch them because my favorite Baltimore Oriole of all-time fame, Cal Ripken Jr, owns them, and I would like to support anything that Cal is part of.
I wouldn’t mind attending at least one NASCAR race because I have never done that before. With that being said, if I were to attend a sporting event live, it would only be a once-in-a-while type of thing because I have more significant priorities in my life.
I am not boycotting sports; I may give my attention when two outstanding teams or teams with players I respect are playing each other. I no longer invested in teams. However, I like individual players more than teams these days.
That said, I need to go and do something productive because time is money!
What Pro Jersey Would I Wear?
Earlier in this article, I mentioned that I’ve never worn a jersey with another man’s last name on it. But, if I had to, I have two people in mind.
- Johnny Unitas
- Barry Sanders
Besides these two gentlemen being sensational athletes and full of class, they were even more sensational men. Neither one was in it for fame or ego reasons. Neither one thought they were more prominent than the team, and neither thought their awards or memorabilia were that important.
Both Unitas and Sanders displayed humility on and off the field. They were amazing to watch, and I enjoyed how the spirit and character of these two men shone.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my decision to stop watching sports was not a rejection of athleticism or competition but rather a conscious choice to prioritize productivity, personal growth, and well-being.
I’ve discovered a newfound sense of purpose and fulfillment by redirecting my time and energy toward activities that offer tangible benefits and align with my long-term goals.
While I cherish the memories and lessons gleaned from my years as a sports enthusiast, I am grateful for the opportunities that arise when we dare to step outside our comfort zones and embrace new experiences.
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