On Apr 4, 10:07 pm, CL <flot...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> "Real" sports have their origins in real life and tactics, like the
> discus, shot put, and hammer throw ... or running ... or even
> gymnastics, skating, and skiing.  Most of it descends from military
> training and hunting.  Like you, I've never been able to figure out
> where synchronized swimming, figure skating and ice dancing fit in other
> than something to exhaust the kids so that they don't ask so many
> questions and remain docile.
>
> The one that seems to be the most obvious make-work from some Eastern
> European failed dictatorship is that one where pre-pubescent girls
> dance around with inflated rubber balls, bowling pins, plastic rings,
> and ribbons on sticks.  What kinds of drugs do you take to imagine that
> is a "sport"?  How faked up can you possibly get?  What sort of military
> heritage does that come from?  Like the Mongol Horde was descending on
> some town along the Danube when they were interdicted by one thousand
> bearded men, wearing purple leotards, who dropped plastic rings over
> them, tied them up with ribbons on sticks and hit them on the head with
> bowling pins while using inflated rubber balls to trip their horses?
> And, all the while the orchestra seated along the ridge played something
> classical?  At least the history of the Marathon makes for good movies ...
>
I want to give kudos to the phrasing of the above. Since I doubt our
social 'circles' will ever inersect I plan on using that so I, too,
sound witty and clever.

But the worst of all is that ESPN (the US sports network, for those
who don't know) shows the US Spelling Bee. But I guess it is
competitive (and I had to write that word twice before I got the
spelling write).

John W.