the Kingdom of Leisure

"Sports, when played passionately and intelligently, are great a great thing

to watch and experience. Especially when performed by those who are the

best at what they do. We rise above the basic necessities of daily life

(food, shelter, protection from enemies, and the meaningless passing of

time) to a heightened state similar to that caused by great music or great

art. At their crudest, sports provide distraction and tribal identity (like

pop music). At their best, they provide transcendence. Sports, like art,

dance, or music are a uniquely human expression, initially meaningless in

product or outcome. The meaning (and value) of sports is a function of

careful study on the part of both the performer and observer and like art,

dance, or music, transforms from meaningless brush strokes, tones, or motion

into something greater.



The game you watched last night is the sum of all basketball games that came

before it. The pinnacle of human expression through basketball.



I'm sure the same can be said for NASCAR. I'm just not studied enough. And

I belong to the wrong tribe.



Time for lunch."



-Rich Walkling 11.21.03