Caring about sports

When I was younger I cared about sports a lot. If the Orioles lost a big game — especially to the hated Yankees — it ruined my day, or more than one day. I remember when Dr. Mrs. Q. first found out about this she thought I was kidding; it made no sense to her that somebody could actually care enough to let it turn your whole ship of mood.

CJ is different. It has been an emotionally complicated last few years for Wisconsin sports fans, with all the local teams being good, really good, but never good enough to win the title. The Badgers losing the NCAA final to (the hated) Duke. The Brewers getting rolled out of the NLCS by the Dodgers. Of course, the Bucks, the team with the best record in the league and the two-time MVP, getting knocked out of the playoffs. And today, the 14-3 Packers losing the NFC championship to the Buccaneers. And I gotta say — CJ, while watching a game, is as intensely into his team as I have ever been. But after it’s over? It’s over. He doesn’t stew. I don’t know where he got this equanimity. Not from me, maybe from Dr. Mrs. Q. But I think I’m starting to get it from him. Maybe it just comes with age — or maybe I’m actually learning something.

Adventures in male bonding

I was pretty excited for CJ and me to watch the Packers play in the NFC Championship tonight. All day I’ve been telling him that we were going to watch the football game, and prompting him to say “Go Packers!” But when the time came, he wanted to watch his kiddie yoga DVD. We agreed as a compromise to watch a little of each. At first, he watched the game with some interest, pointing out “It’s cold!” and “He fell down!” several times each. But at the first commercial he asked for the yoga DVD again.

“Want to watch a little more football first?” I said

“Can you not find the yoga?” CJ asked.

“No, I have it, should I put the yoga on now?”

“Yes, Daddy turn baseball off.”

Thus ends the experiment in enforcing traditional gender roles.