Let's *Really* Talk About Sports Was: Oh, That Rush!

[msbeadsley]

> Besides the various HPFGU groups I belong to I have only ever 
> become a member of one other online discussion group. Now, I'd 
> like to share something with you about this group: It's rude.

I can't prevent myself asking: were you complaining, or illustrating? 
<G + ducking>

> To give you an idea, comments I have come across (translated 
> faithfully, I hope) have included (and I kid you not):

<snipped quotes, which I'm sorry I missed in situ, and more>

> One can't avoid all confrontation by pushing all subjects which 
> might arouse one out of sight. Furthermore I'm not sure I agree 
> that such discussions would necessarily be unproductive. In fact, 
> I'd say that that's a pretty bleak view of humanity.

Yeah, but the attempt to quash the thread was coming from a list elf 
who, I'm guessing, has had to break up some of the riots she's seen 
start out from what seemed to her to be similar beginnings. When's 
the last time you had to get out there with the riled masses and 
knock heads together?

> I'd like to think that most people are (reasonably) open-minded and 
> willing to assume the good faith of those around them. Not to 
> mention confident enough in their own opinion to be able to defend 
> it in a civil conversation and not get overly upset if the 
> conversation does happen to get uncivil. And though I can certainly 
> see why Bush, politics and other such topics can be full of 
> minefields, that doesn't mean that logic cannot be applied to them 
> or that meaningful discussions cannot be held on them.

I keep having the same philosophical thoughts about matters in the 
Middle East, myself. You think I'm kidding. I absolutely am not.
 
> Cindy opened an interesting topic. She also expressed herself (I 
> thought) quite fittingly and with ample restraint. She took the 
> different levels of familiarity which the diverse members of OTC 
> with the subject might have into consideration. (this BTW from 
> somebody for whom the words American football simply conjure up 
> confusing images of lots of beefy men in padding charging at each 
> other, getting bashed against each other and grunting a lot.
<snip> 

(I hate being in charge of anything. It takes a whole second set of 
instincts. Sometimes the wrong ones spring to fore at inopportune 
times. Like with your mate, you suddenly find yourself in "BOSS" mode 
when he didn't wash the dishes he said he was going to wash, and you 
go, okay, there was an agreement here, an assignment, and it got 
broken--and then you reset, just glad it didn't happen in bed. That 
doesn't imply any lack of ability in either role; it just means 
there's slop-over. Doesn't it?)

Isn't the whole HPFGU family just the most amazing creation? A 
community held together with nothing but common interests and 
volunteer labor. Stress "volunteer." The list elves certainly aren't 
doing it for the salary. For the power? It's pretty self-limiting, 
IMO (I'm guessing); the lists are chock-full of enough *very* verbal 
and opininated people (including the rest of the list administrators) 
that I'll bet a loose cannon administrator doesn't last very long.

> Sorry if I've misinterpreted your meaning completely here Amanda.

(Isn't it a little late for that? Poor ickle Amandageist. Where's 
that weepy emoticon; oh, well.)

You have the absolute right idea about football, by the way. Are you 
in a place where there isn't any? Can I come and live there, please? 
Actually, I think *all* professional sports should be disbanded and 
the resources rerouted to feeding and clothing and housing the poor 
and educating the illiterate. And here I'm not ducking--bring it on, 
all you rude people! ;-)

Sandy