A lot of great things can be said about watching sports. It serves as a panacea for stress or tiredness, even boredom. It makes one forget, at least for the moment, worries and anxieties. An escape, a cynic might say, but definitely, a respite from the doldrums or pressures of the day. Watching sports can stir the adrenalin to such highs. It builds excitement that fires the spirit of competition. And competition spurs more excitement – a merry vicious cycle. I’m fine with that.

But the downside of watching is when your favorite team loses. You think you can do better than the players, but you can’t because you’re on the outside. That’s why you feel helpless. Two games in a row, and Oakland’s Warriors lost to Houston’s Rockets. Momentary disappointment settles in, but it soon goes away. Taking the team’s defeat personally gives way to realizing that you had two and a half to three hours of enjoyable and gripping entertainment, and you didn’t even have to spend a penny on tickets. To top this, you experienced euphoria when the scores were ahead for the favorite team. Now that’s really worth all the time spent in sports watching. And if the team loses, there’s always the next game in the series to look forward to, with much anticipation and expectation of victory. Who anticipates with the idea of loss – not me! I anticipate the next game with victory in mind. Sure, it’ll be difficult because the opponent is really good, and great at three pointers. But my favorite team is just as good, if not better. So there! Sports watching builds my optimism.

It’s now half time in game 6 of the series, and the picture looks bleak. So what do I do if my team is out of the running? Well, I think, there’s always next year’s series to look forward to. But what makes sports watching so interesting for me, besides cheering and getting all hyped up — though I think cheering on the sidelines is more exciting than being on the team itself and doing all the hard work. For one, I indulge with zest in critiquing the opposing players and chastising them loudly for taking the points, and I yell out praises every time my team scores. Furthermore, watching allows me the license to munch nervously on junk food as developments on the screen heat up. The more frantic the action, the faster the chew. And chips and pretzels taste so scrumptious during these nerve-racking moments, regardless of what team scores.

As I had mentioned, sports watching makes me forget the rough edges of the day, or the stress of work, or the pile of laundry waiting to be touched at home. You see, sports watching is a respite – a much needed break from the humdrum and the crisscrossing web of demands and pressure. Despite all the excitement and frenzy, and the quick heartbeat, it is truly relaxation. It is calm in the odd disguise of fret and commotion. It’s a stretch, but watching sports is good stress; ironically, a strange form of rest.

So, fellow baby boomers and non-boomers, let’s watch more sports, even in the comfort of your couch at home.

As I write this blog, third quarter in game 6 has begun. Allow me to rush back to my couch in front of my TV. The yellow crowd is yelling louder… going nuts! Something good must be happening. Perhaps, the cart is tipping for my team. Off I go for my exciting relaxation.

Go W!

Linda P. Jacob