Go Yellow Jackets!

This is a clip of the Upward Basketball game Mason played today (Upward.org). Upward is a recreational basketball league for school age kids centered around good sportsmanship, Christian themes and making sure each child feels their contribution is appreciated. There are memory verses the kids learn for each practice, they have short devotional times during practice and games, and best of all, Mason is learning the fundamentals of the sport in a very positive atmosphere. Most of you know I'm not a sports fan, (I briefly thought the Cardinals playing in tomorrow's Superbowl were from St. Louis) but I really do enjoy watching a live basketball game. My theory is that it's the action that draws me in--the turnovers, the rebounds, the nearly missed or nearly hit shots that make for edge of your seat drama. It's not the same during Baseball season, when Mason plays in the parks and recreation league. I take my chair, my snacks, and my baby, and usually by the bottom half of the first inning I'm listening to old time radio podcasts on my iPhone to cut the monotony. I cheer for Mason when he's up at bat but I find myself reflexively looking at my watch to see how much longer it's going to be, because I see the entire sport as painfully light on action. Monte says the truth is I enjoy live Basketball only because Baseball is played outside in the cold spring or hot summer, but I assert that he is wrong and surely it's the gripping drama of ten guys running after one ball, where anything can and does happen. I mean it's a lot more impressive than one or two guys running after a ball while the rest of them defend their positions by standing in place. C'mon, how riveting can Baseball really be by design? (No offense, Mr. Pujols.) Of course, Monte tends to follow his "You're just in it for the indoor temperature regulation and the concession stand" argument with "Well, then, if it's really about the excitement of many people after one ball and non-stop action, why don't you like live football?" If I answer truthfully, it's because live football is usually played in the hot fall or cold winter and those bleachers are made of metal so your rear end is alternately asleep, on fire, or frozen, but that explanation seems to play into his hands, so I typically turn to him and say he can't possibly understand the nuances of live Basketball because of his clear preexisting prejudice against the game, and that we are and forever will be at an impasse on the subject. I then excuse myself to another part of the climate controlled house--usually with a TV remote and a box of chocolates.