It’s the beginning of Week 9, that sweet spot in the semester when we start to wish we were still on quarters so we could be prepping for finals right now, instead of finishing up midterms. Because I’m in the studying spirit, I thought I’d conduct a little self-assessment regarding what I’ve learned so far about sports. There are areas in which I think I’m improving, and others that still need some work. Here’s the breakdown of my pass/fail sports-knowledge midterm.
Pass: I understand conferences now! I finally know the difference between non-conference and conference play, which means that the numbers in parentheses after the name of the team finally make sense to me. What I don’t understand is why there are 12 teams in the Big 10 and 10 teams in the Big 12. Or why San Diego State University is in the Big East Conference, but I’m guessing I’m not the only one who finds that information confusing.
Fail: I still don’t get series. Why do some sports teams have to play multiple games within a weekend? If my team beats your team Friday night, why do we need to play each other again on Saturday night? Just to prove that the first win wasn’t a fluke? How come the basketball team only plays once a week, while the hockey team has to play three nights in a row? It doesn’t seem fair.
Pass: I empathize with the obsession. Being a dedicated follower of a sport is like being a dedicated follower of anything else, be it music or fashion or science-fiction role-playing games. I used to think the sports fans screaming at the TV were all nut cases, but I don’t anymore. I might not understand why they’re screaming, but I can appreciate the fact that the screaming is taking place. I think that’s a step forward.
Fail: The focus on tradition is lost on me. I come from the arts and entertainment world, where innovation, rule breaking and bold originality are celebrated. In the sports world, there is a higher emphasis on maintaining convention, building on the past and defending established ideals. This is a fundamental difference in philosophy, so even though I’m struggling to grasp this concept, I think my failure is excusable.
Pass: Lingo. I used to read the sports stories in the paper as if they were written in a foreign language, but I’ve realized that I am now capable of reading a recap of a game and actually getting the gist of what happened and why. Among the terminology I now recognize is “shots on goal,” “passing/rushing yards,” “homestand,” “redshirt” and “sides of the ice.” And before you ask: Yes, I do realize those pertain to different sports.
Fail: Sorry, but I still don’t get why there is a cannon at Peden. I figured out recently that when the Bobcats enter the stadium, the cannon fires a smoke ring — an “O” for Ohio — that lingers in the air for a few minutes, which is the closest thing to a relevant reason I’ve heard so far. I’ll let it go.
To review, I think I have about a 65 percent. That might sound bad, but considering I probably started out somewhere in the 8 to 12 percent range, I think I’m doing pretty well. I’m glad I embarked on this self-guided sports experiment, partly because I enjoy bridging the gap between myself and those most dissimilar to me, and partly because if this were an actual class, I would have dropped it a long time ago.
Haylee Pearl is a sophomore studying journalism, a novice sports viewer and a copy editor for The Post. Could you ace a test about sports? Send her your study guide at hp208310@ohiou.edu.
