This is essentially the dilemma that the movie, The Perfect Catch (based on Nick Hornby’s book, Fever Pitch) revolves around. Can a die-hard sports fan ever love a woman as much as he loves his team? Well, it wouldn’t be much of a romantic-comedy if the answer wasn’t yes, but the fact that the question had to be asked puts a different perspective on how sports can significantly influence a man’s life.
The passion that the male population has with the sporting world is so deeply rooted that there will never be an occasion when guys are together that sports will not enter the conversation. Just this week, the most heated topic of conversation among males is probably the endgame between De La Salle University and Far Eastern University, where DLSU’s assistant manager smacked FEU’s Arwind Santos on the back of the head while he wasn’t looking. I bet that the story of that game has fallen upon more male ears than whatever other new political mass protest in the works. Sports is so much more interesting than politics.
In fact, for a lot of men, it’s far more interesting than anything immediately available. Sports, or something related to it, is available and accessible through almost every form of media a man can get his hands on. You can follow the game through the television or radio. On the Internet, you can play fantasy sports and use your sporting knowledge to beat people from all over the world. There are titles like Madden Football, NBA Live and Tiger Woods Golf to plug into your favorite gaming console and play as your favorite team or player to day’s end. You can enter a magazine stand and find an increasing number of sports magazines, both foreign and local. For those a little more daring, there are hundreds of bookies out there willing to take bets on the latest sporting events. Sports are everywhere and encompass so many facets of a man’s life.
In the Philippines, there is no greater spectacle than a Manny Pacquaio fight. There is no greater rivalry than that between the Ateneo and La Salle basketball teams. Growing up, there were no greater heroes than star athletes. A man is willing to give up so much to witness an important match because he knows that there is nothing like the feeling of witnessing history unfolding. I’ve felt it. I was there when Ateneo, after 14 years of trying, finally captured the title and bested La Salle. I’m sure that’s the same reason why Mike Arroyo risked controversy and bad publicity to watch the Pacquaio fight in Las Vegas. He just wanted to watch so badly. Nothing compares to the atmosphere of a stadium packed with fellow aficionados. Very few things in man’s life offer the euphoria of being there when your team triumphs. As Jimmy Fallon’s character in The Perfect Catch says when asked where the (Boston) Red Sox rank in terms of importance in his life, he says "The Red Sox (then) sex and breathing." Sports is not just a hobby, it’s a necessity.
I’m not sure if people still find it a mystery why men can’t be bothered during a crucial possession or the 12th round after all these years. I say it’s a part of a man’s life. It’s something that people just have to accept about men. We love our sports and don’t bother us while watching.