OK folks; let’s talk about a group of “dorks”, or in my estimation, people that need a life of their own. I used to enjoy a good baseball or football game, until they started this trend of zeroing the camera in on every baseball player that was getting ready to spit or grab their crotch, which wasn’t difficult since they all seem to do this frequently. I watch a football game for a while, until I can no longer stand the egos of those that strut around the field pointing at themselves to doing a job the get paid handsomely to do, or cannot score without doing the obligatory “dance” in the end zone. Now there are those that are hard-core fans, dressing up in a pig suite and snout or painting their body the team colors. Some strip to the waste in sub-zero temperatures, or shave their hair to sport the team logo. I was in a bar, one of those that had some 5,000 TV sets, each tuned to a different game, and there were these guys watching basketball. Well, every time “their team” scored, they jumped up and high-fived each other. I guess they don’t realize the team is playing for big bucks and not to please these guys, no more, no less. Now if that’s the way they want to be entertained, God love them. I can’t see myself doing that, but if that makes them happy, go for it. When the game is over, all these “fans” have left are the memory of the game and the greasepaint that they can’t rub off, while the players go home to a palatial mansion and a fat paycheck. The same goes for those addicted to video games, after hours and hours of playing, all they have are the memories, and perhaps sore fingers. Again, if that’s their thing, fine, but I get no pleasure from fighting some imaginary foe or conquering some evil empire.
Now lets talk about model railroading. After playing a “game” with their trains, maybe an operating session with a group of friends, maybe a work session at a club or just running some trains on their layout just for fun, when their game is over for that day, they not only have the memories, but they have a thing of beauty they can come back to day after day to enjoy and share, knowing that they created that world. And let’s get practical, go to a sports game and spend a hundred or so dollars and what’s left but a ticket stub. Spend the same amount on your railroad and you have something that you can be proud of and is there until you chose to change it. The ticket stub has no value, money spent on a layout or equipment will always have value, even when you decide you don’t want it anymore. Don’t like what you created, change it, sell it, trade it, you are in control. The sports fan’s only control is to change allegiance, which they rarely do.
Now, who are the dorks here? For a person to infer that model railroaders need to get a life really shows that they need to get out more often and look around. Model railroading requires talent and dedication, watching a ballgame needs only one of these, you decide which one.
Jim
ops:
Fred
