triathletes are very focused people. unless the game is scheduled during an easy recovery ride on the trainer, i dont watch them. i am either going to bed early to get up at 5am for my masters class or at a New York Roadrunners speed training class. i dont have time to watch other people play sports...unless the Ironman is on TV that is...

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Matt

I never followed sports as a kid, never played any either. My dad was not a big sports fan. He used to listen to a baseball game on the radio once in a while, he played minor league ball out of high school. When I got older there always seemed to be something better to do than watch sports on TV. Not that I was into organized anything, but I surfed or played frisbee, or went hiking/backpacking. I returned to martial arts in my early thirties and have gotten more involved in fitness ever since. I still find the thought of watching someone else do something boring compared to challeging myself.

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Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*

I can watch women's pro beach volleyball for a whole afternoon. That's quality time right there.

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I can only speak for myself, but I like watching good, well played competitive team or individual sports, period. It's not a top priority of mine, but I will watch the Championships of Hockey, or Basketball, Football or even baseball IF I have the time. However, that is rare. I Have a TV, but don't have cable, so the reality is I watch very little of this sort of thing.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I am a huge dolphins, hurricanes and miami heat fan. durring football season i plan workouts around games. Its not that hard since basketball is on at night adn football is noon or later.

I never watch any of the big team stick and ball sports. IMO football, hockey, baseball and basketball all suck big time. They're far too commercial and the player salaries are out of whack with reality for what they do. I do watch Formula One, track and field and boxing, but even not that much.

I'll bet most trigeeks would rather be doing a sport activity than watching one.

In the past seven years since becoming very serious about my own activities, I have devoted less time to following professional sports. A large part of this is just that I have less time to devote, given the time now committed to swimming, biking, running, etc, etc. Part of this, though, relates to what is on another thread here - that the nature of athletes and the economics of pro sports often makes following them a very distasteful activity. But am I still a fan of my long-standing favorite teams? Yes? Did I cry a bit when the Red Sox won the World Series? Yes. Am I glad the Patriots won the Super Bowl again? Yes. Would I have been distraught if neither of those had happened? No. Am I missing the NHL? Hardly. (Even though hockey is great for having on while riding on the trainer or rollers, or even while grading papers.) For my money, I would much rather watch Canadian major junior hockey, where all the players put out 100% all the time, as opposed to the NHL where too often the players are just going through the motions. My favorite professional sport to watch right now is lacrosse - no prima donnas there, just a pile of guys who all work regular jobs and put forth a colossal effort when they're on the floor. To answer your ultimate question, I am a dedicated triathlete who has long since ceased being a fanatic - and the two are closely related.

I must be the only one. In the Fall I schedule my Sunday training so that I have time to clean up, go to church and be home in time to watch the Eagles (even though I'm a Raider fan). In the spring and summer, I like to catch baseball or soccer in the afternoon, if I'm not knocking down the honey-do list.

I enjoy being able to crow to the neighbors, "Hey, man. I was up at 6 and ran 12 miles; I cut and trimmed the lawn; changed two faucets and painted the bathroom. I think deserve a beer or two and a cigar before I fire up the grill."

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I'm not able to watch as much televised sports as I would like because I just don't have the time. But if I'm watching TV in the evening or weekend afternoon, it's almost always sports or a movie. It doesn't matter to me that basketball/football/baseball players are assholes. I don't have to socialize with them. Every time I watch an NBA game, I'll see some incredibly athletic move that I couldn't duplicate in years of trying. That's much more satisfying/entertaining than watching a comedy or reality show. Not as enlightening as reading a book however.

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I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'

I think there is only time for one thing: doing sports or watching sports. From my simple observations and no indepth research, there seems to be a sligth negative correlation between watching sports and fitness. Hence, more watching equals less fitness.

I don't mind watching it here and there, but I am certainly not excited about it. I am not really sad that the German Soccer team right now kind of sucks, I slept just aswell when the Eagles lost in the Superbowl, and I do not follow the Atlanta Braves either. But on the day when any of these Professionals stand on the sidelines of a triathlon and cheer for me, then I'll get really excited next time I see them play. :-)

Herbert

Litespeed/QR

Not only do I watch less pro sports I watch less of my college teams too. I go to the university of illinois, or team basketball is doing great right now. I had season tickets to the games but if they were on saturday mornings you can bet i didnt go to them I was out riding. Some things are just more important. Not only that i will not waste my time watching them or any other team on tv. One, unlike most americans i dont pretend to be part of their team. I hear my roommates yell at NFL games, saying we did good or bad. Or we should have done this or that. Who is we? ARe they on the PAckers? they get angry...about what. I guess they have nothing else in their life, like tri, to be passionate about so they waste their time on that.

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"I push the envelope so hard it says, 'excuse you'." -MC Paul Barman

You may not socialize with them, but you do have to put up with the effects that they have on society. They have more influence than almost any other source I can think of, probably more than most parents. That's the problem. We pay these guys tons of money to teach our kids to be jerks... They may not do it directly, but they do it very effectively.

Lehmkuhler

Never been a fan of team sports of any kind. Participant or spectator. Wasn't athletic or muscular as a kid and was always the last one picked for teams in gym class, the jocks were always the captains. At my 30 year high school reunion last year, most of the former jocks were patheticly out of shape, while I look like I've been racing triathlon for the last 20 years, which I have.

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"It doesn't get any easier, you just go faster"

I think it depends on when you became an endurance athlete. If you've always been a runner or cyclist, even since you were a kid, then you probably are less likely to follow other sports as fervently. Lots of triathletes come to it later in life, and probably follow other sports a lot. I follow baseball, football, some basketball, some hockey (when it's going), plus tennis, golf, etc, etc. There's almost always sports or news on my TV, even if it's only in the background. As for the real fanatics, I think that's a separate issue from traithlon. Some people are just nutty.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

I used to watch football religiously. College football too. Some baseball, basketball back when Michael Jordan was playing.

Now, NFL games come on the TV here at 10:00 AM. That's prime riding/running time. The 49ers usually play at 1PM, but (1) I don't like the 49ers (Packers/Chiefs fan here) and (2) fall afternoons here are generally way too nice to be sitting inside watching TV.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Nah. I'm a big sports fan. Of course I don't get to watch as much as I used to because i spend so much time training.

I wouldn't doubt it if less triathletes are into the big team sports, but if that's the case I'm guessing the reason is because they didn't play them as kids. Instead, they were on the cross country, swim, tennis teams, etc..

One of my in-laws told me the highlight of his week is watching sports on TV. Of course they also play "Eye of the Tiger" to get psyched up to WATCH a game of football. I wish I was kidding but I'm not.

I watch professional bike racing when it's not pre-empted by Probull riding and I watch rugby when it's on.

SOOXXXXXXXX!!!

If someone asked me--'what would you rather happen; you win Ironman Hawaii, or the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl?' it's something I would need to think long and hard about.

But then again, the Eagles will win it all this season so the point is moot.

Try using the phrase 'long and hard' without smiling, it ain't easy.

Immature ee

You know, I've really stopped watching pro/college sports since I started training and racing again. I will watch as many European soccer games during the week and weekend as I can, and I'll watch cycling and triathlon on OLN. And even though 75-80% of my job is focused on track and field, I rarely watch the television broadcasts because either I was there or I know how bad the coverage is going to be.

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

Remember when Aussie Rulles Football was on ESPN???

THAT was entertainment!!!

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I have never liked to watch televised sports. Maybe I am selfish, but I would rather do something myself and have a good time than watch someone else having fun. Of course watching my wife and children are the exception to this. I do enjoy going to watch a game live, like going to a Spurs game when I am in San Antonio visiting family.

And besides, there is only 24 hours in a day. I only have room for family, training, and work.

----->Trent

I miss the old days of ESPN when they didn't have the $$ to pay for rights for the major team sports. Aussie Rules football, lumberjack world championships, gymnastics death match .....

I enojy watching ice hockey on tv when it's on, and still get over to watch the local bush league team live once a month. I've got Tivo set up to catch any swimming, track, and triathlon that shows up on the grid. And I can easily get sucked into watching figure skating or auto racing on a rainy afternoon.