A Conversation With an Indie Sports Fan

Me: So what do you think about the Super Bowl this weekend? Think the Pats’ll blow ‘em out?
Indie Sports Fan: Psh, who even cares about the Super Bowl? The whole thing is just a ploy by the big sports companies to sell advertising. It’s not even about the game anymore, it’s all about money.
Me: Yeah, I know man, it’s all just a big hype machine now, I’ve gotten pretty sick of hearing about the Patriots every single day all season.
ISF: Tell me about it, I used to like the Patriots back in the early 90s, when they had guys like Andre Tippett and Sam Gash, you know, back before they started selling out. That was their best stuff.
Me: You mean before they started winning?
ISF: I guess if you wanna define sports in terms of wins and losses… but it’s about more than that for me, just because a team has a lot of good players and wins a lot of games doesn’t make them good.
Me: So who do you like?
ISF: I’d say the only decent team out there is the Lions, they’ve really stayed true to their roots, but the whole NFL is nothing but crap anyway. It’s all the same shit over and over again, pretty much every play uses the same hook route…
Me: So what do you like, college football?
ISF: Meh, it’s better, but not by much, most of the players are selling out by taking scholarships, and the good ones just sell out even more when it comes time to get drafted by the big labels… er… teams.
Me: So you’re into High School football then?
ISF: Yeah, lately I’ve been really into this team, the Clark Fork High Wampus Cats, they’re pretty good, but I heard their quarterback just sold out and signed with Boise State, so they’re probably gonna start sucking.
Me: Oh no, what are you gonna do now?
ISF: Actually I found this great new team, the Chefs.
Me: The Chefs?
ISF: Yeah, they wanted to call themselves the Chiefs, but apparently that name was already taken… or there was a typo on all the uniforms, I’m really not sure.
Me: Where do they play?
ISF: They play in the MYFL.
Me: Alright, I’ll bite. MYFL?
ISF: Metro Youth Football League, I guess you’ve never heard of it, nobody else I talk to has, I guess I’m the only one.
Me: Pee-Wee football?
ISF: Oh yeah, man, they’re freakin’ awesome, these guys really play like they mean it… it’s like they don’t even care about making money or anything, it’s all about the game.
Me: . . .
ISF: Get this: they don’t even keep score! Fuckin’ stickin’ it to the establishment!
Me: Um…
ISF: I mean I could show you some videos, but that wouldn’t really give you the whole experience, you really have to see them live…