Trying to be open minded.

by **Brave Sir Rubin** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:16 pm

I am not back. But I will be lurking.

I have truly outgrown the NBA, sports, and such entertainment in general.

I find it repulsive and rather idiotic.

The statistics no longer exite me, they mean nothing to me... they do not change. How does the point average of a basketball player affect the world? The NBA is a waste of my time, and yours.

It does not benefit the world, it does not move it, it does not make it spin or change it in any way.

I am not talking to the ones of you who only visit the site at times (Such as dear ol' Tales)... i'm talking to the regulars.

Don't you have anything better to do with your lives?

I'm 17, going on 18 soon... and I can easily say that I have a wonderful life. I would not care to waste a second of it on watching sports, espeically fanaticly. I do not even turn the TV on anymore, it is a waste of braincells.

So, do tell me... what is your reason for being on this site? What is your reason for fanaticly folowing the NBA? What is your reason for devoting a part of your life for it?

It might appear as "Fun", but you could be doing something a tad more productive, something that could benefit you in some way. ( Ofcourse, people like Beggs do benefit from this, especially since he got to be in charge of the site)...

I personally lurk around here because there are some wonderful people here (Tales, Stevan, Nick, Beggs, Matt, Shane and so on....)

Now you tell me, especially the NBATALK frequent posters...

why?

by **Matt** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:34 pm

i understand what your saying. I know the NBA in reality is nothing. But "I Love This Game", it's entertaining to me and so long as i'm on this earth i need to be entertained. Why am I here? It's always good to share something in common with people and talk about it. I love basketball but i know there are more important things in life. Basketball is nothing in the grand scheme of things.....TV is a waste of time, you barely learn anything from it but i guess it keeps people entertained. Sure we could fill the time better by spending time with friends, reading books, or saving the world.....but that's all too hard i guess. NBA helps you take your mind off things. I guess the purpose of watching NBA is to see the desired outcome, your team winning a championship....in a small scale it gives you something to live for

i really don't know, those were just some random thoughts. People just love sports. It makes them a part of something. It's my favorite pass time, as well as many other peoples, but theres more to life. In the end basketball is just leaisure, we shouldn't be obsessed by it or let it run our lives, but that's harder to do than say. It's easy to forget the worlds problems like poverty, wars, police brutality etc. Doesn't NBA help unite the world though? It allows people of different races to peacefully co-exist and be seen equal. I think it does to some small extent, but not enough.....I still love basketball, and while i'm on this earth i will continue to love it....maybe when/if i become a family man i will see that there are more important things to revolve my life around. I'm only 18, i have no commitments, basketball is just a part of culture

by **nublu01** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:36 pm

i'm not a frequent poster of this site but i just feel like saying something.

my reason? basketball is my hobby.
i dont fanatically follow it, but i do watch it occasionally and so is my visit on this site.

btw, this

It does not benefit the world, it does not move it, it does not make it spin or change it in any way.

is a VERY pessimistic way to view it... besides the fact that it doesnt have any rational purpose to support your point. but the latter is being a little too picky. so moving on...

i have a question for you in return, actually. if you dont like entertainment in general, then what do you do in your spare time?

by **J@3** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 6:15 pm

I've restrained from translating all of that into Pavenian

YouTube · by **Andrew** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:23 pm

Even though my post count and involvement in the site might not suggest it, I do have an extensive life outside of the Internet and the NLSC. :wink:

I enjoy running a website as it allows me to be creative, and places me in a position where I may learn and hone skills that I have found useful since entering the workforce, specifically dealing with people, taking responsibility for tasks, and so on. I may not have as much discipline in running the site as I do in my paid job, but they actually kind of help each other out. The skills I've learned in my job have helped me with the site, and the skills I've learned running the site certainly help me with my job.

One of the reasons I spend so much time talking about basketball in the forums is that I'm the only basketball fan in my group of friends, and none of my casual acquaintances are into basketball either. Since the Internet can provide me with a means of talking to basketball fans around the world, I'm going to take advantage of that. :wink:

by **Stevan** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 8:02 pm

Interesting thread...

To put things in perspective, this doesn't take up even an hour of my day. I spend less than an hour reading this forum, making the occasional posts, checking scores and reading b-ball articles. I fill out the rest of my day with some productive, and other non productive things. I could see this being a problem if it was interfeering with other aspects of your life.
If I'm going to think about doing productive things, then I would have to reconsider a lot of everyday things I do. Spending time with friends, watching TV, playing basketball, laying around, doing things to the car, etc. The only productive thing I have is school, since I don't have a job or a girl to 'study'... and that leaves a bit of free time. I'm not that ambitious to save the world, it's easier (and more important in my opinion) to just focus on saving your self from the shit which comes at you from all sorts of directions. I guess some people deal with it by ignoring it and spending time on here. But in all honesty I don't think any one user spends that much time on here. Probably not as much as we used to back in the old days...

I love playing ball and all its extensions (this, games, ball on tv). But it doesn't consume my life. Once in a while it helps to let off some steam, or waste some energy, or to stop me from stressing about really unimportant things...

by **Filip** on Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:46 pm

Brave Sir Rubin wrote:I have truly outgrown the NBA, sports

You don't outgrow sports, you just stop being interested.

Brave Sir Rubin wrote:The NBA is a waste of my time, and yours. It does not benefit the world, it does not move it, it does not make it spin or change it in any way.

What do you have for interests or doings' that's is so much more important and better that benefits, moves, spinning and changes the world?

Brave Sir Rubin wrote:Don't you have anything better to do with your lives?

What do you do that is so much better? Smoke pot? Actually don't awnser that question :roll:

Brave Sir Rubin wrote:So, do tell me... what is your reason for being on this site? What is your reason for fanaticly folowing the NBA? What is your reason for devoting a part of your life for it?

Cuz I love this site. It's fun to share thoughts with people all over the world, that you wouldn't normally have no connection to @ all.

With your view of seeing everything we wouldn't have any hobbies or friends etc at all, we would just fuck as many people as possible to make our human race bigger. But you are forgetting something, we are humans, not animals.

by **EGarrett** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:16 am

What you do in your spare time...hobbies etc are all generally meaningless. They exist only for your own enjoyment. You could abandon them and just work 16 hours per day but being happy in your life is probably more important than anything else.

Thus...people enjoy playing sports and they enjoy watching other people play. Nothing wrong with that at all.

by **Ben-le-ouf** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:25 am

Cuz I love this site. It's fun to share thoughts with people all over the world, that you wouldn't normally have no connection to @ all.

by **hmm** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:35 am

by **Bill Russell** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:40 am

To make it brief, my answer would be a mix of Matt's (stack42) and Andrew's. (Y)

by **Filip** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:10 am

Homer wrote:how lucky for you that you have a wonderful life.MY BEST FRIEND SUICIED today.i am really fucked up.We will do it together along with a friend,too.but then we all decided it was unnecassary but he did it.damn!!! this week is a nightmare.

Oh man, that's horrible! I feel sorry for you :cry:

.

by **Brave Sir Rubin** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 3:51 am

Some of you are too smart for basketball.

Basketball does not improve the world, and it does not make you better.
I still play alot of basketball, and that does improve me. But, watching the NBA... how does that do anything for you?

My hobbies?

Well, I post on other forums, which have some more productive and mind expanding topics (philosophy, politics, and such).

Play me guitar.
Play me piano.

Usually am out with friends, socializing, and constantly improving myself through it.

I go out, talk to people... make a difference.

While you are sitting on your ass reading about Kobe, I am talking to a person and affecting his life.

and yes, I still smoke weed once a month or so... drink, smoke, etc...
my choices.

by **Brave Sir Rubin** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 3:55 am

Homer wrote:how lucky for you that you have a wonderful life.MY BEST FRIEND SUICIED today.i am really fucked up.We will do it together along with a friend,too.but then we all decided it was unnecassary but he did it.damn!!! this week is a nightmare.

Dear Homer, first off, sorry, i know how hard that is, believe me.

Second off, I worked my ass off to get a wonderful life... it's all due to me, and to no one else. I used to be extremely depressed, but i worked it off. Your friend just couldn't handle life... I did, and got past all of that suicidal crap.

by **nublu01** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:22 am

smoking weed? that's very productive and benefiting to the world, eh?

your whole argument is just preposterous.

by **Andreas Dahl** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:41 am

Brave Sir Rubin wrote:So, do tell me... what is your reason for being on this site?

Beacuse I have no life... You happy? :wink:

I don't read articles or debates about the NBA or basketball in general. Nor do I watch NBA or basketball games at all, mostly becaus there are no games televised here.
But if there were, I probeblly wouldn't watch that many. I have the privelige to be able to get games by fast connection internet (It's illegal so I won't get in to that...).
I just watched the first half of Cavs vs. Magic game from late january. And I couldn't realy watch anymore of it. I'm sad to say that It boored me...
Not that I don't enjoy watching T-Mac drain 8 out of 8 straigh 3-Pointers in the first half, but watching games do tend to get boring after some time. Playing does not.

I mostly come here for, as I said earlier, I have no life. And also becouse I'm rather spoiled... (explenation coming...)
I come here to escape the everyday life (witch, ironicly, this has gotten to be), it's my antidote if you will. Not becouse I wan't to escape from actuall bad things in life that several people are. But to escape my boring everyday life. Becuse my life offer so little enlightement. And that is probeblly my own fault, but let's not get in to that. Most days are the same; Wake up at 6.30, go to school and get bored out of my mind. Come back home, turn the computer on and do some various stuff. Then watch TV, go to bed and then wake up for another day of school. (As you may have understood I give little effort in my school).
As I said earlier, I'm very spoiled. It's not enough for me to have a good life in a great country. Something that a lot of people don't have. I look for other stuff, such as a little appreciation and solidarity with you guys. (Y)

I'd like to appologize to people who consider me a whiny ashole now when talking on how boring my life is...Or how I don't appreciate what I got, but belive you me, I do.

Also Homer; I'm very sory to hear about your friend, and I'm happy your still here

And nublu01, if mr Rubin feels the need or urge to smook weed, what are you botherd with that? Let him... It has nothing realy to do with his argument...

by **EGarrett** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 6:10 am

Andreas Dahl wrote:And nublu01, if mr Rubin feels the need or urge to smook weed, what are you botherd with that? Let him... It has nothing realy to do with his argument...

Actually it does. He's claiming that people shouldn't watch basketball because it doesn't improve you. Smoking weed is even worse...so his argument holds no water...

by **alexboom** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 6:54 am

Wow, Mister Rubin is becoming a rebel, congratulations ! (Y)

by **idiot** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 8:04 am

i'm sorry to hear that homer....... :cry:

i hope you can recover from this and not do stupid things....

how about........

if you're still here by next month.... i'll try get a homer simpson into your game!

by **Colin** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:20 am

first of all, sorry about your friend homer.

secondly, I check out the site because I don't have the energy to be outside or hanging out with people all the time. School and basketball absolutley burn me out. And doing this is kind of relaxing. I check out these forums to update me game, check out general talk for something interesting, and NBA talk so I don't have to search the internet to find out whats happening. Just let someone else do that for me.

For example today I had to get up at 7:45 (on a holiday

) to go play a basketball game (13 points 3 dimes in the season opener BTW, Yes!) Then I went out for some breakfast with a team mate and now I'm too tired to do anything else. So, here I am.

by **Jackal** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:47 am

Why do I visit this site? Numerous reasons.

- I don't have a life.

- I don't have anyone to talk to about the NBA, so here is where I come.

But the main reason I actually stuck around...is just I got to know alot of people from the forums. From different parts of the world, different cultures etc etc.

I even got to see some Children Of The Corn look-alikes. ( :wink:

)

Oh and ofcourse...this is where I can vent frustration and be as childish as I want to be. I'm not judged for the way I look, the way I talk...I'm not judged...period.

Plus you get to talk to folks who attend college, have jobs to survive college. Who send you sites of "God Is Dead" (Which was an interesting read by the way. :wink:

). Plus you have weird guys saying they are part of the Taliban, give you stats. Then there are some that might not talk much but produce A+ quality patches. Then there is the person I secretly date. (Don't worry David, I didn't tell em anything!)

In short...I love this place.

It's an escape from everyday life.

by **Nick** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:50 am

Pavel, i like you... but i think your arguement is an ignorant generalisation of the members here...

Despite what you might think... most people here do have lives.. and believe it or not, do socialise and get out... including me.. i love life. (Y)

NBA and basketball is my passion, i freakin' love it.. following my favourites players and seeing how they play is one of my favourite things to do. Why does it have to make the world go round? It makes me happy... and I barely would call it wasting time. I have no idea why i like basketball so much, none of my friends love it as much as i do. It's just a huge passion.

Don't you have anything better to do with your lives?

Yes, basketball isn't my only passion... i'm in a band.. we're starting to get serious.. gonna start recording soon... but i just don't mention that...

Anyways, i know that you weren't directing it at me Pavel. i'm just proving a point. i think it's a silly generalisation of you to make of NBA fans when you don't even know them personally.

saying NBA is idiotic is your opinion.

No hard feelings mate.

One of the reasons I spend so much time talking about basketball in the forums is that I'm the only basketball fan in my group of friends

Yeah i'm in the same boat here. Well.. some of my friends are into Basketball, just not NBA.

by **J@3** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:50 pm

I prefered Pavel when he was laughing at showerfun jokes and struggling big time with the English language. At least then he wasn't so cynical, contradictory and patronising.

by **Brave Sir Rubin** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:16 pm

Nick-o-ptimist,

the whole idea of the thread was to make a generalization, and have people contradict them with thier arguments. Some (like you) have replied very well. But you are right, the thread is not directed towards you.

And EG... I see smoking weed as a mind expanding thing. It is also a matter of fun. Under weed, I write well, and have more fun. The fact that i only do it on a monthly basis, only proves that I can control it. It does help me in my life, I only smoke it in social situations, it makes me have more fun with me mates.

Jae... Stockton + Malone =SHOWERFUN!

(just for you)

I loved it when these jokes were banned at a certain point, such a nice hit on freerom of speech.

by **BIG GREEN** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 3:21 pm

At one point...most of the regulars here didnt have anything better to do than post on the internet....otherwise they couldnt become "elites" or "veterans" or whatever. However, if you yourself have had some sort of social improvment in your life ...it isnt nice to look down on others just cause of it.

When i first came on this site i had nothing better to do...i was under house arrest and after parolled. Life has since picked up and gotten better for me over the years...but this site still remains a hobby for me..same as the NBA. You dont have to be a loser to love this site and/or love basketball in general.

Trying to be open minded.

Trying to be open minded.

Re: Trying to be open minded.

Re: Trying to be open minded.

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