Sportio!!

Hello or in Welsh Helo,

Sport.

There was a time when I'd heatedly argue the minutiae of the Welsh Rugby team selection, even when everyone else really wants to talk about Big Brother, or some such totally unimportant topic.

I was obsessed! Every Saturday, Friday, Sunday, and sometimes during the week, I would call my good mates over to watch the slow decapitation of my Beloved Welsh Rugby team, to genuine sympathy from Greg (who is from Cambridge), and genuine rage from Gary, (who is a proud Yorkshireman, and as such hates everything about English Rugby Union). This was my curse, and I really enjoyed it.

But no longer.

Since moving to Napier, I have gradually lost interest in Rugby. At first I was worried, like was there a Viagra type drug that would get me back in the swing again? I still enjoy the game, don't get me wrong, but it no longer really matters to me. I don't crave the game any longer.

Now since living in New Zealand I have grown extremely fond of Gridiron Football, and will watch 4 hours of that game no worries. So, I still like sport. So why am I no longer into Rugby? I think I know what it is. It came to me today. I miss my mates, and I can't enjoy Rugby without them!!

Y'see, Sport has an odd place amongst male social interaction, it is the common touchstone, the thing that allows us to communicate. It is the foundation that supported our friendship.

It is truly amazing what subjects can be got around to from the starting point of "Isn't that Matt Dawson an arse?" Or "Steven Jones cant bloody tackle" or "Jesus, Alfie's an ugly bastard, ain't he?" You can get to love, honour philosophy, religion, cars and Bruce Springsteen's brilliance from this starting point.

Now those with only x chromosomes will see this as further evidence of Man's emotional decrepitude, that sport has to be the gateway to talk about feelings, but that is twaddle. As far as I can see, most women are as crippled emotionally as any man, they deal with it by watching Big Brother and Coronation Street and acting as if they believed the stories are true!

So what does this mean, I hear you ask. I really don't know, there is a huge sport and Blues lined, Greg, Gary and Leighton filled hole in my life, that I am currently filling with extended games of Rome Total War, but I know that is but a temporary solution.

I will just have to get more mates, so I can get drunk and bore them as well.

Be good,

Mike

ps THis was written a year ago, and I can now say the blues filled void has been partly filled, but people willing to listen to me drone on about Rugby are still thin on the ground.

Ah well, never mind