Alright I am on leave now, at least officially. Means I get to catch up all on the youtube videos I have been saving up, start reading books I have been tagging to read for later, and most especially open this blog again.
And since being on leave, one singular thing has happened that made me think for quite some time
And that was Vettel overtaking Webber in Malaysia.
The issue with Vettel is actually straight-forward. He acted like a spoilt brat, and is probably going to pay for it one way or the other. But interestingly enough the reaction is what is mildly surprising. For one, I for my part do not look to Vettel or the other world champions of any brand of sports to derive my morality or sense of reason from. It starts from all the superstitious beliefs they hold, to the way they define themselves by their ability to win. Anyway long story short, I think people should stop expecting celebrities to be moral compasses.
But this race, made me ask myself why I am watching the sports in the first place, and that is in the order of priority, pushing the limits of man and machine, the influence of strategy, and how this is a team sport. But in that order. So playing it safe, on the wear and tear and on the fuel consumption is like watching a few old ladies driving sensitive cars back home. And for that I could go as far as to be grateful for Vettel. He knew by disobeying that he may lose the tire and lose all points, but he still went for it and that is I think what may be commended. The fact that he was on a completely different tire strategy than Webber also doesn't help the situation. He actually saved his tires in qualifying for the last leg of the race, and it should not have surprised the commando stand that his tires will go the distance. But that still does not absolve him of being an idiot in the last race.
So why does anyone watch sports? I like to think I am watching people do superhuman things, not through magic, but through dedication and training. Like watching the top four tennis players, hit the ball where ever they want on the lines. Like snooker players finishing complete frames in one go. Or in F1 where a single mistake will cost you positions, or a single mistake by the entire team has an impact. This would probably include all sports where the athlete is competing alone or in unison. Like a pitstop, or rowing. This can be trained over and over again, and that training will be noticeable in the results. That is why I am willing and cherish to waste my time in front of the television watching such people perform. And this is one of the reasons I cant get myself to appreciate any team sports like football or basketball, where the performance level of individual players can differ and I for one cant judge how good or bad that team just performed.
So that is 2 cents worth for anyone stumbling across here.
cheers
