I fall into the set of women who hold a true, vested interest in sports—the actual . . . wait for it . . . fan. I grew up in a college town and developed an early addiction to college basketball. I went to graduate school for sports journalism and now work for a sports magazine. As such, if you ask me to identify the hottest I assume you mean the best home run hitter in the MLB right now, I can tell you that it’s David Ortiz (and not just because I’m a Red Sox fan).
Last night, I found myself briefing my roommate’s boyfriend on the current state of the Yankees. Unlike most men, who fall into this third category, he is an admitted non-sports fan. I applaud him for this, as most men in a bar would be ashamed to confess on college football Saturday’s that they don’t know what time ESPN Live GameDay coverage starts.
So, when left with these three groups, which do men prefer to date? Surprisingly, the first category rules the singles scene. As one 28-year-old New York male said at a bar, “I think it’s a plus if she likes sports, but not really a minus if she doesn’t, unless she doesn’t respect their importance.”
Added another single thirty-something: “A rabid fan sounds good in theory, but unless she likes my hometown teams, the relationship will likely be more trouble than it's worth.”
As one of those rabid fans, I couldn’t agree more. My female friends typically assure me that I am a “guy’s dream” with my vast sports vocabulary and intelligence. In theory, yes. In practice, not so much.
On my last few dates, I’ve either found men who try to “one-up” me with their sports knowledge; rather than cute flirty banter, we launch into sports warfare. Is the designated hitter an abomination to baseball? If Vanderjagt had made that field goal, would the Colts have won the Super Bowl? You know--the hypotheticals that normally dominate sports conversations.
Then there are times when men are annoyed at my extensive knowledge. They actually are put off by me sharing what I know, and thus I lean toward category two to avoid their resentment. Hopefully, you can find common ground with your date on what might be your favorite pastime—well, besides drinking, of course.
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