I used to be all about THE FOOTBALL. I played twice a week, had a season ticket at the Villa, and would watch games between teams I sometimes had no idea where they were even from* if they were on my tellybox (*lies, as a geography nerd, I know where everywhere is). I wrote for the Villa fanzine and I subscribed to WSC, World Soccer, and even Four Four Two at one point, and many of my conversations would revolve around a football. Then my interest dipped. And dipped. And dipped some more. There were reasons for this: stopping playing, the Villa turning into just another big (don't laugh) club, and football's continuous march towards a land made entirely out of money. I'd still keep an eye on what was going on in non-league, and a weird obsession with reading Jefe's MLS updates, and BB&F!'s travelogues, but other than that I just did not give a single shit any more.
The events of the past few days have brought something home to me. First Liverpool, then Tottenham, and now Arsenal and Chelsea, have made it to European Finals, some of whom in spectacular manner. Football friends are all over it, and I know the past me would have had a similar reaction. I've never been one of those people who supports English clubs in Europe, and even have a hard time with the national team lately, so my reaction SHOULD be one of absolute horror, disgust that this has happened (one of the few things I have retained is an absolute fear of Liverpool winning the title), and a dogged resolve to ensure that people who are enjoying it have it ruined for them. You know, like a fan does?
But I don't feel anything. Either way, It's just a thing that happened. And this made me wonder whether I'm now disinterested in football (at least beyond the couple of things I weirdly retain an interest in) rather than uninterested in football. To my ear, there's a difference between the two, in that being uninterested can be reversed but true disinterest is bedded in? Anyone else - and I realise I'm asking this on ostensibly a football forum - feel the same?
The events of the past few days have brought something home to me. First Liverpool, then Tottenham, and now Arsenal and Chelsea, have made it to European Finals, some of whom in spectacular manner. Football friends are all over it, and I know the past me would have had a similar reaction. I've never been one of those people who supports English clubs in Europe, and even have a hard time with the national team lately, so my reaction SHOULD be one of absolute horror, disgust that this has happened (one of the few things I have retained is an absolute fear of Liverpool winning the title), and a dogged resolve to ensure that people who are enjoying it have it ruined for them. You know, like a fan does?
But I don't feel anything. Either way, It's just a thing that happened. And this made me wonder whether I'm now disinterested in football (at least beyond the couple of things I weirdly retain an interest in) rather than uninterested in football. To my ear, there's a difference between the two, in that being uninterested can be reversed but true disinterest is bedded in? Anyone else - and I realise I'm asking this on ostensibly a football forum - feel the same?
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