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It's something that has been a central part of my personality since I was a little kid. I'm in my 20s now so being a sports fan is practically all I know. Not only watching the games but listening to sports radio every day, watching ESPN/Fox Sports every day, searching the web for sports related conversations and stories every day, etc.
A large portion of the friends I've accumulated throughout life I've bonded with over sports. I'm not into video games, not into cars, not into movies, not into TV shows, not into music, not into celebrity gossip, not into social media (unless sports related), not a gym rat and certainly not into politics. Take sports out of my life and I'm nothing.
I'm coming at a point in my life where I want to evolve though. I want to be worldly. I want to be socially flexible. I want to quit watching sports or take a long hiatus at least but I'm finding it difficult to give up. On a nightly basis I am passing up opportunities to indulge in self improvement to watch random regular season basketball games or spring training baseball games, this is a full blown addiction.
My husband is this way. He works, does stuff with his family, and is a sports fan.
Does it HAVE to be an addiction? The only thing I found concerning in your post is the last part where you are giving up other opportunities to watch random games. If that is the case, it's the one thing I would focus on changing. Are you avoiding people for some reason?
If so, figure that out, and then deal with it. Choose a night to stop turning down invitations or to offer some of your own, and trade one activity for another.
You don't have to give up all sports, because it's really not a bad hobby to have. Just find other ways to incorporate a little variety into your life.
It's something that has been a central part of my personality since I was a little kid. I'm in my 20s now so being a sports fan is practically all I know. Not only watching the games but listening to sports radio every day, watching ESPN/Fox Sports every day, searching the web for sports related conversations and stories every day, etc.
A large portion of the friends I've accumulated throughout life I've bonded with over sports. I'm not into video games, not into cars, not into movies, not into TV shows, not into music, not into celebrity gossip, not into social media (unless sports related), not a gym rat and certainly not into politics. Take sports out of my life and I'm nothing.
I'm coming at a point in my life where I want to evolve though. I want to be worldly. I want to be socially flexible. I want to quit watching sports or take a long hiatus at least but I'm finding it difficult to give up. On a nightly basis I am passing up opportunities to indulge in self improvement to watch random regular season basketball games or spring training baseball games, this is a full blown addiction.
Any advice? Particularly from the guys on here.
Don't worry about it. You're still young enough to where being a sports junkie is not all that uncommon. And an addiction is not harmful until it begins disrupting your life in negative and harmful ways. And there are far far worse addictions than watching sports. At least you're not gambling on them! Now there's a bad addiction!
If you really want to cut down, simply give yourself a mandate as to how many events you allow yourself to watch in a given week. Or how many hours. Then fill the extra time by doing one of those things on your list you wish to become more knowledgeable in. I really recommend exercise, or playing a sport. Take it from an ex college jock, when you get into playing seriously, watching gets more boring.
Also, like I said, you're young. Just wait, most guys naturally begin to wane in their interest of watching sports as they get older. When I was your age I was much like you, now I hardly even watch NBA until the playoffs. And even NFL rarely can sit through an entire game. Those commercials! Intolerable. I like MBL but even that, I'll watch maybe two games a week until the playoffs begin. Same deal with NHL. I'll be 38 in a few months.
Oh yeah, I like my sports too: playing, watching and analyzing. I keep it to a certain band-width though, gotta leave time for other things. I've largely phased out football and won't touch hockey, golf, or some others. I leave most time for soccer, basketball and some baseball.
My advice to the OP is to pick your spots better, keep playing and force a new hobby/interest or two. Sports can be a daily pleasure, something that makes us glad to be alive. I'd drop most of the talk radio or TV and focus on important games or events. Drop fantasy sports if you are doing that... that can be obsessive and for what, a small amount of cash? It's just numbing numbers, buy stocks instead.
If you don't travel, why not start? That certainly opened a world of new interests for me. And there are countless examples of sports obsessed people who are very successful in other fields. It's not heroin or booze, you can manage it. Cold turkey sucks... ex drinkers are some of the dullest people around, don't punt a passion, handle it.
I think your easiest way to control this is to just watch YOUR team(s).
I don't watch much random action anymore.
I have an NFL team, an NBA team, two MLB teams, an NHL team, an MLS team and a NCAA basketball team. For the most part I only watch them.
Do you or do you want to do anything productive to harness the addiction, like writing? If you will watch any and every game, I'd think you'd have the perspective, knowledge and time to write about a league as a whole.
I think you'll grow out of a lot of it. I used to watch sports 24/7 but now you can't pay me to watch the first 30 minutes of a regular season NBA game. It's pointless. Same for NFL. 5-6 years ago I couldn't imagine myself saying that.
You just have to find the right balance, all of one thing is never good.
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