5/9/17 Unearned Congratulations
High 50's, mostly sunny.
Another weird thing about sports is the notion of congratulating a fan because their team performed well. It irks and confuses me and I'm though of as a bad sports the way in which I typically react to this which is to say "Thanks, but I had nothing to do with it". This in turn confuses the person who has just congratulated me. I assure them that I am pleased with the result but had nothing to do with the outcome. At this point the other person usually just stares at me like I'm some sort of weirdo and walks away or alternately throws their hands up and says something like "there's no making you happy!"
It is a strange thing that has no analogue in the consumption of other forms of entertainment. I'll wager that almost nobody has been involved in one of the following exchanges:
"Hey, you saw Springsteen on Friday right?"
"Yeah, he was great"
"Well I know you're a big fan so congratulations for enjoying the show!"
Or
"Hey, did you see the new film by (famous and critically beloved director?"
"Yes, it was sublime."
"Congratulations on seeing a great film!"
Or
"Hey, the new Murakami book just came out, I hear it's good."
"I read it already, it's terrific."
"Congratulations on reading a good book!"
You get the idea.
Another weird thing about sports is the notion of congratulating a fan because their team performed well. It irks and confuses me and I'm though of as a bad sports the way in which I typically react to this which is to say "Thanks, but I had nothing to do with it". This in turn confuses the person who has just congratulated me. I assure them that I am pleased with the result but had nothing to do with the outcome. At this point the other person usually just stares at me like I'm some sort of weirdo and walks away or alternately throws their hands up and says something like "there's no making you happy!"
It is a strange thing that has no analogue in the consumption of other forms of entertainment. I'll wager that almost nobody has been involved in one of the following exchanges:
"Hey, you saw Springsteen on Friday right?"
"Yeah, he was great"
"Well I know you're a big fan so congratulations for enjoying the show!"
Or
"Hey, did you see the new film by (famous and critically beloved director?"
"Yes, it was sublime."
"Congratulations on seeing a great film!"
Or
"Hey, the new Murakami book just came out, I hear it's good."
"I read it already, it's terrific."
"Congratulations on reading a good book!"
You get the idea.
Comments