Posted by Sean C on Aug 21st, 2007
Over the past few years, the definition of geek has been in flux, with many different types of geek being established: comic geek, gamer geek, role-playing geek, etc… One type that I believe needs to be recognized now is the sports geek. It’s time.
Not only is the sports geek a hardcore fan - living in Massachussetts, I can attest the Red Sox are a borderline religion - but they go far beyond body-painting and armchair quarterbacking. The fairly recent explosion of fantasy sports leagues goes to show that the pen and paper games are not limited to just the role-players. Are the professional athletes so different from dice in that context? There are plenty of hardcore fantasy enthusiasts out there, and even ESPN covers the fantasy impact of superstars live on the air. Not only are there no real established rules for fantasy leagues - the participants usually set the rules and conditions for victory - but the level of bargaining, strategy, and attention to detail can make a fantasy league appear more like a game of RISK than a pretend sports league. Now that’s geeky, folks.
The internet is a haven for the sports second guessers. Hardcore fans will debate every play, every move the manager/coach makes, and every deal the front office cuts. The only thing that I can think of that compares is the old, “How much did the Stars Wars prequels suck?” conversation.
Oh, and those people that wear the body paint, jerseys, etc? Sports cos-players.
I think it’s about time to recognize this new breed of geek that has gone largely undetected and ignored by the “mainstream geeks”. They’re brothers in geekdom.
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August 21, 2007 at 7:43 pm
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