Can I take a moment to lament the end of the NBA lockout? I had forgotten how miserable it was to have CONSTANT games on television. We only have one TV that, if it's on, we watch whatever together. We compromise, generally, but hubby really pushes with the games. If we are watching a show he will flip to the games on a commercial break or if I happen to go to the bathroom or get a drink...and then promise to flip back as soon as (insert some arbitrary marker here). He's completely checked out, I have to ask him at least 3 times to pause it and look at me to make sure he's listening. He's a wonderful guy, but this is a definite vice...this "addiction"/distraction.
So, come on mamas! Lament with me! Do you loathe these sporting seasons as much as I do??
Thanks everyone for the awesome responses! Keep em coming!
The problem is my husband plays fantasy basketball (and baseball and football) and so he wants to watch PLAYERS and see how they are doing and decide if someone is worth picking up or not. To make it WORSE, we have some sports package on TV that means not only does he get like EVERY game that is being broadcast, he can also get them simultaneously on some special sports channel (six games or something on one screen and that will allow him to switch back and forth and around and around). AHHH!
We usually have one or two shows recording per night, so while we are recording a game and a show we are watching something on DVR, or if only one thing is recording he's recording a game and watching a recorded game :-P
I love my husband so much and he works really hard for our family to make the money to pay the bill that lets us have the TV the cable the couch the house everything...so I defer to him generally but OH MY GOD! The squeaking of the sneakers on the court, the whistles the cheers. It's like I'm being conditioned to HATE sports.
I don't mind football it's contained to one day, sometimes two. We have a superbowl party every year. I really enjoy it. But basketball and baseball!? FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY!! Stop the MADNESS!!
No, actually in my home I don't mind the sports. My husband is a huge Military channel, History channel, and Politics fan. At least one of these is on all...the...time. I get so sick and tired of watching and hearing about wars!
My husband now has a man cave for sports but, the BIG tv is in the living room and he makes me CRAZY because he's ALWAYS yelling at the TV. EVEN TENNIS!!! I HATE it!!! He watches every football game (no matter if it's his team or not), Basketball andTennis!!
Only one tv???
Tell your husband I feel for him. He has my sympathy.
I agree with you. I know guys are supposed to be sports fans, but I only get "addicted to sports" when the Olympics come on. My wife likes sports as much as I do and only wants to watch the Olympics like I do.
But I can feel for you because my wife likes "Project Runway" and the only way I would voluntarily watch that is if I was being paid BIG money to do so. So when she turns that show on, I get on the computer or read a book or pull weeds.
Suggestion: Tivo the game or the show. We seldom watch shows or games live anymore. With Tivo, we fast forward through the commercials. A 120 minute movie usually takes 80 to 90 minutes to watch when you fast forward past the commercials.
Good luck to you and yours.
sorry - we don't interrupt the marriage! we both like football and baseball. She likes La Crosse - it's okay for me.
Neither one of us like basketball and were so thankful...well...thankful.
If I flipped the channel like that - my wife would probably hit me with the remote! LOL! We like different sports teams in football so when our teams are playing at the same time - we watch in different places. We have six TVs in the house and garage. She had me put one in there so I can't use "the game is on" not to get stuff done.
Ummmm, baseball...me... Pitchers and catchers report in 15 days! We also only have one TV. Instead of watching the games on TV I watch on the computer. It is SO much better. The TV is free for family viewing and I don't have to watch the game "live". The package lets you watch the game you want whenever you want. Sometimes I watch after everyone has gone to bed and the west coast games the next day (just don't tell me the score!) But, in my defense, I am capable of paying attention to the world around me when I am watching and the game goes on the back burner a lot. They must have the same thing for basketball. Tell him he can watch on his laptop while waiting at the laundromat or while your child is in swim lessons. I love not having to annoy everyone.
thank the stars my husband loathes sports as much as me. I occasionally will watch football (soccer to us Americans) if that's whats on and I HAVE to watch. Thats only voluntary. He is Indian and he hates Cricket, thats like a big no no for them... so I cant really lament.
I pretty much cried with joy when the lockout ended. Sorry :(
Mines not sports.... it's Deer season, Duck season, Turkey season, fishing, dove season, rabbit season. You get the point and here in MO it's always some Season. I discovered Shopping Therapy all long time ago. LOL
makes me want to cry. I love him and want to make him happy but it is an obsession that isolates him. the screech of the sneakers and the annoying stupid comments of the announcers argggg!
I would have to loathe literally every season available. If there was an underwater basket weaving season I would have to loathe it. To make it worse, he is always for the underdog. Our last name is Cleveland, so of course we have to be Cleveland Browns fans and do you have any idea the kind of mockery we have opened outselves up to? And he has a crappy favorite team for every sport and, I guarantee you, the jersey to go with it. It sucks.
But I can't get too upset, because it would be like falling into a never ending abyss.
I'm a life-long Packers fan, so the NFL season is good with me, and honestly, March Madness is a month-long celebration around here. I love college basketball.
All that said, does the baseball season really need to last the entire bleeping year? Seriously. 162 games? No one needs that. My husband is a Cubs fan, and if it were up to him he would do nothing but watch baseball from April through October. Cubs games are more important than anything else *sigh*, you can't even talk to him when they are on TV. I like sports, but I could totally do without the baseball.
Since I'm the sports fanatic in our house...all I can say is (and sorry you may not want to hear this) take an interest in the games/teams.
Now one rule in our house...and I grew up with this same rule...please wait til commercial to ask your questions...if someone is not dying, someone does not need an ambulance.
ETA: MANDA F...you had me at Colo Avs...but lost me at the Broncos! :)
I am the same way at our daughters sports games. I am focused and in the mode...for some of us it's a stress release. I watch games and yell at the team...it totally frees me up and gives me a release of the day/weeks stress to do so.
football, baseball and NASCAR. we have very few sports-free times here. fortunately we have more than one tv so we can escape from each other. he loathes the contest shows i've suddenly become weirdly addicted to (iron chef! america's next top model! top chef! inkmasters!) as much as i do sports.
a lot of times, though, we'll build a fire and put on one of his interminable sports games and i'll just read and make incomprehensible wifely noises at his outbursts of 'did you SEE that!????' and "what the hell?????"
quality time!
:D
khairete
S.
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Which, as it gains in popularity & gets more mainstream, seems to produce some type of event almost every weekend, between the many MMA organizations out there. You think the UFC is the only one out there? Think again.
It's not a huge marital issue, though, because they only last a few hours & I do enjoy the athleticism & talent those guys have - I just really don't like seeing blood & all that. Plus, some of them are not so bad to look at ;-)
I also know that when he watches the fights he is "in the zone" and there's no way I'm going to have a conversation with him about something I want to talk about. I think we all need that "thing" that makes us happy, releases stress, a hobby, or whatever. Of course, if it becomes an obsession or addiction, that's another thing. Which, you are making it sound as if your DH is on that level.
I don't know what to tell you, it sounds like it's a bone of contention in your marriage. A compromise, perhaps? I don't know that I'd want to live my life around what sports are on, and I wouldn't want to be banished to another room all the time, either, just to watch something else.
Would you consider a second TV in another room? My hubbie doesn't watch sports (thank goodness, b/c I've been where you are), but I recall my dad used to watch the game in their bedroom, then when it was over he'd come out and participate with the family. Unless you think your hubbie will go into the other room and never come out....then that's a problem.
Do you have the means to record television programs? Can you cut a deal with your husband that sometimes you record your show and sometimes he records the games?
You all are supposed to be sharing, after all.
The above compromise might not apply for championship games - that might be too hard. But if he's truly interested in the game and not just the score, he should be able to handle watching some of the regular games later.
I don't loathe the sporting seasons, because there are lots worse things to watch. However, I sympathize. My husband has always been a TV addict, and he, too, forgets that other people exist when it's on.
Really, this is so not something to gripe over if you have multiple TVs and a DVR. You don't have to sit next to each other or defer to him....go watch your shows on the other television.
I have a sports "addicted" daughter as well. She was always the one explaining the football plays to the girls that didn't understand football. She's not doing crack or running the streets....they are sports (same for the ex-hubby)!! I loved that they were both involved in competitive sports and we enjoyed going to high school and professional games.
Oh my god I am sooooo with you on this!!! In my house it is 3 against one. My daughter also loves sports. It makes me crazy that our entire Sunday is wasted watching football all day!!!! I sit next to him on my laptop and go on this site, Facebook, and online shop a lot lol!!! I thought the packages coming to the door would piss him off so much we would do something else on a Sunday!!! But I have a great new wardrobe and no where to wear it lol!!!! So I have decided if I can't beat them join them. The last 5 football Sundays I have had football parties, have friends come over, we cook, eat, and laugh. Even though the women who come are also into football it still makes the day go by so much faster and we have wonderful memories now. Everyone brings something so all of the cooking is not on me, and we really do have fun. The Giants are going to the Superbowl as you know so next week is going to be a big ordeal around here lol!!! I don't mind watching the Giants because that is the team they love but all day!!!! To me that is such a waste of time I will never get back. They have actually even gone to games and my daughter has been home with me, and I will say lets do something and she would say no mom I have to watch the game ugggg!!!! No football today though!! Enjoy the day!!!
I actually don't mind. I like that my husband has something that he gets excited about and the kids can share in that excitement with him. He's a hockey fan, so he (we) watch every Bruins game of the season (all 82 plus the post season) and if nothing else is on (meaning I don't want to watch something else), then he's watching other teams when the B's aren't playing. He's also into MMA (which I really don't care for...too gristly) and we are both football fans.
Maybe it would annoy me more if we were both home in the evening on a regular basis but more often than not, either I'm too busy to watch anything until after 10 PM (hockey usually ends before then) or he's not home, so it's rare that we watch TV together. I think that if my husband watched the way yours does, it would annoy me but more because I would wonder how he has the time to do this, not because it's how he chooses to spend his down time. What you're describing does sound like a lot, and my husband is working on his computer writing his work files while the games are on, so it's not like he's totally engrossed in every minute of every game and is shirking on responsibilities or anything like that. Hockey is just what he chooses to have on while doing other things.
Sorry for your misery. Sounds like it is an actual addiction for him. I played fantasy baseball and did extremely well, but I never watched a single game. Fantasy games are about the statistics which are available in print. So let him be honest, he does not need to watch to do well at the fantasy games, he watches because he wants to.
I am fortunate that my DH actually detests all professional sports so we NEVER have a game on here. But all marriages have things that can get in the way of functioning as a team. So I strongly encourage you to find a way to talk about this together. Think about what matters to you and formulate some reasonable requests. A relationship coach can be a great help in discussions like these since they act as a mediator.
Good luck.
