Are there any sports that you just can’t get into watching? I know that’s probably a silly question, as there may be several sports that any one individual has no interest in, but I’m surprised that there are some that I really don’t care about.

I’m a pretty big sports fan. I probably watch way too many sports events on television, and of course, I attend dozens of live sports events each year, so to say there are some sports I just don’t enjoy, seems a bit odd. Afterall, part of it is my job.

I’ve been a sportswriter and columnist for this newspaper since its beginning in 2001 and was a sportswriter for other outlets long before that. Also, I’ve spent most of my adult life broadcasting various sports at many different levels, from youth leagues to professionals. However, it didn’t begin just as an adult. My love of sports goes way back to just about the time I began to walk, but that’s a story for another column.

So, what exactly are the sports that I’m surprised I don’t enjoy?

For one, the UFL. This is the spring professional football league that was formed following the merger of the USFL and the XFL. I was only a fan of the USFL back in the 1980s when it first came to be, however, I didn’t pay much attention to it when it returned in the 1990s and haven’t really cared much about it since its rebirth a few years ago. Same thing with the XFL. It’s professional football. I love watching the NFL, but for some reason I can’t get into the UFL. I’ve even tried to pick a favorite team, and that didn’t increase my interest one bit. This season, I’ve probably watched a grand total of three quarters of UFL action over the course of about five games.

Part of the reason why I’m not interested in the UFL is because it’s played in the spring. That’s when the NBA and NHL are moving into their postseason play, and I’m much more interested in those leagues’ playoffs than what is basically minor league football. Plus, it’s during baseball season, and I’m usually busy working at ORU baseball games as the PA announcer, that on the weekends, I don’t have time to watch the UFL.

Another sport that I used to enjoy, but don’t have any interest in anymore is the WNBA. Yes, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and it’s not like I don’t enjoy or appreciate women’s basketball. On the contrary. I do the play-by-play for ORU women’s basketball and love it. They actually play an exciting brand of basketball. I used to cover the Shock when they were Tulsa’s franchise in the WNBA for six seasons, and enjoyed watching those games in person, interviewing the players and writing about the games. However, after the team moved to Dallas I lost interest. You would think right now, with all the publicity the WNBA has received from the controversial rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reece, that I’d be interested, but nope. I guess I just don’t care to watch a bunch of women pushing and shoving each other, with a plethora of hard fouls that the referees don’t call.

I know a lot of my readers probably would say that they don’t enjoy watching soccer, but I do. Now, it does depend on the level of the game. I coach high school soccer, so I enjoy watching our team play. I do the play-by-play for ORU men’s and women’s soccer, so of course I enjoy watching the ORU games, but I also enjoy watching major international soccer and some of the action in the leagues over in Europe. I’m really looking forward to the World Cup coming to North America next year.

Another sport that I don’t enjoy watching anymore, and I’m not sure why, is tennis. Back when I was younger and the greats like Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe were competing, it was riveting and entertaining to watch. Somewhere along the way I’ve soured on the sport and don’t find it as appealing to watch any more. Again, it may just be that I’m so busy watching other sports that I don’t have any connection to the tennis pros of today. When I do catch a match on television, whether it’s men’s or women’s tennis, I will actually sit and watch for a while because I can really appreciate the skill and stamina those players have.

There may be other sports to add to this list, but we’ll leave it at that for now. I mean, there’s probably nobody alive that would honestly say they enjoy watching every sport of the summer or winter Olympics, so I’m sure we could ultimately add to this list.

Agree or disagree, you can let me know what you think by sending me an email at [email protected]. Who knows, maybe your comment will end up in a future column.

TULSA BEACON RADIO

Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. This week my guest will be former football coach and current Oklahoma State Senator David Rader. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.