Some competitive sports fans have plenty to be embarrassed about.

Their reflex gagging and disgusted complaint,

“Kindness, politeness and compassion in games is stupid and boring,”

These are respected behaviors in cooperative play sports,

and are valued worldwide.

What has become boring to me is the predictable

roughness and rudeness, and the same question,

“You’re telling us not to just get in a game for the traditional awards, but what else is there?”

What else has become boring and uninteresting is the being super defensive, hyper armored, immediately attacking, and rioting

– like their entire existence is threatened.
Boring.

There are no dumb questions, “But how could it be a game if there aren’t winners and losers?”

There are alternatives to the self-righteous behaviors that are not limited to fans in and outside of stadiums, players in bar pool halls, boxing, wrestling, dog and cockfighting rings, race tracks, and oh yes, rodeos.

This feeling of superiority is seen in voting, road rage, and mindless ICE agents, “I am trying to be the best I can be. I drop fast and disagree with everyone helping everyone” beliefs.

What is wrong with no winners, no losers, and only one team,
and just playing to play, no keeping score, everyone gets to play,

not just the best players?

What is right about yelling at people to hurt themselves

and to hurt other animals?

What is right about cursing at so-called opponents, and

the intense rivalry, emotional investment, escalating aggression.

Doing violence.
How ho hum.
I yawn.

See the ✋🏼bored hand.
I’m doing relaxing no destructive play just for the love of it.

For me, fields are not battlefields, wholes not halves win,

and play has no point.
Haven’t agree with this yet? Then try it out.

©️ July 2025 Much Love, Deb Poems

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-homework-myth/202202/the-case-cooperative-games

And Ernest Becker on Heroism 👇🏼

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBbrswEpFTQ