Sports News Above the Fold

For the past few days, I've thought about sports only a couple of times. I've been busy promoting my book WORDS OF A FEATHER. Occasionally, when nothing is on my favorite newstalk radio program, I recall that in the old days I'd go to sportstalk radio. But I've resisted the temptation.

Then, this morning when I picked up our local paper-- the San Francisco Chronicle--I noticed a headline about Don Nelson, coach of the Golden State Warriors basketball team. Immediately, I tossed the paper aside, angry that the editor thought basketball was important enough to put on page 1, above the fold. I speculated that the Warriors, who were struggling for a playoff space when I turned away from sports, maybe earned a playoff space. I asked myself if I needed to know. I decided in the negative.

But later, when my wife was reading the paper, she looked up and commented, "The warriors are in the playoffs." She doesn't care about sports and, as far as I know, has never attended a basketball game at any level. But she was startled to see the report given so much prominence and she thought I wanted to know.

Have I said before: In this culture, it is almost impossible to avoid information about spectactor sports. This is true even in the tightly controlled world of one's own home.