University of Virginia Library

Member Of Davis Group
Tells "Why I Hate Sports"

By Ray Fenwick

Ray Fenwick plays lead guitar
for the Spencer Davis Group, which
provided the entertainment at the
Openings dance. At a cocktail party
last Thursday we broached the idea
of writing of his feelings about
sport in general. What he had to say
is presented forthwith sports
ed.

At a university cocktail party
the sports editor was heard to
say, "Which one of you guys is the
rugby player?" My answer to that
was, "I hate sport, period." He then
asked to write an article on the
subject for your paper, so here we
go.

I never really took any interest
in my school's sporting activities
but being rather a lazy bum I guess
accounted for it. Sport for me, and
I'm sure for many others is fine in
small doses. The occasional kick of
a football or maybe we'll watch a
sporting event on T.V. when the
other channel is showing a 1937
movie. But are we really serious
about the game or do we just love
the spectacle?

Boxing is the best and most
disgusting example of a spectacular
type of sport. How thousands of
people can watch two guys beat the
hell out of each other and say they
are witnessing a sporting event
beats me.

I must admit I was one of the
biggest fans of the Olympic Games.
I wasn't turned on because Joe
Soap could jump farther or higher
than the next guy. I dug the games
so much because I could become
part of it and support something.

It gave me a buzz when Britain
won their various medals but it
could have been for a cake eating,

egg swallowing, or dance contest. It
would have had the same effect.

Spectacle is my word for sport
and this applies every Saturday
afternoon in England. The English
football game... every week football
matches end in violent brawls so
how the hell can people honestly
say they take this so called sporting
event seriously.

I never have liked the idea of
brawn before brains but so often
brawn conquers the brain. Sad. In
America especially it seems that to
be the all American boy one has to
be six foot three and have the build
of the All American football player.

This whole system of man
having to prove he is a man by feats
of strength and endurance is a
complete farce to me. This happens
so much in schools. The weakling is
always the underdog but nine times
out of ten he is the one who knows
where it's at.

Why is everyone trying to prove
he can outdo the next man? Everyone
to his own bag. By the same
token I know I shouldn't knock the
sports fanatic but in so many cases
sport is thrust upon us.

Another thing sport does is take
all femininity away from the
woman in sport. It also makes man
out to be super human. Human yes
super no.

I think I'll stick to the occasional
game of cards and maybe,
when the mood takes me I'll indulge
in that ever energetic game of
chess. See you all on the football
field.