I am a WOW widow. We all know that. He’s a football Widower. Yes that’s right, I’m addicted to Football. I love the game. The athleticism, the skill – the excitement… Here’s why I say my addiction is a little bit less annoying than the WOW addiction of my Dearly Departed.
1) Foobtall season only lasts a few months out of the year. Five to be exact.
2) During those five months, games only occur on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with the occasional Thursday.
3) Football is a participation sport – one that many people in a room can watch and enjoy together – seriously, when was the last time we all crowded around the computer and shouted “Go (insert character name here) Go! Cast that magic spell and beat those rouge Hunters!” It really doesn’t have the same sense of excitement does it?
4) If my children share my same passion for football (and they do) – this is something we can use to actually get out of the house together and learn participation and sportsmanship. (My ten year old Daughter is an AMAZING running back.)
and finally
5) Football comes with some really great snacks. That’s right, I can watch a game and eat fun finger foods like 7 layer bean dip, hot wings, nachos, and Doritos – and I don’t even have to worry about getting the computer dirty.
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5 comments:
It seems like you are rationalizing why one addiction isn't quite as bad as another, which is really like saying "I'm not as much of a drunk as he is". A drunk is a drunk, and an addict is an addict. One form really isn't better than another form.
I am an occasional WoW player, but I took offense to your comparisons and points. So let me address them in kind.
#1. I highly doubt you only spend 5 months out of the year experiencing football. Most football addicts out there live and breathe it even when it isn't live, and just take it to the next level when it is. For the 7 other months of the year I highly doubt a football addict doesn't have anything to do with it.
#2. >Most< people who play WoW aren't glued to it 24x7, just like >most< football fans aren't glued to the TV 24x7. However just like with WoW, if you wanted to watch a football game at 2AM on a Wednesday, there are various ways to make that happen like TV channels dedicated to football.
#3. You have obviously never been to a LAN party. People at a LAN party will bring all their computers to one house to play a game, any game, together. I have done this a number of times for WoW as well as other games. The experience the exact same joy and participation you describe. And for when you can't be in the same room, you can get on voice chat to share the same excitement you describe. Most football fans don't call each other up to share the game when they can't visit in person.
#4. May parents share the passion of WoW (or any other game) together. Bonding is bonding regardless of the activity.
Your one point of getting out of the house and being active is valid, but be honest most football fans I know just sit in front of the TV and don't go outside. And to be fair there are live action "versions" of WoW that are 10x more active than than running and catching a ball. Go look up Darkon as one example, and the SCA as another.
#5. So because you aren't interacting with the TV directly, it's better because you can just sit there and eat and not make a mess? Frankly I will take the active participation over just watching something I have no control over. I am a big boy and can eat with out making a mess of my computer.
You made a number of sweeping generalizations about one addiciton over another. Let alone the comaprison as to why one is better than another is what is called rationalizing, you are not being fair and comparing them properly. Both sides have addicts who go to extremes, just like both sides have people who don't. It's all about moderation, and anyone who takes something too far needs help (whether it's WoW or Football).
So please, the next time you want to say why one addicition is better than another, really make sure you are being fair. Comparing moderates from one group to extremists from another really isn't fair, and it seemed like you were doing that in some respects. That and the fact that the LAN party aspect completely nullified one of your points shows that you really didn't do much reasearch above and beyond what you personally observed.
I won't be surprised if you don't post my comment, and I guess I will understand. You have your pain and perspective to deal with. However you could be doing the world a disservice by not comparing apples to apples and giving the rest of the people out there an unfair and innacurate comparison.
Dear Althonis,
I am a former WoW addict. I wasted close to 10 months of my life on this game (not of actual playtime, mind you. ~10 months of being a subscriber). I still >like< the game, and announcement of the newest expansion >almost< makes me want to go back. I have seen the light in realization that addiction to WoW got me nowhere in life (and neither does any other unhealthy addiction for that matter, such as drinking like you mentioned.) Unfortunately, I found moderation to be difficult because all I wanted to do in my free time was play "the game." Thus, addiction. As a former WoW addict and current Blizzard fanboy, I'm not offended by this blog, and neither should you be. I feel bad that you can't see the humor in it. If you truly are one of the rare breeds who can honestly exercise "moderation" between Althonis and WhateverYourRealNameMightBe, then I commend you. Due to your offense to this post, I have trouble believing that's the case. Whether or not that's true isn't important. What's important is this:
It's a humorous blog. Lighten up. Go yell at some of the forums that are seriously aimed at destroying "the game," I promise you they're a much bigger threat.
That is all.
Phil,
You completely missed my point, that incorrect characterization and comparison will lead others to a false impression. False impressions based upon inaccurate data seems to gather steam as they goes from person to person.
If you want to poke fun at WoW, go right ahead. There is plenty to poke fun at. But don't portray it innacurately, or based soley upon the experience of a person who has an addicition. If you are doing so based upon the perspective of addiction, then you are lumping everyone else into that perspective which isn't fair much less funny.
I am happy for you that you kicked your addiction. However I don't think that gives you the right to decide what >I< should be offended against, or why I was offended. People are different, and something that offends you might not with me. I wouldn't begrudge you your right to be offended at something. It's not like I came here and went off on "The Widow", but rather tried to articulate my concerns with the inaccurate comparison that she made. If they were accurate, then maybe they would have been funny?
And as I responded to "The Widow" in her follow on blog to me directly, I have a good work/life/play balance, so no I don't appreciate being lumped in with the stereotype.
I guess I have an issue with the premise that a woman lost her husband to an addiction as being anything remotely funny. But that did not factor into my point/counterpoint break down I gave her, only my overall concern of how she was coming across.
I made my initial point, whether it is being heard or not (which it doesn't sound like it is). At this point I am only responding to replies as beyond that I don't intend to visit a website who again is a humore site based off loosing one's loved one to an addiction.
I'm cruising blogs while my gamer eats his candy, and I'm pretty amused. Thanks for sharing.
Cute blog! I can totally understand the frustration with the game, and finally decided upon a if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them course of action after watching my guy play for months :) To my surprise, it is actually pretty fun, and I now have a level 65 warrior!
Good luck with your recently departed, hopefully he comes around and learns to play a little less - having fun in life is incredibly important, but so is moderation! And always remember, if worst comes to worst, you can always drink the kool-aid too! I play on the Grizzly Hills server if you want someone to level with :)
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