I wasn't a big fan as a kid because I never felt like I had talent at it, and my poor performance would make me feel like a failure, especially when I could see disappointment on the faces of my pickup game teammates.

In college I did sports medicine as an extracurricular activity and spent lots of time preparing and rehabbing athletes, talking with them, and also watching the sports right from the sideline, and I developed an understanding of the stakes and passion and decisions involved.

I've developed a board gaming obsession over the past few years, so I notice strategy in a lot of areas now, and I can firmly say that I can respect and enjoy the strategy in a game now. I also have become a huge fan of youth sports as a parent, seeing how desperately they need activity and time with their peers for their development, even more so than when I was their age.

The only thing I just don't really get about sports is the fervor. I don't have it in me to commit to a team or player and track entire careers, have arguments, refer to the home team's performance in the second person ("we", "us"). I will gladly watch a sports movie or documentary, though, and occasionally a game (preferably as close to the field as possible)