When You’re Not A Minnesota Sports Fan

What to do in Minnesota when you’re not a sports fan?

I have a confession to make. I’m no sports fan (insert Foo Fighters joke here.) For as long as I can remember, the allure of shouting at a TV screen while attempting to live vicariously through grown men that toss balls around for a living has always baffled me. Yes, I realize that it is sacrilege not to follow Minnesota’s sacred past time of professional sports, but I guess I’m okay with being a heretic. But how does one spend one’s time, if not watching sports? I’m going to throw some ideas out there for all the nerds that are in the same boat as me.

1. Learn how to play an instrument

I have yet to meet a human being that did not believe in the transcendental power of music. All the time that I could’ve spent watching sports, I used to learn to play guitar instead. I’ve been playing for 11 years and I’m still learning all the time. Contrary to popular belief, although a select few are born with musical talent, for most of us it’s a learned skill. This is definitely a worth-while pursuit if you’re as athletically illiterate as myself.

2. Read

Everyone has their own method of improving themselves. For sports fans it’s often through learning the value of team work, and developing the determination to push through physical struggles. But as a nerd, I have found that I enjoy pushing myself mentally rather than physically. And there are few better ways to challenge yourself mentally than reading challenging books. While your cool jock friends are out on the ice, skating and being more physical than you could ever hope to be, you can be sitting inside by the nice, cozy fireplace reading some Carl Jung. Remember, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!!

3. Learn to play Chess

Chess is one of the great intellectual past times. It’s nearly 1500 years old, and there are over 4,000,000 unique possible chess games that can be played. Pretty mind blowing. This is a great way to spend all those hours that might’ve been spent watching sports. Getting strategically efficient enough to play takes quite a long time, and when you’re locked in a game with an opponent that is just as good as you are, games can last for hours. I once had a near 4 hour game when playing in a tournament. Talk about intense!

At the end of the day, we’re not all wired to appreciate sports, so for all my fellow geeks out there, I hope this has been helpful in giving you some ideas for productive ways to spend your time. While Viking’s fans are busy trying to swim out of the ocean of tears they cried themselves, you’ll be increasing your IQ, standing on the sweet, dry shores of knowledge. So be a geek and be proud!