The other day, a friend questioned my sports fandom when I told him I didn’t last beyond the 3-minute mark in the N.D-Penn State game. That I had to work that morning seemed to assuage his hurt feelings. Furthermore, I didn’t really care that much about the outcome.

In the past week, sports tribalism has been swirling around in my head. The discussion (on someone else’s blog) leaned heavily on professional teams and not college. Without someone with a rooting interest in a weeknight game, I’m less likely to invest too much energy watching such a game.

Even though I played fantasy football for the first time in decades, I couldn’t sit through and entire NFL game this season. I did watch a few Bears games, but not from stem to stern. I’ve outgrown the Bears and not just because they’ve stunk for the better part of this century.

While it’s no longer my cup of iced tea, I appreciate how others remain passionate about their team(s). Except for few years in college, I never enjoyed the solitary TV watching of football. When people talk about sports fandom and who one roots for being in their DNA, rooting for an NFL team was never in my DNA, or rather my Dad’s non-passion for the NFL and the Bears got passed down to me. We were a baseball and college hoops family-which isn’t to say that we don’t enjoy watching other sports-none of them occupy my thoughts the way baseball does.

For several reasons, I no longer rush out to a sports bar or favorite restaurant to watch the NFL on a Sunday afternoon, unless a friend suggests the diversion. In fact, I always loved catching a Bears game at most any Lou Malnati’s bars, or other iconic area watering holes. The only time I enjoyed going to sports bars to watch the NFL was in Arizona where I would enjoy rooting for the Bears with other transplants or watching friends watch their teams battle one another. That was more about the theater than the games themselves.

All that being said, I don’t have strong feelings for any of the teams in the playoffs. I’m curious to see how the Vikings do (after a lifetime of discounting the franchise) because of their head coach. I hope the Lions do well but won’t lose any sleep if and when they lose.

If someone suggested going out for a game next weekend to revel in other people misery, I might be so inclined. Watching a future Packers game with friends from north of the border might be entertaining.

While most sports fans’ eyes have been glued to the TV the past few days, I was more interested in a college basketball game yesterday. Luckily, the game was on some CBS Sports channel, and I don’t have a subscription. I was spared a horrible conference loss (after watching two great wins) and yelling at the screen. I’ve long since given up on watching those games on TV in public.

I hope everyone enjoys the games no matter how noncompetitive they are!