Along with Kimi's decision to drive in Citroen's junior rally team next year comes the inevitable, in my case, waning of my interest in F1. Although I started watchng the sport before he was even driving in it, nonetheless, it doesn't seem to hold anything in it for me now if he's not there. I rarely continue to watch a race if Kimi has exited early. I guess, for me, the allure of F1 is the magic of Kimi's driving. Without it, it's just 20 or so cars making laps around a track. So strong is the effect of Kimi Raikkonen the driver.
Which leads me to this. Reflecting on this, I realize I have a history of abandoning a sport I previously vociferously supported. When I say abandon, I don't mean I lose total interest and move on but more like the passion fades and I invest myself in something else. Usually it comes on the heels of a major change in the team. Before F1, I would religiously follow Liverpool in the EPL. Although after the retirement of Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler being traded and the politics of the club overshadowing the actual football playing, I grew tired. I don't follow the matches anymore but I do take note of the scores and the league table. If anybody asks, I'm still a scouser fan, just not as fanatical as I was before. My eldest sis probably begs to differ. My ferocious defence of the club at any criticism hurled their way by her would probably indicate I'm still a nutter. I know she does it on purpose but I can't stop myself from getting riled up.
Right after the waning of football, I found myself being drawn completely into basketball. I don't know why but the first time I caught a game on ESPN, it so happened to be the Rudy Tomjanovich led Huoston Rockets and they hooked me. To this day my favourite player of all time is number 34 Hakeem Olajuwon. I used to love watching him, Clyde Drexler and later on with Charles Barkley on the court. It just broke my heart that in the 95-96 and 97-98 season the Utah Jazz kept overcoming them in the Western Conference. I started thinking that I was jinxing them and stopped watching. It took a lot to just go cold turkey but after a while I could be satisfied with just the odd bit of news in the paper. It did make me feel better that despite my not watching, they did continue to disappoint by not making it that last mile numerous times. I know that's an odd thing to say about a team I'm supposedly devoted to supporting but to me, that meant I wasn't the reason behind their difficulties in overcoming that last hurdle.
At the same time I got into the NBA, I also started following womens' volleyball. Yea, I know, of all things to get hooked on :P But the on court antics, especially of the very hot headed Cuba players were what reeled me in. There's hair pulling, shoving and A LOT of angry shouting. And all from the first ever game I caught. I was waiting for a Rockets game and that was what showed right before. From there, well, after all that excitement, there was no way I wasn't going to get sucked in. My favourite team were the Russians. I quite liked the look of their star player, Elena Godina. She looks like the female version of Prince William. To me anyways :D No, it wasn't a girl crush. I just thought she was a really great player and the way she took the abuse from the Russian coach was amazing. Now, he was a real courtside character. Always yelling to no end till he'd get majorly red in the face. I always was afraid he'd get a coronary from all that shouting and drop right there during a game. Then, well, as per usual, when they kept missing out on number 1, I thought I was jinxing them so I stopped.
Come to think of it, the only one I feel that I don't jinx when I watch is Kimi in F1. I feel that if I don't watch THEN he gets into trouble. LOL, yes, that's crazy talk but I'm entitled. How do I feel about losing F1? There's a sadness cos I really did love the sport but I don't think I can bear to watch it knowing I won't see my Iceman driving. Sigh. Kimi, you've totally ruined it for me.
Which leads me to this. Reflecting on this, I realize I have a history of abandoning a sport I previously vociferously supported. When I say abandon, I don't mean I lose total interest and move on but more like the passion fades and I invest myself in something else. Usually it comes on the heels of a major change in the team. Before F1, I would religiously follow Liverpool in the EPL. Although after the retirement of Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler being traded and the politics of the club overshadowing the actual football playing, I grew tired. I don't follow the matches anymore but I do take note of the scores and the league table. If anybody asks, I'm still a scouser fan, just not as fanatical as I was before. My eldest sis probably begs to differ. My ferocious defence of the club at any criticism hurled their way by her would probably indicate I'm still a nutter. I know she does it on purpose but I can't stop myself from getting riled up.
Right after the waning of football, I found myself being drawn completely into basketball. I don't know why but the first time I caught a game on ESPN, it so happened to be the Rudy Tomjanovich led Huoston Rockets and they hooked me. To this day my favourite player of all time is number 34 Hakeem Olajuwon. I used to love watching him, Clyde Drexler and later on with Charles Barkley on the court. It just broke my heart that in the 95-96 and 97-98 season the Utah Jazz kept overcoming them in the Western Conference. I started thinking that I was jinxing them and stopped watching. It took a lot to just go cold turkey but after a while I could be satisfied with just the odd bit of news in the paper. It did make me feel better that despite my not watching, they did continue to disappoint by not making it that last mile numerous times. I know that's an odd thing to say about a team I'm supposedly devoted to supporting but to me, that meant I wasn't the reason behind their difficulties in overcoming that last hurdle.
At the same time I got into the NBA, I also started following womens' volleyball. Yea, I know, of all things to get hooked on :P But the on court antics, especially of the very hot headed Cuba players were what reeled me in. There's hair pulling, shoving and A LOT of angry shouting. And all from the first ever game I caught. I was waiting for a Rockets game and that was what showed right before. From there, well, after all that excitement, there was no way I wasn't going to get sucked in. My favourite team were the Russians. I quite liked the look of their star player, Elena Godina. She looks like the female version of Prince William. To me anyways :D No, it wasn't a girl crush. I just thought she was a really great player and the way she took the abuse from the Russian coach was amazing. Now, he was a real courtside character. Always yelling to no end till he'd get majorly red in the face. I always was afraid he'd get a coronary from all that shouting and drop right there during a game. Then, well, as per usual, when they kept missing out on number 1, I thought I was jinxing them so I stopped.
Come to think of it, the only one I feel that I don't jinx when I watch is Kimi in F1. I feel that if I don't watch THEN he gets into trouble. LOL, yes, that's crazy talk but I'm entitled. How do I feel about losing F1? There's a sadness cos I really did love the sport but I don't think I can bear to watch it knowing I won't see my Iceman driving. Sigh. Kimi, you've totally ruined it for me.
