For those of us who find solace in the football pages, summer is a moment to catch our breath between seasons. Yet even in this lull, I find myself drawn to the Olympics, captivated by sports I barely recognise and quickly forget for the four years between Games.
Like many, I become a fan of BMX, women's rugby sevens, synchronised diving or any gymnastics event for two weeks every four years. This brief, intense passion hibernates until the next Olympics. It's an enjoyable distraction, a temporary escape, but in truth it's also a way to fill the void left by football's absence, a sport that for better or worse shapes much of my life.
I often wonder how healthy this relationship with football is. The Olympics stave off the withdrawal from football. I spend far too much time seeking meaning in what is an arbitrary game. I wonder how my life might be better if I didn't spend so much time aligning my schedule to football fixtures, or obsessing over where our team can strengthen or whether our pitches can be improved. Sometimes, I imagine that life might be simpler if I fell in love with a less consuming sport, such as one I've just watched. Maybe climbing.
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