Daily Sports column (in Japanese) can be read here
So, how ’bout them Tigers? No really, how are they doing? Strange question to be asked by someone who has covered the team in-depth and detail for the past 5 seasons… but the truth of the matter is, I have not checked in on them for over two weeks now.
WHAT? Why NOT? You like the Tigers, you’re on summer break from your full-time job… there’s no better time to rattle off articles, podcasts, and more… is there?
Truth is, this is as good a time as any for me to take the team and the website off from the back burner and give them all the fire and attention they need… but I have opted to do things a little differently this summer.
You see, I have decided to make 2019 a year in which I stretch myself out, challenge my values and try to do things I have never done before. I watched a TED talk around the end of 2018, and it has given me the push I needed to try new things.
The premise is that you can do almost anything for 30 days if you try. And I have tried all sorts of things so far this year: various exercise routines (push-ups and jumping jacks every morning, etc.), focuses on health (no sweets, etc.), reflection practices (nightly journaling), and even self-promotion (YouTube videos). They have all been incredibly fun to carry out for an entire month. Some of these habits have stuck with me even beyond the 30 days. Others came to a triumphant close on Day 30 and have never been thought about since. But the point is, I DID THEM. Some were pretty easy, but most have taken a concerted effort, and even a little bit of creativity, to accomplish day in and day out for a month.
My latest endeavor is probably the biggest challenge. I have gotten so deeply entrenched in the Hanshin Tigers, that it literally is impossible for me to completely ignore the team for 30 straight days. I have tickets to games. I have a son who has really started to gain interest in the daily outcomes of games. I write this column, plus a weekly newsletter for JapanBall.
Still, even though this challenge will likely end in failure (like my attempt to do yoga every day) and not last the full 30 days, I am still trying to see how long I can go without jumping back down the rabbit hole. If I see a newspaper headline or read a score, or if someone talks to me directly about the Tigers, I’m not going to run away screaming… but I am not going to pursue anything on my own.
And so I ask you again: How ’bout them Tigers? No, wait… maybe you can keep the news to yourself for now. I’m in hibernation for a couple more weeks!