For the unfamiliar...

A while back (few years) I use to do a semi-regular post called the OMBD's. It was just a way for those who not only love to watch hoops but love to play them, to shoot the shit about the hilarious, insightful, painful, inevitable and fulfilling nuances of trying to remain hoopfully active in the face of adulthood and growing responsibilities.

Age is irrelevant when it comes to the OMBD's (kinda). The requirements for participation are simply being an adult trying to juggle grown man biz with a joyful obsession with hoops. It doesn't matter if you're 40, wifed up with 3 kids or 25, single and dependent free, you can still participate if you have a real job, only get to the gym a few times a week (or as often as time allows) and can relate to whatever the discussion is.

Old man simply means...not a kid anymore. You don't depend on your parents to support you, don't sleep until noon, go to class and then go to the gym 5 days a week. Those days are long gone.

Now that we've covered the basics...

I'm going to try and do this somewhat regularly. I think I'll post it on Friday's as they seem to be lighter days for most people, who are just biding time until the clock strikes 'weekend'.

Today's topic:

REAL MEN PLAY BASKETBALL?

Notice the question mark at the end of that sentence. It's something I had to ask myself after witnessing a disturbing trend during my regular hoop day.

YMCA - Saturday
6:30 am in the Chicago Suburbs...WHAT?!?! (http://tinyurl.com/kg5x2po)
The HR Generalist got GAME!!! lol

So we're getting our normal run in and for as long as I can remember, when a group of guys are on the sideline while two teams are playing, we do 1 of 2 things;

1) Talk shit about the guys on the court, cracking jokes and laughing at whoever get's crossed up, dropped off, dunked on, worked, etc. and keep score/play mediator if there's any disputes.

OR

2) Shoot the breeze about sports/women (or any other things men discuss...home repair, cars, whatever).

That's it. Grown man at the gym biz right? Well about 3 weeks ago, I noticed a disturbing trend at my regular gym; dudes was all in their devices and reading books! WTF?!?!

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm an advocate of getting your learn on but the gym is supposed to a sacred, testosterone fueled, competitively pure, chest thump housing cathedral where the stresses of the week, exercise and camaraderie congregate. Not a glasses-out-reading, swiping-up-my-tablet haven!

I was kinda shocked. :/

Nah, not in my house! I QUICKLY began to go in on these dudes. I called one a 13yr old girl because he was on Facebook and told the other dude reading the book (in his READING GLASSES no less), in so many words, that "The Professor" was a hoops nickname not an ideology. (I was waaaay more animated about it than I represented here but you get the drift)

Whole sideline cracked up, they put the extra curriculars away (eventually) and we went back to the stat quo.

But I'm saying...where they do that at? I can see someone checking their phone/text or what not but surfing FB/Twitter, catching up on 50 Shades of Grey?

Have ya'll notice this trend?

Is the world on it's head?

What's the weirdest sideline behavior you've seen at the gym?