tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558468987049060912.post4306250107735868810..comments2012-10-06T14:55:39.482-07:00Comments on Beer League Box Score: Reading BaseballAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558468987049060912.post-18897324113741953702012-06-17T12:42:49.277-07:002012-06-17T12:42:49.277-07:00Hi Eberle: Thanks! I'll be doing more on the b...Hi Eberle: Thanks! I'll be doing more on the baseball/performing arts angle, so I'm glad to learn that was interesting--& what an intriguing note about the group heartbeat! Having been at stadiums during really absorbing & exciting games I can certainly believe that.<br /><br />The amount of women's participation in the ancient Olympics is a bit of a mystery. The common notion is that the Olympics were completely a male event, but there are some scattered records of women participants (& winners.) By the 8th century, the patriarchal tribes had more or less gained control of the Greek mainland, but as you are aware, the matriarchal underlay was always a significant undercurrent in Greek culture. But I do like the idea of Olympic jump rope very much!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558468987049060912.post-36686452412834625852012-06-17T08:59:22.702-07:002012-06-17T08:59:22.702-07:00This was a treat to read. I especially liked the P...This was a treat to read. I especially liked the Plato/ poetry/ performance connection - this was fascinating: "In fact, baseball & sport in general is essentially a specialized form of the performing arts: somewhere between ritual drama & dance, but with teams & scoring." I'm also remembering those ancient Mayan rituals involving ball-throwing that were supposed to have both religious and sport elements...<br /><br />The connection you make between sacred/religious performance/ritual and "fanhood" is also really intriguing. I just read yesterday that people's heartbeats in an auditorium (stadium?)setting will tend to synchronize - which added another physical/bodily dimension to the religious experience (catharsis) that ancient greek drama was built around...<br /><br />I'll also add, as a marian catholic feminist, that in a world that wasn't characterized by the oppression of women, the Olympic Games would have involved sports that girls especially love, like jumprope, with their accompanying poetry and chant - and these would have evolved into a game with depth and richness, the way baseball evolved from boys throwing balls...just something to ponder. Thanks for this post!Eberlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06523773865788173026noreply@blogger.com