Since ESPN offered the first internet-based fantasy baseball in 1995, Fantasy Sports—and, especially, Fantasy Football—have become ubiquitous. Advertisements encourage viewers to log on now to win hundreds of thousands of dollars playing. In 2016, it was estimated almost 60 million people played fantasy sports in the U.S. and Canada, with the industry bringing in $7.2 billion. As […]
Jack Bowen
The author of 5 books, including Amazon Top-500, The Dream Weaver and, If You Can Read This, featured in the New York Times. Spoke at TEDxStanford in 2017 on the topic of awe. Graduated from Stanford University with Honors in Human Biology; earned his Masters Degree in philosophy, graduating summa cum laude. At Stanford, was a 2-Time National Champion water polo goalie and the NCAA MVP; was the alternate goalie of the 1996 Olympic Training Team. Has taught Philosophy and coached water polo at Menlo School for 22 years, honored as the National High School Coach of the Year. His latest book (2022) explores sports through the lens of Philosophy.
Posted inCulture, Parenting & Family, Psychology
From father to son: Sport as a catalyst for wisdom
In college, I read Umberto Eco’s richly complex and insightful novel, Foucault’s Pendulum. A particular line jumped out at me at the time: “What we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments when they aren’t teaching us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.” This stuck with me years after reading, […]
Posted inCulture, Deep Dive
The ground ball statistic: Hidden glory grounded in the seemingly mundane
OnlySky · The ground ball statistic: Hidden glory grounded in the seemingly mundane Lacrosse fans from all over the world will tune in to watch the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship, featuring a Maryland team poised for history. But lacrosse aficionados will be attending to a facet of the game the neophyte will likely miss: ground […]
Posted inCulture, Philosophy
If you can, read this: The hidden wisdom of bumper stickers
OnlySky · If you can, read this: The hidden wisdom of bumper stickers | Jack Bowen In my years researching and writing If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers, I discovered one thing to be true: bumper stickers have the potential to really rile people up. And it should be no surprise. […]
Posted inCritical thinking, Culture, Deep Dive, Ethics, Philosophy, Psychology
Life isn’t fair, so why should sports be?
OnlySky · Life isn't fair, so why should sports be? | Jack Bowen To help us cope with life’s inevitable setbacks and injustices, we have developed certain aphoristic tidbits. Displayed often on bumper stickers and t-shirts, these include such sayings as, “It is what it is,” or the French version, “C’est la vie.” It also […]
Posted inCritical thinking, Philosophy, Psychology
Sports are for losers: On unavoidable suffering and learning to flourish
The recent Olympic Games, the ensuing NCAA March Madness Tournaments, and all other competitions produce an exorbitant amount of one category of athlete: losers. All told, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games alone sent home more than 2,000 losers. Sports and competition itself is a uniquely unforgiving institution. It’s designed so a large majority of participants lose […]
Posted inCritical thinking, Culture
In defense of fair-weather fans
OnlySky · In defense of fair weather fans | Jack Bowen The Fair-Weather Fan (FWF) is considered one of the most morally depraved individuals in (and out of) the sporting realm. They shift from team to team, demonstrating no sense of loyalty or allegiance, supporting whoever’s winning at the time, and ditching the loser they’d […]
Posted inCritical thinking, Culture, Philosophy, Psychology
Hey curling, it’s not you, it’s us: The silliness and seriousness of sports
OnlySky · Hey curling, it’s not you, it’s us | Jack Bowen One of my favorite diversions during the Winter Olympics involves tracking the popular opinion of curling…in the United States. The overriding conception seems to be that it’s just plain silly. A New York Post article deems curling the “weirdest” Olympic sport and a Google […]
Posted inCritical thinking, Culture, General, Philosophy
No room at the inn for Djokovic: On rules, sports, and exceptions
There’s an old adage of a traveler seeking a room at an inn. The innkeeper informs him they’re booked for the evening. The traveler responds, “But if I were the king, would you be able to find a room for me?” “Well, yes,” the innkeeper responds, “but you are not the king.” “Agreed. But since […]
Posted inPhilosophy, Psychology
The rational fanatic: Is there such a thing?
As I watched the baseball playoffs this past season and then pivoted to the NFL, it turns out I’d unknowingly entered a laboratory exploring the human condition. Sports serve as a great catalyst for such explorations and the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cowboys all provided such a spark: in this case, exploring the ongoing battle between […]