How to Talk About Sports at Work … When You’re Not a Sports Fan – Corporette.com

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I’ve never been much for sports, but Elizabeth has — and she’s generously offered to suggest tips on how to talk about sports at work! Big thanks to Elizabeth! – Kat

A reader recently asked for tips about how to become “conversational” enough about sports to be able to follow along when her colleagues’ chitchat headed in that direction. With the caveat that no one has to learn about sports if they’re not interested, I have been designated as a Sports Friend by many folks who have found themselves in similar situations and am happy to assist.

Without totally messing up my semi-anonymity, I will say that I earned my credentials by playing a lot of sports as a kid and teenager, being driven to those sports by a dad who listened to sports talk radio, and attending undergrad and law school at a Big Sports School. After decades of playing, coaching, refereeing, and watching sports, I promise you that I’ve put in my 10,000 hours and then some. 

With my bona fides firmly established, I offer the following suggestions.

How to Talk About Sports

Don’t fake it

If you truly don’t care about sports, it’s totally fine to opt out. Personally, I cannot get myself to care about basketball. If that’s where the conversation goes, I’m probably not going to be too involved, and that’s fine. If you put in a few hours of trying to watch something and you just can’t get into it, it’s okay to let it go.

don’t go overboard

If your colleagues go nuts for college football, or you have a client who’s really into a certain WNBA team, that’s where we’re going to focus. No one has time to be an expert on all the sports.

Learn a little bit about the basics of the game

This will take a little work, but it’s fun! There are a few options for this. I would probably start by taking myself over to YouTube for some explainer videos. For example, the professional sports leagues have strong social media presences and an incentive to get more people hooked. The NHL has Hockey 101 with Snoop Dogg, the MLB has Intro to Baseball, and the NFL made this fun little video for non-American viewers.

Another great option is to find a patient friend who really loves a sport and treat them to tickets to a game. I promise you, they would love nothing more than to sit and talk your ear off for a few hours about how the game works and why that team is so special, in exchange for a few beers.

(I have been this friend. It’s glorious.)

If you don’t feel comfortable with that, turn on a game and fire up ChatGPT. I just typed in “Explain the rules of baseball to someone who doesn’t like sports,” and the response was pretty great.

{related: using AI chatbots to plan a vacation}

When you feel like you have a handle on the basics, just watch a few games and let yourself enjoy them! I promise, there is nothing complicated happening here, and you can absolutely understand the general idea after a few hours.

(The only exception to this is cricket. I am so sorry to the cricket fans — it is just completely over my head!)

Pick an entry point that feels authentic

You’re probably never going to be someone who has an encyclopedic knowledge of sports statistics. That’s okay! Most people are pretty casual sports observers, anyway. We’re here for the spectacle! With a basic understanding of a sport, you can keep an eye out for the big stories — take a quick glance at ESPN.com or read the headlines in the sports section of your local paper to keep up on local teams. You’ll start to recognize names and faces after a little bit.

If your local team is doing well, follow along! The electricity of a hometown team heading toward a championship is so much fun.

Check Out The Athletic — OR try A PODCAST

If you want to take a broader view, I recommend using your New York Times subscription to get access to The Athletic. They do a great job of writing about sports in a way that doesn’t just report on who won last night’s game, but also talks about some of the bigger cultural impacts. For me, I’m not going to feel comfortable having a detailed conversation about various NFL draft prospects, but if I’m sitting at a table with a bunch of folks talking about the draft, I’m absolutely going to bring up this NYT great article about the suits the players wear.

There are also a lot (A LOT) of sports podcasts available if you really want to drill down into something specific. Some of them can veer into a pretty toxic area if you’re not careful, so be judicious, but if you’re really dying to learn more about the Buffalo Bills or Everton FC, there’s a very good chance that there are hours and hours of podcasts available for you to peruse at your leisure.

{related: how to deal with political talk at the office}

Jump right in!

If you’re involved in an office culture where sports are a big deal, don’t feel like you have to be an expert to get involved. If your firm has box seats, they’re not just for superfans! If you have an office-wide fantasy league, join in!

Yes, there are always going to be some dads, Brads, and Chads who are going to try to exclude you from the conversation regardless of what you’re bringing to the table. I trust you can identify those folks and steer clear of them. For the rest of us, we love to see people making an effort, and we’d love to take 10 minutes to explain how to draft a fantasy football team and then take credit when you inevitably win the whole thing.

when you FEel lost

If you find yourself in a conversation where you’re out of your depth, just say so! No one is going to be mad at you for not having a favorite member of the 1986 New York Mets. You’ll avoid sticking your foot in your mouth and you’ll give the other person a chance to show how much they know. If you’re trying to connect with people, you often get further by letting them talk about their favorite things, anyway.

I’m a believer in the big tent approach to sports fandom. There’s room for casual observers and die-hards! Welcome! 

Readers, do tell! Are you seriously into sports (tell us which ones!), just a casual fan, or someone who favors the term “sportsball”? Do your coworkers talk about sports a lot? Do you ever feel left out if you don’t know anything about it?

Psst: If you’re a soon-to-be summer associate or summer intern worried about some “fun” summer associate events like golfing, baseball, sailing, an office pool party, or something else where you don’t know what to wear? Check our previous discussions. 

Stock photo via Stencil.