Outside of my family and friends there are only three things I care about: writing, the History Channel and sports. That's it. Sure, there are other things I like, like the Discovery Channel and crab rangoons, but I don't obsess over them, like I do with writing, the History Channel and sports.

Take the TV show "The Office," for example. I love that show! I think it's absolutely hysterical... when I actually watch it, that is. The problem is, when Thursday rolls around and it's time slot comes up, I'm either writing, watching the History Channel or watching sports (or all three if I'm using my laptop and I'm channel surfing).

But there's nothing wrong with obsessing over the first two objects, it's that third thing — sports — where I have a problem.

There has been many a night in which I've gone to bed angry because the Boston Red Sox blew a ninth-inning lead, or times where I've snapped at my girlfriend because the Boston Celtics turned the ball over 24 times. But, no more. I've vowed to no longer obsess over sports. I've decided that if I wrote about sports, if I did it for a job, if I made it my living, then I wouldn't take it as serious. That's because I have a motto, one that isn't new at all, and one that's a paraphrase of something said by Del Griffith, John Candy's character in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" - Like your job, love your life. (Though Del says "wife" instead of "life.")

I incorporated this new outlook towards sports at the beginning of this year's NFL season and I think it will serve me well. I only wish I had this view earlier in my life. See, I first became a rabid sports fan - er, I mean an avid sports fan - in the 1980s. Since I was such a Larry Bird fan (which was synonymous with being a Celtics fan), I hated Magic Johnson, Dr. J, Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas, only because they played for the main rivals of the Celtics. So, I never appreciated how great they really were; I was too obsessed with cheering against them. With my new outlook on sports, however, this whole "not obsessing" thing, has already affected me as evidenced by two things: 1) my view towards Peyton Manning and 2) my feelings towards the Red Sox.

Like Jordan and Magic, I despise Manning, only because he plays for the Indianapolis Colts, who are essentially the Pats' biggest rival. Or should I say I despised him, because I no longer think of him the same way, not with my new outlook on sports. I don't think I'll ever cheer for him, but now when I watch him play I remove all sentiment and marvel at how great he really is. He's like a human robot with his uncanny precision and accuracy. It really would be a shame if my detestation towards his greatness clouded my judgment and prevented me from seeing how great he really is, much like I never appreciated the greatness of the two MJs during their hey days.

The second manner in which my new outlook is evident is my feelings towards the Red Sox. As I write this, they are down in the series 3 games to 1, and even though they have their ace on the mound coming up in Josh Beckett, it doesn't look too good for the Sox. In the old days (about two months ago), I would've taken out my frustrations over the Sox's struggles on my girlfriend, would've made up a reason to be mad at her, like she was turning the pages of her book too loud. Or maybe I would've yelled at a co-worker for borrowing my stapler without asking.

But, no more, not with this new outlook I have towards sports. If the Sox happen to lose this ALCS, I think it'd be pretty cool to see the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. They haven't won one since my parents were born (1948). I now realize that my love for baseball transcends the Red Sox and if it's a Colorado Rockies-Indians World Series, one of those teams will have won a World Series for the first time in my lifetime, something I wouldn't have appreciated with my "old" outlook.

Now when I genuflect, I realize that ol' habit I had - that whole "obsessing over sports" phase - was such a silly thing to possess. It reminds me of a story I read as a child.

For Christmas one year, I received an enormous book filled with sports facts and anecdotes. One of the stories in it was about an essay contest held in Detroit. The author of the winning essay would receive season tickets for the upcoming Detroit Pistons season. The topic of the essay? "Why the Detroit Pistons Are My Favorite Team."

The reasoning the winning author gave was tremendous and it stuck with me ever since, though I haven't put it to use 'til my new outlook came into play. The winning essayist was only eight years old, by the way, but his words could not have rung louder: "The reason why I am a Detroit Pistons fan," he wrote, "is because I don't live in Boston, or New York, or Los Angeles, or Atlanta, or Dallas, or…"

It's so true, isn't it? Generally one's favorite team coincides with the city they grew up in. It's the only reason why I obsess over the Boston sports teams. Or should I write, I obsessed.

Like your job, love your life.