Feivel,
I do agree with you. At point, I was following baseball like crazy. I knew every statistic, every player (major and minor leagues)…my mood would change depending on how the Yankees did (I was in a bad mood when they lost an important game). I was really hooked. At a certain point, I weaned myself off of baseball because I was just getting too obsessed.
So, I still generally keep up with the Yankees, but I dont obsess. I like to know how they are approximately doing. I kind of like that they arent good right now, because I am afraid that during the good years, I’ll get hooked again. I enjoy going to a game every once in a while, but I refuse to let myself back in completely. If I find myself really being sucked back in, I will stop being involved with them AT ALL. It was like a drug to me; I have since learnt to control myself but don’t trust myself completely.
I never thought of it as a mashal to avodah zarah, but I think I agree with that.
(Hey, is this history??? I agree with Feivel???)