Slamball

It is funny how our tastes change as we grow up…

When I was younger, I used to wish that sidewalks were made of trampolines.  Think about it. Instead of having to walk everywhere, you could bounce, skip or hop.  If someone ahead of you was going slowly, you could just do a double jump and flip right over them.

Plus, kids might actually stop playing video games and go outside if they could jump to their friend’s house instead of having to walk on boring concrete.

98% of people ages 1-25 years old like trampolines better than concrete. That is just a stat I made up, but it has to be accurate, right?

When I was 16 years old, I would plan my weekends around one trampoline-related thing, Slamball.

If you haven’t heard of Slamball, I don’t know what you were doing in 2003. Slamball is just like basketball except it is played with four trampolines and the players wear pads because it is a full contact sport.

Basketball + Football + Trampolines = Slamball.

Made up of teams like the Slashers, the Bouncers and Mob, Slamball first aired in 2003 on Spike TV. Upon first watching the sport, I just knew that it would become a worldwide phenomenon. If you could have purchased stock in Slamball, I would have spent my entire allowance buying as many shares as I could.

But a shocking thing happened. Slamball only lasted two seasons and has now all but completely disappeared.

As a teenager, I couldn’t understand how Slamball was unpopular. But now, ten years later, I am starting to figure it out.

98% of people ages 26-126 like concrete better than trampolines.

Now that I am close to 30 years old, I am starting to rethink my trampoline instead of sidewalk idea. I have bad knees and a tight back and just the thought of jumping on a trampoline makes me want to schedule an appointment with my doctor.

Slamball was great for my teenage friends and I, but our parents had no interest in a football, basketball hybrid with a team called the Hombres.  Parents already watched football and they already enjoyed basketball. Why spend time getting to know another sport? Plus, just seeing the trampolines probably made them think about calling their doctor.  And no one wants a constant reminder that their knees and back aren’t what they used to be.

It is funny how our tastes change as we grow up.