In my endless need to be self-critical, I can’t help but think of this strip as a rehash of the joke in King Neptune, another strip where the spectre of ecological disaster is raised as a foil for something trivial.  Oh well.

Or are sports trivial?  I’m a crazed fan of the Washington Redskins, and to a lesser extent, the Captitals and the Nationals, with sympathies for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and the Chicago Cubs.  I despise the Dallas Cowboys beyond reasonable measure.  I think deep feelings of tribal identity and loyalty are part of human nature, and sports is a much better way to express them than, say, nationalism or religious crusading.  Sports can take over in a culture, and there’s an opportunity cost…stadiums instead of infrastructure, football pride in place of academic.  But it’s a harmless safety valve and I enjoy it, to the bafflement of a few of my even more nerdcore friends.