The Ultimate Blog Reader Rankings: Which non-sports hobby or interest is best?

I'm back for another round of debates thanks to reader submissions from a survey I put out a few months ago.  Earlier this year, I used the reader submissions to determine which baseball card set from the 1980s was best (see this post for full results).  Today, we are going to do the same thing except this time we'll answer the question:

Which non-sports hobby or interest is best?

Much like last time, I'm going to be feeding all of the reader answers into Pub Meeple.  Once the list is populated in Pub Meeple engine, the site will spit out two pairings at a time and I'll pick the better of the two options.  This process will continue until Pub Meeple has enough information to determine a final definitive ranking for all of us!

Before we begin, a few housekeeping notes.  First, a number of readers put down some form of music as a hobby/interest (some people simply said "music" while others put specific bands or genres).  I decided to lump all of those entries together into a single "music" category.  I did a similar thing with Comic Book entries.  

Okay, here we go on our quest to find the best non-sports hobby or interest!

Round 1:  Music vs. SNES-era Video Games

Wow, a doozy right off the bat!  Personally, the SNES era was my prime video game playing time so I'll always love that era.  In fact, I still have my original SNES and have recently introduced Super Mario All-Stars to my four-year-old son.  He hasn't quite mastered the art of avoiding goombas and jumping over holes but it'll come in due time.  Music will definitely get some votes from me in future match-ups but for the first round I've gotta go with the SNES video games!

Round 2:  Bass Fishing vs. Comic Books

Want to know a dirty little secret?  I'm not always a good nerd.  Oh sure, I teach math, collect baseball cards, and build with LEGO for fun...but there's plenty of other aspects of nerd culture that have never appealed to me.  One such thing?  Comic books.  Also on that list of things that never did much for me?  Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings.  There, have I made enough of you mad yet?!  Bass fishing wins here, easily.

Round 3:  Non-Sports Cards vs. Photography

I don't collect a ton of non-sports cards but what I do collect (mostly vintage Allen & Ginter cards from the late 1800s) I absolutely love.  I also enjoy photography, especially of my culinary creations (see here).  That being said, I'd give up the Instragram before I gave up the vintage A&G binder so Non-Sports Cards it is!

Round 4:  Reading vs. Scale Model Building

For a moment, I considered LEGO as a substitute for scale model building which would have swayed my vote but I don't think those two things are actually related much at all (especially since "minifig scale" isn't even overly well-defined by the LEGO group itself).  Thus, here's to reading for this round.

Round 5:  SNES-era Video Games vs. Theology

My grandfather was a minister and one of my uncles still is a minister.  That being said, I think a lot of what's wrong with the world (historically speaking as well as currently speaking) can be boiled down to religion in one form or another.  Thus, I'd rather keep all my fighting confined to a video game - SNES for the win.

Round 6:  Music vs. Theology

Easy choice here, music (and not the gospel stuff either).

Round 7:  Bass Fishing vs. Painting

I'm a horrible painter (and I don't much enjoy it) so fishing wins (also, I actually like fishing).

Round 8:  Comic Books vs. Painting

There are certain things I'm willing to paint including various woodworking projects that I've done over the years.  Heck, I've even purposely bought myself lots of paints for various things.  I've never bought myself a comic book.  Painting takes this one.

Round 9:  Non-Sports Cards vs.  Astronauts/Space

Ok, this one is tough.  Besides the original A&G cards that I collect, I've also chased after some vintage flag sets and a more modern Topps American Heritage set that included a cool space insert set (and space relics).  So yeah, I do like space but mostly in the contest of non-sports cards...so cards it is!

Round 10:  Photography vs. Astronauts/Space

Space sticks around for another battle but it probably shouldn't.  I think photography barely edges space for this pairing.

Round 11:  SNES-era Video Games vs. Reading

My mother would wish I'd say reading...but, sorry mom.  SNES wins.

Round 12:  Music vs. Reading

I enjoy both of these but I listen to wayyyyyyy more music than I read books so I've gotta give it to music.  Music can definitely thank the likes of Spotify.

Round 13:  Theology vs. Reading

Reading has tried for a victory in back-to-back-to-back matchups and it finally found a topic it could defeat.  Reading takes this one.

Round 14:  Theology vs. Scale Model Building

While I may not care much for modern religion (more so what modern religion does to various people), I will admit that I'm kind of big into Greek mythology/religion.  That's enough to give the nod to Theology here.

Round 15:  Non-Sports Cards vs. Bass Fishing

Both great hobbies but seeing as how this is a card blog I'm giving the edge to the non-sports cards.

Round 16:  Photograph vs. Bass Fishing

One of the most even match-ups of the entire PubMeeple battle so far.  I think I'm leaning photography but if you caught me on a different day I could see myself tossing bass fishing a vote instead.  However, it's photography's day today.

Round 17:  Astronauts/Space vs. Bass Fishing

Okay, whatever I said about Round 16's match-up being even also applies here, perhaps even more so.  I guess I'm leaning Astronauts/Space but only by a (fish's?) whisker.

Round 18:  Non-Sports Cards vs. SNES-era Video Games

Two behemoths fighting it out here.  I'm really enjoying playing my SNES with my son (we've also started Mario 64 on the Nintendo Switch - though for that one he just watches me play and "helps" me find things like the red coins.  It's hard for me to go against non-sports cards but I think I have to give SNES video games this round.

Round 19:  Non-Sports Cards vs. Music

Whew, another tough one for me to decide!  I guess it's music that emerges victorious though I don't feel great about my selection.  Sorry vintage A&G!

Round 20:  Non-Sports Cards vs. Reading

Okay, finally something goes the non-sports cards way.  Reading is good but collecting non-sports cards (often) let's you read and end up with a cool collection.  

Round 21:  Photography vs. Reading

Two hobbies that I legitimately enjoy.  I think I'm leaning photography only because I don't have nearly the amount of free time to read as I used to (and when I do get free time that I'm not using to blog, I generally am taking photos or playing SNES-era games)!

Round 22:  Astronauts/Space vs. Reading

Reading wins.  Remember the old Book It! program from Pizza Hut?  As a kid, I'd get a lot of free personal pan pizzas for reading books.  I think if Pizza Hut brought back that program for adults I'd read a lot more often.  I do like pizza.

Round 23:   Astronauts/Space vs. Theology

The Astronauts/Space category wins here.

Round 24:  Bass Fishing vs. Theology

Bass fishing wins here.  

Round 25:  Painting vs. Theology

Three pairings in a row involving theology.  Honestly, the Greek mythology/religion angle has me putting Theology up above painting here.

Round 26:  Painting vs. Scale Model Building

Painting, but neither of these activities appeal much to me to be honest.

Round 27:  Comic Books vs. Scale Model Building

I'm way more likely to attempt to build a scale model than I am to get into comic books.  I don't know why but comic books have simply never appealed to me at any time in my life...no reason to start now.

Whew!  That does it.  27 rounds to determine the best possible non-sports hobby or interest.  In reverse order, here's the final, definitive ranking:

#11:  Comic Books

#10:  Scale Model Building

#9:  Painting

#8:  Theology

#7:  Bass Fishing

#6:  Astronauts/Space

#5:  Reading

#4:  Photography

#3:  Non-sports Cards

#2:  Music

#1:  SNES-era Video Games

And there you have it, the best non-sports hobby is video games!  Besides the SNES and Nintendo 64 stuff previously mentioned, I also enjoy playing on my Switch and on my PS4 (someday I may splurge for the PS5).  Good times - thanks to all of those who chimed in on the original survey...and you are now all welcome for the completed ranked list!