Overused Concept posted:

Meager Man slouched further in his chair. Occasionally he nodded towards Co-worker Man, mumbling in agreement. Oh absolutely, the referee made the wrong call. Yes, of course unsportsmanlike conduct is completely subjective. They'll definitely beat the Broncos this Sunday for sure.

In truth, Meager Man hadn't watched a football game in years. He had played a little soccer in his youth but hadn't really kept up with sports after high school. He couldn't care less who got traded or any of the seemingly random player statistics pouring out from Co-worker Man's mouth. Some days he did try to change the topic of discourse, but to no avail. Other days he wondered why he was putting up with this; he could be finishing the Cossack report Doctor Wily had been on his case about. Yet he was reluctant to turn away what was the most relatively positive social interaction he would have all day, even if it was more of a monologue than an actual conversation.

He noticed his coworker had stopped talking and expected a response. A slight nod and the torrent of gridiron analysis resumed. It's better than nothing, thought Meager Man.