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Why being a sports nut isn't just silliness
- Thread starter Buffnik
- Start date
I'll never understand people who roll their eyes or laugh at those who are big time sports fans as if it's insignificant or doesn't matter. Sports are a huge part of American culture and bring a ton of happiness and joy to people's lives.
I'd say that's a relatively recent issue that's mainly arisen in the wake of hyper commercialisation and monetarisation of sports in the last 30 years or so. It's not a problem with sports per se.
VeryBad Wizards had a podcast dedicaded to the topic of sports fandom. Some social psycologists did a study that purported to show that people’s level of upsetness/anger after a loss is greater than the happiness they feel after a loss.
They went on to describe all of the other aspects of being a fan that create happiness and utility: community, nostalgia and schadenfreud to name a few. It was a good listen if you’re into social psych and philosophy.
They went on to describe all of the other aspects of being a fan that create happiness and utility: community, nostalgia and schadenfreud to name a few. It was a good listen if you’re into social psych and philosophy.
I’ve learned to love college baseball. And when the Buffs are good, I like college basketball, all of it since all of it matters.
But I also coach baseball and football and I love it...the sport of it.
I don’t know what you’re referring to
To me, it's very simple.
Early man lived a brutally short life for many reasons, but one was battle. Groups of chimps to this day attack other groups for territory, food, or just because. (Seriously - this is proven. Sometimes chimpanzees attack other chimpanzees, and kill them, for no perceptible reason other than to just do so.) It's more than likely than man evolved to be a fighter. Certainly ancient history through recent history has shown that man is a fighter, and a killer.
In modern life, the vast majority of human beings do not fight, nor do they ever have the possibility of engaging in combat. So what do we do with the evolutionary emotions left over from our brutal history?
Sports. War by proxy.
Early man lived a brutally short life for many reasons, but one was battle. Groups of chimps to this day attack other groups for territory, food, or just because. (Seriously - this is proven. Sometimes chimpanzees attack other chimpanzees, and kill them, for no perceptible reason other than to just do so.) It's more than likely than man evolved to be a fighter. Certainly ancient history through recent history has shown that man is a fighter, and a killer.
In modern life, the vast majority of human beings do not fight, nor do they ever have the possibility of engaging in combat. So what do we do with the evolutionary emotions left over from our brutal history?
Sports. War by proxy.
jizzrag85
Well-Known Member
Yep, absolutely! I’ve recognized these behaviors in myself and had to adjust accordingly, mostly. I’ve learned that if the Broncos are really **** and pissing me off i have to walk away and turn the TV off. It will annoy me for the rest of the night, Rockies too. If it’s a playoff game or important game, it affects me much more so. If we win an important game I will be extra happy for hours on end. If we lose it will affect me for the next day. Most times a win is a sense of relief and a loss is felt much more deeply.
Because Americans play football instead of soccer, we win world wars, we build ass kicking machines like nuclear powered aircraft carriers and afterburner, we have the sack to say “hey, we’re going to do some crazy **** like land a spaceship with a human on the ****ing moon!” Because football.
Hi Larry Fedora, it’s cool to see you hanging out here, but don’t you think you have better uses for your time when you consider the way UNC’s football season is going?
There’s also the tribalism factor in sports just like everything else. It’s “your” team vs theirs, the sport you like vs other sports, which player is the best, etc. Because of the time, emotion and energy spent on the team, you feel like you have some ownership in it to a certain extent. This obviously leads to extreme situations where violence can be a result or other unfortunate outcomes, but I think the good aspects of fandom far outweigh the bad ones.
Lol what the ****? I mean Soccer sucks and all, but this is maybe the hottest take I’ve heard in a few days
I didn’t say because we target helmet-to-helmet that we were able to invent nuclear fission or perfected the strategic combat employment of stealth technology...or broke the sound barrier.
Eisenhower and Gen Omar Bradley - West Point Foorball
Gen Patton - VMI Football
Chuck [Yeager] played basketball and football for Hamlin High School (never went to college)
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Always interesting when I hear certain people who like to look down their noses at sports fans who then turn around and praise the "arts" such as film, theater, and books which end up dealing with the same issues mentioned above of competition, of war and battles, of intrigue and seeking advantage over others.
Many former professional athletes I have heard, both in the public eye and some whom I have known personally consistently mention that while they enjoyed the "game" what they really miss is the camaraderie, the sense of a team on men working together and sharing their successes and failures. Of having bonds that nobody outside of that locker room can share or understand.
Fans will never share that but fans of a team are able to share a common bond, a sense of belonging to a group. Our fandom can allow us to come together with people who we share very little else in common.
It lets us form the groups we need to as social creatures and lets us act out the emotions we need to a decedents of those who had to battle to survive.
Many former professional athletes I have heard, both in the public eye and some whom I have known personally consistently mention that while they enjoyed the "game" what they really miss is the camaraderie, the sense of a team on men working together and sharing their successes and failures. Of having bonds that nobody outside of that locker room can share or understand.
Fans will never share that but fans of a team are able to share a common bond, a sense of belonging to a group. Our fandom can allow us to come together with people who we share very little else in common.
It lets us form the groups we need to as social creatures and lets us act out the emotions we need to a decedents of those who had to battle to survive.
Hornby authored one of my favorite books. Terrific writer.
Yeah. That athletes get paid too much argument is especially stupid.
Deleted member 807
Guest
The cartoon alone, while stupid, would have made me think you were agreeing with the point but adding a joke to it, but the graph makes me think you're actually one of the people who agree with that sentiment.
Deleted member 807
Guest
Dude. Don’t over think this.
My opinion is inconsequential in the big scheme of things.
Just putting some meat on the bones of JR’s observation.
SerenityBuff
Well-Known Member
Nine times out of 10, those same people lose their minds over The Bachelor, Real Housewives or some dumb **** like that.
Just ignore the Hollywood version of the movie.