What makes the humans so estatic when "their" teams win. I see it all the time. People crying and carrying on after the home team wins a championship. More and more I don't get it. I like sports as much as the next guy but the level of personal investment in a teams fate is mind boggling at times.

First of all the members of Red Sox or Pats could give two shits about me. Second, the fact they won makes zero difference in your life. You still get up the next day and go to work. Really, what is the difference? I guess the big question is why do we more and more care so much about sports.

Anyway that's my utterly depressing line of thinking for the day.

I do agree to some extent. There was a story in the latest SI about tailgating and the crazy things people do to follow their favourite team around and there was one part where the author of the piece was saying that people were running around on their cellphones "putting out fires in their real lives". Now I am a huge sports fan but to follow around a football team to the detriment of your real life, your family, your work, whatever is just STUPID.

Chuck Klosterman made this point about pre-season football. None of us pay attention to the pre-season because "the games don't count." But, Klosterman asked, why does the regular season count? The members of the losing team don't get executed. The city represented by the winning team does not get a cash reward. All of sports is exibition and entertainment. The idea that some of it "counts" while some of it "does not count" raises the issues that you raise. Why does any of it "count" in any meaningful sense?

Sports are fun. And I get caught up in the ups and downs of my teams. But I agree that, in the end, it is just entertainment.

Because it's nice to have a pick-me-up every once in awhile. And the longer it takes to win, the greater effect of the pick-me-up.

OR

Our society puts so much on winning and being the best, that we want to "pick" a team that ends up doing well, and then we can gloat to everyone how we're superior at picking winners.

Yup.

Sports are fun. And I get caught up in the ups and downs of my teams. But I agree that, in the end, it is just entertainment.

Same here.

Yesterday morning during my drive into work, the sports talk radio guys were talking about if and, if so, how your view of sports changed after 9/11. People had their various takes on it, but mine is pretty simple: none at all.

Sports has always been just about entertainment for me. I get emotional when my team wins (happy) or loses (sad, angry, depresses, and/or frustrated), but that hasn't changed any.

The events of 9/11 and sports are so far removed from one another (in my mind), that there wasn't any impact or overlap at all.

Sorry

I guess this is your gripe with the "we" thing too.

My question would be why is it important for you to give a damn about my joy at "my" team winning a championship? And why is it "depressing" for you that I get joy out of it?

Yeah, I get up and go to work no matter what happens to the Broncos or the Nuggets or the Avalance or the Rockies. Their winning and losing doesn't prevent me from having a great all around life.

I still choose to invest my time cheering those teams on. I'm excited when they win and feel a little down for a bit if they suck or if they lose. I don't kick the dog if they lose, but I'm a bit bummed out.

I can live with that and it works for me. Why do you have such a big problem with it?

Overthinking

I think our teams are our surrogate armies. They are our ways to exert vicarious dominance over other cities/factions.

I guess this is your gripe with the "we" thing too.

My question would be why is it important for you to give a damn about my joy at "my" team winning a championship? And why is it "depressing" for you that I get joy out of it?

Yeah, I get up and go to work no matter what happens to the Broncos or the Nuggets or the Avalance or the Rockies. Their winning and losing doesn't prevent me from having a great all around life.

I still choose to invest my time cheering those teams on. I'm excited when they win and feel a little down for a bit if they suck or if they lose. I don't kick the dog if they lose, but I'm a bit bummed out.

I can live with that and it works for me. Why do you have such a big problem with it?

I don't. Just an observation.

I don't. Just an observation.

Well, the observation is wrong on at least one front. We don't care more and more about sports. In terms of world history, we probably care less now than we have at most other times.

From going back to the Greeks, the Aztecs, the Romans, even the people of Easter Island. . . sports and athletics were usually pretty high on the list of priorities, with the losing side ending up dead in a lot of cases. The sports have changed, but their importance hasn't really gained in any meaningful way from any other point in history. Outside of some jack asses having an excuse to riot after a big win/loss, I don't see anything differnt now than any other time.

Well, the observation is wrong on at least one front. We don't care more and more about sports. In terms of world history, we probably care less now than we have at most other times.

From going back to the Greeks, the Aztecs, the Romans, even the people of Easter Island. . . sports and athletics were usually pretty high on the list of priorities, with the losing side ending up dead in a lot of cases. The sports have changed, but their importance hasn't really gained in any meaningful way from any other point in history. Outside of some jack asses having an excuse to riot after a big win/loss, I don't see anything differnt now than any other time.

Not living in those other times I can't comment. As far as today and the "more and more" part of the inital musing it just feels that way to me. Maybe I'm becoming an old fart. That's possible.

Not living in those other times I can't comment. As far as today and the "more and more" part of the inital musing it just feels that way to me. Maybe I'm becoming an old fart. That's possible.

Becoming . . .?

I guess this is your gripe with the "we" thing too.

My question would be why is it important for you to give a damn about my joy at "my" team winning a championship? And why is it "depressing" for you that I get joy out of it?

Yeah, I get up and go to work no matter what happens to the Broncos or the Nuggets or the Avalance or the Rockies. Their winning and losing doesn't prevent me from having a great all around life.

I still choose to invest my time cheering those teams on. I'm excited when they win and feel a little down for a bit if they suck or if they lose. I don't kick the dog if they lose, but I'm a bit bummed out.

I can live with that and it works for me. Why do you have such a big problem with it?

Being excited if they win and down if they lose is fine. That seems to be the extent of it for you and that is how it is with me. My problem is with the people that are over-invested to the point of it being more important than their real life obligations and problems.

Being excited if they win and down if they lose is fine. That seems to be the extent of it for you and that is how it is with me. My problem is with the people that are over-invested to the point of it being more important than their real life obligations and problems.

Sure, I agree. Then again, that's a problem for anything. Drinking, gambling, porn, dellusional fans who follow bands around, etc.

Pretty much ANY activity is going to have a fringe group who act like idiots and take it to far. I don't see a lot of sports fans I know doing that. I'm sure you can provide examples, but I think for 99% of sports fans, it's entertainment and it's fun. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sure, I agree. Then again, that's a problem for anything. Drinking, gambling, porn, dellusional fans who follow bands around, etc.

Pretty much ANY activity is going to have a fringe group who act like idiots and take it to far. I don't see a lot of sports fans I know doing that. I'm sure you can provide examples, but I think for 99% of sports fans, it's entertainment and it's fun. Nothing more, nothing less.

You're right. I wasn't saying the number of people like that is high, I'm just saying those are the sports "fans" that disturb me.

Becoming . . .?

You already know my feelings on mobile espn devices then.