A Good Sport

Can anyone explain to me the phenomenon that is professional sports? When I was in school I went to the football games that my cousin played in and I wanted him to win because I knew it would make him happy. But when a group of total strangers who don't even know you exist get together to put a ball or a puck into a net or across a line more times than the other group of total strangers… why do you care?

Bobby got free tickets to a Stars pre-season game so last Saturday night, that's where we were. Being me, I brought a book (Devil in the Junior League) and I fully intended to snuggle under my blanket and read. However, I quickly noticed that the volume in the arena was not going to permit much reading.

I also decided it was rude to read while those guys – whoever they were- were down there sweating. I mean, if I had gone to the ballet or a play or something and saw someone reading in the audience I would think them tres uncivilized. So I put the book away and did a little anthropological research. I noticed a couple of things:

At a play or a concert or whatever if someone does a good job you applaud. Presumably you are applauding their discipline, talent and hours of practice or rehearsal. But in team sports it's not the same. In team sports, someone has to be the loser. If someone from the opposing team makes a beautiful play and scores a million points, we boo them. We yell at our defense. We throw popcorn (and possibly hot dogs.) Why don't we appreciate the hard work of ALL the players? Why are we loyal to these guys?

People are much more apt to admit their fanaticism to sports than to anything else in the world, even their family or their faith. Say you went to church with someone as a visitor and at the end of the service people went down front to be saved. If each time someone said "amen" they set off a crazy-loud buzzer and someone in the choir shouted SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUL!" You would at the very least cringe and decide everyone in attendance was insane. But it is perfectly reasonable for people to get way more excited when a point is scored… and what difference does it really make to anyone who is not on the team? Again, why do we care?

Now I am not saying we shouldn't care or that sports fans are wrong or bad or anything, I just don't understand it. If someone can explain it, I am willing to listen. Hit me with a comment; we'll discuss.