Why is athletic ability emphasized so much?

[Orangey]

Well, you can see why I would assume SP, right? I mean, sports are very physical, they involve risk and competition... and that sounds kind of like what SPs do? Although, I guess that really only means that SPs are more likely to PLAY sports... not necessarily to WATCH sports. On top of that, Se is supposed be my inferior function, and I find sports especially contrived and boring, so I assumed there was a connection.

Assume SP for what? As an explanation for the popularity of sports? Even assuming that preference for sports can be delineated cleanly across type lines, do you really think that SPs outnumber SJs and Ns together?

And why would this liking of sports transcend type?

Why wouldn't it?

 

[Randomnity]

Well, you can see why I would assume SP, right? I mean, sports are very physical, they involve risk and competition... and that sounds kind of like what SPs do? Although, I guess that really only means that SPs are more likely to PLAY sports... not necessarily to WATCH sports. On top of that, Se is supposed be my inferior function, and I find sports especially contrived and boring, so I assumed there was a connection.

The thing I'm curious about, though... is why do men like sports? And why would this liking of sports transcend type?

Probably for the same reason "women like shopping". Cultural norms, upbringing, and hanging out with other men who enjoy watching it. It's an easy activity to do that doesn't require sharing emotions or talking, lol.

Both are often-inaccurate stereotypes, of course. But so is "SPs like sports". I think non-SP men are far more likely overall to like watching sports than SP women, if we must generalize. Pretty much all my guy friends enjoy watching sports, SP or not. Actually most of them are Ns (whether confirmed or just my guess).

I hate watching sports, overall (at least things like basketball, baseball, football, soccer, hockey, etc).

 

[prplchknz]

we had Johnny West in my graduating class and his dad is an NBA coach so basketball was emphasized a lot we also had a bunch of kids get atheletic scholarships ok only 3, but it was a class of 50 kids. On the other hand I ignored it, I have no athletic ability nor do I find sports enjoyable, of course it was always in your face so you knew it was there.Also Pau Gasol's little brother was in my older brother's graduating class. So yeah basketball was a huge deal while I was at school because of those factors.Oh and gym was the worse class ever, why would you do that to the athletically disabled? It's not fair.

 

[rav3n]

And then someone made the point that it's because 'that football team is what pays for your microscopes, nerd. No one's going to fill a stadium to watch you dissect a frog.'

This quote cracked me up badly!

But the underlying truth is also key. Competition appeals to the vast majority of people, including intuitives, introverts and intellectuals. The greater the consumption, the more money to be made.

Male athletes also lean towards having better butts.

 

[Arclight]

War replaced the hunt.. and sports have replaced war.

 

[Rail Tracer]

In college, the obvious reason is... because sports brings in A LOT of money. If you can fill a football stadium, then your football team is your biggest cash crop. I had this conversation when looking at the average salaries of college professors vs college football coaches. Coaches made 3-5 times as much. And then someone made the point that it's because 'that football team is what pays for your microscopes, nerd. No one's going to fill a stadium to watch you dissect a frog.'

Lol, actually the IT department in my college gains quite a bit of funding. More so than the other departments apparently. The Dean of the IT department gets quite a bit of $.... the next Dean in another department gets like 100k less, forgot the figure, but he gets a lot. It is probably because my college is well known enough to hit the IT/Engineering department (Class size as small as the fine arts department, but many times as much pay for the professors and deans) like it actually got government funding for one of those national security programs for select students that go through the internship and blah blah.....

From what I can piece together, it was something like IT/Engineering> Sciences(particularly the ones like bio and chemistry)> Business> Design > and everything else.

 

[Bags]

Athleticism is grossly over rated in player evaluations. Tom Brady posted one of the slowest 40 times in history, at the 2000 Combine, but with his ENTP and Bilichick's INTJ they will always have the edge. Brady was passed over until the 6th round because teams did not factor behavioral trait metrics and cognitive speed.

 

[highlander]

Athleticism is grossly over rated in player evaluations. Tom Brady posted one of the slowest 40 times in history, at the 2000 Combine, but with his ENTP and Bilichick's INTJ they will always have the edge. Brady was passed over until the 6th round because teams did not factor behavioral trait metrics and cognitive speed.

That's interesting.

I think that the focus on sports in high school vs. college is different. In college, it's entertainment. You root for your team and all. There is big money in it for the school as well. It doesn't matter so much in the pecking order though. It's like the athletes are distant from the average everyday school population. In high school, there is a much bigger focus on it in the social status and pecking order in the school. It's seen/felt by the average student in a much more significant way.

 

[Noll]

I actually think first world society as a whole value mind over body. It seems to me like mainstream actors and musicians get much more attention in media than mainstream athletes do. While being athletic arguably makes you more physically attractive, nothing else lives up to the charm of the passion of art and authentic expression of emotion. Also, a large intelligence and sense of science is what's contributing so much to the world, you ought to be welcomed with open arms, and you are. Worthy of note though, is that different people like different kinds of people. That is always the case and you are never truly alone, though it may feel that way.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

More people identify with athletics than academics.

Where I'm from, unless you are completely uncoordinated, you grow up playing at least one sport. That experience, growing up playing sports is a cultural touchstone for a larger percentage of Americans than is being in the math club. While it is much easier to make a living with smarts than it is with athletics, more people generally can identify with Athletes than Academics.

In our anodyne world where everything has to be safe, and everyone gets a trophy, and everyone's self esteem matters, sports is one of the last enclaves where there is a clear winner and a clear loser and ruthless brutal competition is encouraged, not disparaged. It allows us an outlet for the tribal urges we will never completely be rid of.

The fact that physique and fitness is a substantial factor in the mating process also plays a role. Sports is one of the last redoubts of acceptable masculinity in our culture.

 

[prplchknz]

I dunno I prefer artistic talent over atheletic talent. of course sports bore me, oh wow you kicked around thing congrats.

oh no no i'm not biased off my own ability I suck at both

 

[wildflower]

team sports are more social by nature and it's usually the team sports that are most popular. maybe it's because most people are extraverts, at least in the US, and so gravitate to social sports. i think a lot of people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves or have some group to belong to. you know the social cohesion factor. even i, an infj artistic type, have one football team i am a fan of and it's all about the social aspect because the team is so known for that. go trojans! can't believe i just used a cheerleader emoticon. i best go view some diebenkorn stat.

 

[kyuuei]

It's easy to answer, and multi-faceted.

- The arts are only appreciated by a few vs the majority. Everyone likes a little art--but it's hard to get everyone together for a common art or cause. You like what you like. And it doesn't matter how good someone draws anime, or paints flowers, if you hate flowers you aren't ever going to appreciate their talent really. There are aspects of football for everyone--it's a formula.. No one gets pumped and psyched for the new poem coming out that week. Or the new painting on the wall. It's a different kind of enjoyment. And in high school, where abilities are measured, and people are generally extroverted, it's something easy to enjoy with others and rally with. You can not be a huge fan of football at all and enjoy high school football games. It's hard to be part of art without having a genuine enjoyment of it. (This is all generally speaking here)

- Physical strength is awesome to watch. Seeing feats of strength is instant, and you can see it. Watching someone paint is like the most boring thing ever unless you're painting yourself. And not everyone can be an artist. So it's way more involved with the audience than art. Sports are entertaining for the masses.

- It pays. Being involved in sports COULD end up making you bank if you make it big. Rarely do artists move on to 6+ figures. Because, like I said, even though we NEED art, and use it everywhere... it's not a high paying field. Music can be, but not the kind of music that is generally taught at school.

- It creates a brotherhood within its own ranks. Artists are generally the loner type.. so they attract loners. Band has a .. sort of.. brotherhood.. but it's full of nerds. Sports create a fight and challenge that people can SEE. No one really understands how difficult a song is to play if they've never picked up an instrument. No one cares it took you 7 months to learn to play wonderwall perfectly on cello. Music and art are 'cool' in their own ways, and difficult no doubt. But the challenge of physical activity is easily witnessed, and seen, and it's got quick rewards for both the players and the audience.

- We as humans on some level crave physical strength because it's necessary for survival still on some level.

 

[93JC]

It's much easier and simpler to market athletics.

 

[gromit]

There is amazing beauty in athletic movements. Come on guys. It's just pretty fucking cool. That's all there is to it. Plus there is competition, so you get emotionally invested.

To be fair though, at my HS, there was definitely a balance between what was valued. I think music/theatre and sports were all seen as contributing about equally to the school's social life.

I played DIII in college - my women's FH games certainly wasn't raking in the $$$ for the school with ticket sales. It was more about performing our best and upholding the school's and team's reputation.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I can enjoy basketball or soccer or hockey sometimes, and recognize a strategic aspect to football that I respect, but baseball is fucking boring. People don't MOVE for 90% of the game. Why do people watch it without beer involved?

 

[Mole]

Sport and Social Control

Sport syphons off aggression.

Sport syphons of aggression that could be used in, for instance, politics.

So sport is a form of social control.

Sport began as social control for the working class, but now sport is big business on television.

So sport is still a form of social control, but not just the political control of the working class, but the social control of most of society.

 

[Such Irony]

It's easy to answer, and multi-faceted.

- The arts are only appreciated by a few vs the majority. Everyone likes a little art--but it's hard to get everyone together for a common art or cause. You like what you like. And it doesn't matter how good someone draws anime, or paints flowers, if you hate flowers you aren't ever going to appreciate their talent really. There are aspects of football for everyone--it's a formula.. No one gets pumped and psyched for the new poem coming out that week. Or the new painting on the wall. It's a different kind of enjoyment. And in high school, where abilities are measured, and people are generally extroverted, it's something easy to enjoy with others and rally with. You can not be a huge fan of football at all and enjoy high school football games. It's hard to be part of art without having a genuine enjoyment of it. (This is all generally speaking here)

- Physical strength is awesome to watch. Seeing feats of strength is instant, and you can see it. Watching someone paint is like the most boring thing ever unless you're painting yourself. And not everyone can be an artist. So it's way more involved with the audience than art. Sports are entertaining for the masses.

- It pays. Being involved in sports COULD end up making you bank if you make it big. Rarely do artists move on to 6+ figures. Because, like I said, even though we NEED art, and use it everywhere... it's not a high paying field. Music can be, but not the kind of music that is generally taught at school.

- It creates a brotherhood within its own ranks. Artists are generally the loner type.. so they attract loners. Band has a .. sort of.. brotherhood.. but it's full of nerds. Sports create a fight and challenge that people can SEE. No one really understands how difficult a song is to play if they've never picked up an instrument. No one cares it took you 7 months to learn to play wonderwall perfectly on cello. Music and art are 'cool' in their own ways, and difficult no doubt. But the challenge of physical activity is easily witnessed, and seen, and it's got quick rewards for both the players and the audience.

- We as humans on some level crave physical strength because it's necessary for survival still on some level.

Well said. That makes sense.

 

[Caw the rooks]

Most people are physically or practically orientated. The academically, musically or artistically orientated are substantially rarer. Like you said, [MENTION=10653]Such Irony[/MENTION], I think this primal instinct is the primary factor. People can have fun due to the lack of environmental pressure, and sport is essentially the motor system having fun.