The Sports Random Thought Thread

[LightSun]

This is just me. I have never in my life ever watched a super bowl, World Series, NBA championship, NHL championship, or a world soccer match.

I don’t have the patience to sit and watch. In addition I’d be bored. If I am not participating then there is no point.

I have played flag football, softball, volleyball, and basketball. I derived pleasure because I’m engaged.

It’s none of my business if others derive pleasure. however sports fans cheering sports teams is to me mystifying.

I look upon fans who get depressed if their team wins. Or fans rioting because their team won a championship.

I have no idea about this phenomenon. Perhaps it’s part of group and herd mentality.

I will not watch millionaire sports figures for I have no interest. To me a very large segment of the population seem to derive vicarious pleasure in identifying with a sports team.

 

[Tomb1]

Bills break KC's win streak...Allen in the clutch

[video]

 

[SensEye]

I have no idea about this phenomenon. Perhaps it’s part of group and herd mentality.

I will not watch millionaire sports figures for I have no interest. To me a very large segment of the population seem to derive vicarious pleasure in identifying with a sports team.

You are right regarding group mentality. It's just a form of tribalism. Hundreds (thousands?) of years of evolution have kind of embedded in our DNA (subconscious mental drivers), and sports are one outlet it takes in modern society.

Sports are no doubt a better outlet for group bonding than gang wars or sectarian wars or even wars between nations, which are basically manifestations of the same thing.

 

[ceecee]

This is just me. I have never in my life ever watched a super bowl, World Series, NBA championship, NHL championship, or a world soccer match.

I don’t have the patience to sit and watch. In addition I’d be bored. If I am not participating then there is no point.

I have played flag football, softball, volleyball, and basketball. I derived pleasure because I’m engaged.

It’s none of my business if others derive pleasure. however sports fans cheering sports teams is to me mystifying.

I look upon fans who get depressed if their team wins. Or fans rioting because their team won a championship.

I have no idea about this phenomenon. Perhaps it’s part of group and herd mentality.

I will not watch millionaire sports figures for I have no interest. To me a very large segment of the population seem to derive vicarious pleasure in identifying with a sports team.

I understand but for a city that's been a national punching bag for my entire life, you can't even imagine the positive impact this has. It's incredible.

 

[Tomb1]

Bill's break Detroit's win streak....Allen in the clutch

[video]

 

[Tomb1]

This is just me. I have never in my life ever watched a super bowl, World Series, NBA championship, NHL championship, or a world soccer match.

I don’t have the patience to sit and watch. In addition I’d be bored. If I am not participating then there is no point.

I have played flag football, softball, volleyball, and basketball. I derived pleasure because I’m engaged.

It’s none of my business if others derive pleasure. however sports fans cheering sports teams is to me mystifying.

I look upon fans who get depressed if their team wins. Or fans rioting because their team won a championship.

I have no idea about this phenomenon. Perhaps it’s part of group and herd mentality.

I will not watch millionaire sports figures for I have no interest. To me a very large segment of the population seem to derive vicarious pleasure in identifying with a sports team.

Interestingly, everybody I know who played All-American Football all watch superbowls and vigorously follow the game. I've never comes across somebody who enjoys participating in a sport but doesn't even have an interest in watching the major event of that sport.

With you, during your participation in team sports, you're still localized in group and herd mentality. You don't see football players arguing to the refs that their opponent got first down. They always argue and point in the refs face that their team got first down even if they don't know if their team got first down. That is tribalistic. Team sports is a pro-social outlet for tribal aggression which in turn is a pro-social outlet for individual aggression. Participating as a member of the team versus participating as a fan of that team really just boils down to different parts of the same elephant.

When you say "I have no idea about this phenomenon" I am getting the impression that you are not comfortable expressing or experiencing more extreme passionate states, that would go along with the type of enthusiasm and mania that you see when teams win championship, so it looks foreign to you, but I would suggest that these states are primary drivers, and sports is a pro-social platform in which these states can be channeled and expressed in a controlled but cathartic way....which is healthier than just outright suppression

 

[Tomb1]

I'm looking forward to this post-season. Best I've seen the NFL in years.