Many of the players are not even from the area that they represent.
2006-10-08 12:53:14 · 13 answers · asked by Eric Inri 6 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
You must not be in any office pools in guessing.
2006-10-08 12:55:51 · answer #1 · answered by Pundit Bandit 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People love to have something to identify with. For example, some team. Just as an example, I bet you don't even care about the most of the sports in which America competes during the Olympic games. However, I'm pretty sure you get really proud after you learn that our Olympic team won a whole bunch of Gold Medals. Many of those athletes live in states that are way far from where you live but it's still the American team.
2006-10-08 20:04:29 · answer #2 · answered by Sergio__ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hmmm. I take it you mean spectator sports rather than actually playing them.
Most people have herd-like instincts. The desire to be identified with something. The less things they have to identify with, the more extreme they will behave towards the things that they can identify with. For instance, John Doe isn't in the hierarchy at work, isn't married, isn't dating, isn't doing any real activities to the point where he is considered 'one' of something; but John Doe IS a citizen of a city or state. Among the top questions that people just meeting and are making small talk is, "So, are you from around here?"
Sometimes this identification with a city/state sports team goes so deep that when such a person moves, he or she carries with them the old identity. He or she will make themselves seem even larger and more bold with this identification because they are the only one in the new town to have loyalty to the old team. Even if they are ribbed about it, they will hold dogmatically to the old allegiance despite them no longer being among a herd of like-minded people. Now they feel really special because the are alone in their stance, but feel ever so much mightier, a virtual missionary for their old teams' greatness.
2006-10-08 20:36:51 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sports are a substitute for the tribal society in which all used to live. People, especially men, find comfort in rallying for their chosen team, or "tribe", and it gives them a sense of self and identity in an otherwise anonymous world. Where I live, California, you are either a Niners or Raiders fan. It gets pretty passionate, and more often than not, the team one aligns with is the team that their father supported, and their grandfather probably supported as well. I don't really follow sports, but I know for certain that I am a diehard Niners supporter (just like my Dad was)!
2006-10-09 04:44:10 · answer #4 · answered by Megan B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same reason why people pay the price of a ticket to lose themselves in a movie for over 2-3 hours --> entertainment.
Unless you're not in the betting pool... I guess the results definitely have NO effect on you whatsoever, lol=P
What I don't get is when guys yell back at the TV screen when a player misses a shot, gets a foul, kicked off the game, etc like they know better, as if!
2006-10-08 22:17:53 · answer #5 · answered by ViRg() 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Oh, yes, the result of the game always affect people. Some will be so happy, they'll do anything their wives ask them to do. Some are so angry, they'll smash everything they bought for their wives when they were happy. There are people who died of heart attacks when the teams they considered as representing them lost. People need entertainment. Educated people find it in reading books, getting degrees upon degrees and diplomas upon diplomas. Common people (as well as the educated ones, in some cases), need something that doesn't require any intellectual effort.
2006-10-08 20:31:37 · answer #6 · answered by mrquestion 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The shear joy of living a sport vicariously is the thing that many people celebrate, enjoy and rejoice in watching sports; they can appreciate the immense efforts, the skills, talents and sacrifices made by the athletes to get to where they are. Those athletes are not the ordinary people we have around us everyday, and we tend to admire those that can do things with a mastery that is far better than our efforts, and we revel in seeing beauty in motion or skillful and talented individuals perform, like singers, actors, and other performers.
2006-10-08 20:52:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is a more socially accepted form of violence as entertainment. Remember the gladiators in Rome. The primitive brain delights in watching violence. As we evolve to higher consciousness this will be replaced, eventually.
2006-10-08 22:39:03 · answer #8 · answered by Sweetie Poo 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Can it be that they simply enjoying the game?
And I think it does affect them by playing the game along in their mind.
2006-10-08 22:53:30 · answer #9 · answered by wonderwoman 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have no idea. They also yell at the TV as if the team can hear them.
2006-10-08 20:00:47 · answer #10 · answered by Buffy Summers 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋