Sports Fascination??


theoriginalavatar
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I need help here. What is it about sports that excites so many people? I like baseball ok, but this is more of an appeal to me for a traditional American sport. I like the idea of baseball and for what it stands.

I am not obsessed with it, however.

This, of course, is only one sport of a great many that are popular in this country and throughout the world.

I have never understood how people can be so obsessed with sports. I get the textbook answers. It is all about the competition and working hard and doing your best and feeling good about the work you have put in and bringing people together and blah blah blah, but I just don't get how overboard people often become. This isn't something that is isolated and limited to a few people either....it is as widespread as any pandemic could hope to be.

So the question is.....why?

Give me a real, from your gut, answer please.

I really do not mind people enjoying a favorite passtime (of which sports is, of course), but it often seems to be to the exclusion of all else. Millions and millions of dollars are "awarded" to athletes who may not even be upstanding citezens. How many so called heros are being charged with illicit use of illegal drugs or rape or any number of other less than admirable things. How much better are these athletes than the men and women who spend countless hours in laboratories working to develope vaccines and other cures for horrific diseases that threaten mankind. God's children.

These athletes make more in a single year than some communities will make in the course of their lives.

Where are our priorities?

My own sister (and I love her very much) received a full scholarship to a major university for volleyball. She is hard working and deserved it. I never hear many stories of well-deserving men and women recieving this type of recognition and funding when they excell in the world of math or science or history. Yes, it is true that there are a great many scholarships out there for academic endeavers, but they never seem to receive the notoriety and recognition that sports folks receive. Why?

Is it better for a quarterback to have one or two or three mansions or for a brilliant scientist to cure cancer?

Again, I do not think that our Father in Heaven minds sports. There is a lot of fun to be had in the participation of and the watching of sporting events, but does it ever go overboard?

Sorry for the rant....I am genuinly curious for people to help me understand the obsession.

Edited by theoriginalavatar
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First there is only one true sport Hockey.

Hockey speaks to our primal instincts.As the old adage goes

I went to a fight and a Hockey game broke out.

I agree that players get over payed, but since I love free markets i'm cool with that. I also think people can get too caught up. People who don't know who's on their city council, or kids school board can name the starting roster of their favorite team.

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First there is only one true sport Hockey.

Hockey speaks to our primal instincts.As the old adage goes

I went to a fight and a Hockey game broke out.

I agree that players get over payed, but since I love free markets i'm cool with that. I also think people can get too caught up. People who don't know who's on their city council, or kids school board can name the starting roster of their favorite team.

Are you Canadian or something? :D

I agree with you. There isn't anything wrong with enjoying or playing sports, I just cannot come to terms with the balance of people's interest being so far weighted to one side.

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I like sports, but I like college sports more than professional. There is more passion in college because they are playing for honor and glory and bragging rights.

My bff and her whole family are sports nuts. Mainly basketball (hey, we ARE from Indiana) and football. They can tell you who played whom on February 7, 2006, the score and the key plays. Ok, that is an exaggeration, but barely. They just know alot about the players (college and professional), the plays, games, etc.

I'm not sure of the fascination, but I can get caught up in a good basketball game. I do remember some games, players, etc from days gone by, but it doesn't hold the interest for me as it does for my bff/family.

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I LOVE college football! Why? Because of the cheer leaders of course!!:lol: Seriously, many of us grew up playing these sports and absolutely love the game. Good times and gatherings of friends and families are associated with sporting events.

As far as the compensation, it is all about the advertising bucks. Of the most crazily group of highly compensated.....pop stars and rap thugs, actors and actresses, athletes seems to be the ones who have worked the hardest for it. Most of these guys and gals have trained and competed since they were kids and are truly marvels of physical ability.

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I like sports, but I like college sports more than professional. There is more passion in college because they are playing for honor and glory and bragging rights.

My bff and her whole family are sports nuts. Mainly basketball (hey, we ARE from Indiana) and football. They can tell you who played whom on February 7, 2006, the score and the key plays. Ok, that is an exaggeration, but barely. They just know alot about the players (college and professional), the plays, games, etc.

I'm not sure of the fascination, but I can get caught up in a good basketball game. I do remember some games, players, etc from days gone by, but it doesn't hold the interest for me as it does for my bff/family.

I see what you are saying, but it's the words within your words that are what I am speaking of.

When you say things like "we ARE from Indiana", it illustrates the passionate nature of people's love for sports.

If you walk through ANY public place, how many t-shirts or hats will you see with names on them such as Nancy E. Davidson, M.D, Sydney Brenner, Ph.D, or Dr Suzanne Eccles will you see? Probably not too many.

Now....count the sports logo clothing you find.....any difference?

(This wasn't directed at you specifically, my friend, just continuing my early morning ranting.)

Edited by theoriginalavatar
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I see what you are saying, but it's the words within your words that are what I am speaking of.

When you say things like "we ARE from Indiana", it illustrates the passionate nature of people's love for sports.

If you walk through ANY public place, how many t-shirts or hats will you see with names on them such as Nancy E. Davidson, M.D, Sydney Brenner, Ph.D, or Dr Suzanne Eccles will you see? Probably not too many.

Now....count the sports logo clothing you find.....any difference?

(This wasn't directed at you specifically, my friend, just continuing my early morning ranting.)

I am SOOO offended! :mad:

Indiana is obsessed with basketball. Watch Hoosiers to get a taste of it. I was raised watching Coach Knight and the IU Hoosiers.

Honestly, I think it is because as humans, we want a passion in our life. Some people are passionate about anime, or movies, or role-playing games, etc. Sports has been around for centuries. I'm sure some of the fascination is bred in us--think of how gladiators were viewed. That fascination has evolved over time.

Is it out of balance? I think so, on a collective basis. On an individual basis--that is to be determined by the person and his/her family. I would think my bff is out of balance--but for their family, it works. They spend time together as a family, they cheer each other, they rejoice with each other (her husband and 2 teens are all involved directly with sports teams).

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I am not obsessed with any sport or sports team. However, if the Chargers don't make it to and win the SuperBowl, this site may have to find themself another moderator..I will have passed to the great football field in the sky as life would have no purpose any longer. 2nd thought I may anyway..because I would have died of a heart attack if they do win it all.

:lol::P

Edited by pam
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I watch Football every chance I get. Why? Because it's people trying their hardest and being able to do some pretty good acrobatic stunts. It's war but it's a war where when the skirmish is over, you help the enemy up and when the war is over you give him a hug.

Or a pat on the butt.

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I love all the sports. I do enjoy NBA but not as much as the others. With the NBA when I hear stories about players playing cards and getting upset and pulling guns on another person, that makes me not enjoy the NBA very much. I do love college basketball and football. I enjoy the NFL and Hockey and Baseball. Here in the St Louis area this is who I have been raised not to like. In baseball its the Cubs...never have and never will cheer for the cubs. In hockey its the Blackhawks. In college sports its Kansas and Kansas State. My dislike in the NFL is the Patriots and that goes back to the Super Bowl they cheated my St Louis Rams out of.. :)
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Anybody who has ever watched Church basketball will know how to answer the OP's question... last time I checked, nobody ever came out of church basketball with a million dollars more in his pocket... yet, they play like a million bucks is riding on the winning shot. Why? Human nature. Competitiveness is designed into the human psyche to give him a fighting chance at survival.

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