Why are you happy when your favorite sports team wins and sad when it loses?

**Jenna** · 10-28-07, 06:53 AM

1*girl · 10-28-07, 07:11 AM

Jenna...

You need to get out more.

**Bosco3379** · 10-28-07, 07:17 AM

I'm not even gonna touch this one

**BEB** · 10-28-07, 07:22 AM

I dunno

or

Good question. For me, and my state, the primary sport is college football.

I, as well as any fan, know our hopes won't be conveyed through the radio or TV. The fans in the stadium are more likely to be heard, but about as little impact even with home field advantage.

There's that. Looking to pull together with neighbors for mutual beliefs. History is rife with losing causes, but most who won stuck together.

People like to align themselves with strong groups for mutual protection. Never mind that a college football player isn't going to stand guard outside your home : he's on your team. You support his team. Its mutually supportive all around. Nothing actually happened between the parties either way, but both feel better.

Its all bogus. Everyone knows that going in. Most people still do by the end of the game, though there are some who need the peace and quiet of a working week for recovery.

This part is more emotional entertainment. There is stress relief in believing invulnerability for a short time each week. Teenagers enjoy that belief for years. Adults can benefit from the same sort of escapism.

The success or failure of a team, be it high-school, college, professional can change the economic reality of a region. Economic fans are quieter during the game, but more likely to buy products, donate funds to the program, etc. Its business.

Why do people cheer for a win?

Why not? Someone will win in sport and its better if its the home team.

Or I dunno. Probably that.

**lewisipso** · 10-28-07, 09:52 AM

I generally tick off a lot of people when I talk sports. Actually I have better things to do than worry about than who wins what game. Uhhh...it's a game. If people would put as much worry into achieving solutions to todays degradation issues as they worry about sports amazing things would happen.

**nsb22** · 10-28-07, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by lewisipso

I generally tick off a lot of people when I talk sports. Actually I have better things to do than worry about than who wins what game. Uhhh...it's a game. If people would put as much worry into achieving solutions to todays degradation issues as they worry about sports amazing things would happen.

:highfive:

The only sport I care about is hockey, and even at that I only check my team once a month or so!

**cajunguy** · 10-28-07, 10:16 AM

When I'm working one of our University football games, I care about two things:
the food at the tailgating, and when I'm going to get my $250-$300 check!

Whether the team wins or loses, is irrelevant. Food & money. That's where it's at. Nomesayin'?

Oh, and to go home after the game, since my belly's full and I'm usually whupped by then.

Feed me - pay me - let me go home! Rah-rah!!

.

**lewisipso** · 10-28-07, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by cajunguy

Nomesayin'?
.

Haha! Yep!
I agree but understanding that might be a Southern thang.

**Ducky** · 10-28-07, 01:23 PM

Jenna, it's called empathy. Check into it.

Cajunguy, I'll admit, the only reason I've ever attended Super Bowl parties is for the food.

**Jenna** · 10-28-07, 02:54 PM

I could never quite get into sports because I don't feel it matters which side wins in a game. Sports teams all consist of similar kinds of players, and sometimes they even hire opposing teams' players. The players seem interchangeable, and no argument can be made for one team being more morally deserving of a win than another. In each game, one set of players win and an equal number of players lose; it seems to me that their sadness and happiness would cancel each other out and thus neither add to nor subtract from the sum total of human happiness.

**nsb22** · 10-28-07, 03:09 PM

I swear to God that you are a freakin computer program! Maybe you are like Data from Star Trek. What you just said is EXACTLY what he would have said!

**tapout** · 10-28-07, 11:30 PM

my sundays consist of football. i watch professional football. a lot. when im not watching nfl games, im watching the nfl network to see whats going on this week. since i moved from philly, i had to buy the direct tv nfl package in order to watch my eagles. its expensive, but worth every penny. and if the eagles lose, i am literally miserable and bitter for the first part of the week. so bitter that when i watch the nfl network when they mention the eagles loss i change the channel. this week they won, so im good to go.

theres just something about getting together, throwing on the game, downing a few beers and some wings, and really just getting lost in the moment.

my dad was this way, my friends from back home are this way, and its really just how i was brought up. ive played sports my entire life, and just am naturally competetive. since moving from philly, watching the eagles makes me feel like im back there. it makes me remember where i came from. i live and die with my team. some people cant understand this, and thats cool. for me it will aolways be part of my life.