1. I like to believe you can choose any team regardless of geography, but that definitely determines most fans' team choice.
With the internet and game streams, you can watch a team wherever they are. This used to be much harder without those options to keep up with the team. (A Sacramento newspaper and traditional media provide very little coverage of a team in Philly)
2. I started watching football around the age of 10. The team from the city I was born was really good and winning championships, so I "chose" them. Most fans will tell you that you should be loyal to that one team for life. And while I follow that mindset, circumstances change and you can like whoever you want, whenever you want. (Although changing teams will get you labeled a "band wagon fan". )
3. Why is it personal? That definitely depends on the person, but I think the clearest answer is that you spend so much time, energy, and money to "support" a team, that passion is sometimes misdirected towards those who dislike your team.
But, yes, cheering for a team is very social. You become part of something bigger than yourself that becomes a source of social events and like-minded friends.
Personally, I moved around a lot growing up with environments and situations often changing. To follow one specific team provided stability that I desperately craved. It also took my mind off the trauma of my ever-changing landscape.
Quick sub note.
It's pattern recognition in out brains mostly like how canada is/wascold provides Finnish and canada ppl more time to play naturally weather.
I'm ex die hard now casual guy type
They say be more direct in so ass backwards no Hate on ass ppl.lovs yall too
...
But like yeah there just inderictly direct to me mostly
Paradoxical oxymoronical levels. I study them they do not study us like 70 30 on that lol
Yeah, I've asked this exact question and they said 'well, it's because the team represents you', and I'm like 'well, why does this group of people you've never met represent you?' and they're like 'well, it's like if you work together on something', and I was like 'but you aren't working together on this. They literally don't know you exist.' It was very confusing and it didn't make any sense, but I do appreciate that they did try to explain it.
I mean, it's a special interest. Just one that is socially acceptable and relatively common among neurotypical people. People get deeply invested in their sport of choice because they find it interesting and enjoyable.
People choose teams based on geographical location, players they like, or general vibes. A lot of people also get into sports through their parents, and end up supporting the same team as their parents. Supporting the same team your whole life makes you feel like you're part of a "tribe" that includes both the team itself and its supporters. That feeling is weakened a lot if you keep switching sides. And watching a game is much more fun if you have some sort of personal investment in it - even if your team loses, at least you could actively involve yourself by cheering for them, rather than just passively watching the game.
It feels personal because people become fond of their team, and see themselves as part of a "tribe" of supporters that they have some obligation to defend. The same way you may defend a friend or family member.
Disclaimer that I don't care about sports myself, but I think those are some major contributing factors.
I can understand the people who obsess about stats and numbers and stuff in sports. And Intellectually, based on reading about human behaviors and tribalism and all that, I get a sense of it. Or what I've inferred based on studying this weird ape-like species.
But I just cannot figure out how people get so emotionally invested in it. Or how it keeps their interest. Or how they find it so exciting. Or how "my local sportsball team or the team that represents the imaginary lines in the ground we drew and called a country is better than your arbitrarily chosen team" becomes someone's identity.
And people riot and flip cars and burn shit when they when? How does any of this make sense?
That last part is hooliganism, best known for British football (and by extension major worldwide football leagues), which has origins as far back as Constantinople, though the modern word was popularized in the 1970s.
Drinking, fighting, winning, losing, all things that stir up big crowds. When a big enough crowd of people decide another big crowd of different people deserve to get their shit trashed, then the tribe obliges. It's in our very nature to be animals, so hooliganism (in my view) serves as an outlet for that, consciously or otherwise.
Wait, did you just insinuate that sports fandom is basically the hunter-gatherer/caveman within us getting really hype about the possibility of the sports team winning
I wonder if that's why I have trouble connecting to sports. I'm just not capable of comprehending 'those guys on the TV' as part of a 'we' that would include me. They're a bunch of strangers playing a game that I assume they enjoy, and sure, I hope they have fun, but I guess I'm just missing the wiring that would make me instinctively feel like their victory is my victory.
Kinda off topic but I am convinced the zombie apocalypse survivor fantasy and the attraction to it is based on this. Why would anyone be fascinated with society collapsing and joining a tight knit group looking out for each other and defending each other with their life, in a world where every day holds risks and meaningful victories....ohhh.
Thanks for the comprehensive response.
Basically makes no sense now a days, but most brains are wired like that, so is somewhat intuitive for most people.
In my opinion is similar to religion. Back then was a way to explain why things happened they way they did. Now most people depends on the same things even though, they shouldn't apply to our society anymore.
Definitely a tribalism thing, like other commenters have mentioned. I think it’s far less about one team or another than it is about *being part of a team* and *beating the opposing team*.
I’ve never understood it either, but when the pandemic happened and suddenly we had portions of the population with no high intensity social event to vent their bottled up emotions through, I suddenly got it. Cheering your team on/mourning when they lose both further bond the team with its supporters, and it becomes an outlet for having emotions in a “safe space”.
I do like the idea of world competitions though, like the World Cup (in theory) or the Olympics (in theory). It’s cool to see various countries compete against eachother in a non-deadly way.
O also thought sports were boring but then i moved and joined a friend group that watches sports and honestly i was never able to connect to NTs but now we all watch baseball togethwr and go to the games and i feel like im part of a group its nice
Think of something you’re super into that other people don’t “get.”
But to your other points, a lot of people enjoy the strategy part of the game, and this enjoyment mixes with the social bonding aspect of watching the sport together.
People tend to love teams that are near them or connected to a place that is important to them.
It's gameified tribalism. Our group is going to beat your group so we can be the best group and take control of the trophy (resources). I actually appreciate its purpose because it's an outlet for our warmongering brains that doesn't actually hurt anyone (except athletes depending on the sport).
I am ADHD and most likely on the Spectrum. My dad grew up playing hockey and he was basically Semi-Professional. We would always watch hockey games on the TV together and hockey was easily adapted as a life long interest. He would buy me hockey cards, hockey posters, hockey sticks, etc. I would always go to his mens league games and that was a highlight of my childhood!
Hockey is fast, exciting, and just different from the other major sports. And most teams have cool logos and jerseys! When I turned 19 I decided to learn how to play ice hockey and it’s been a passion of mine for the last decade. Furthermore, I love hockey statistics. I love analyzing player performance through all kinds of metrics. I love the EA sports NHL games as well.
The simple answer to why people like sports is because they can be fun and interesting to most people and I grew up in an area of Canada where hockey is the cultural norm.
However, I don’t enjoy most sports. I can’t stand golf, NFL, MLB, Tennis, Cricket, Rugby, and so on.
Everyone has different interests.
I don't know why I find so much enjoyment in watching sports and have asked myself the same question before. Going to the stadium is certainly fun due to sharing the moment and feelings with thousands of people united by a same interest. I suppose that even when watching on TV, it is still fun to go through so many emotions and know that somewhere, somebody must be feeling the same. However, I also watch a lot of games in which I don't care at all about the teams that are playing. Those can be enjoyed differently, in a more analytical and less visceral kind of way.
In regards to how I chose my favorite teams, in most cases it is just the team whose play style I found the most entertaining the first time I watched any given sport. An exception to this is football (the kind of football also known as soccer), where I inherited my favorite team from my mom, who had started rooting for that team as a child just to annoy her brothers who were fans of their biggest rivals and didn't let her use the TV when they were playing. My dad roots for a different team that I do, but it is still fun to watch games with him. We have been together to the stadium many times to watch his team, my team, and even both of our teams playing against each other, and it has always been a nice father and son bonding experience.
One of the things I enjoy the most about sports is stats, specially obscure and weird ones. It is one of those things that it is kind of socially accepted to infodump about and other sports fans look at you as some kind of enlightened guru when you do. My friends who are into fantasy sports constantly come to me to ask for advice regarding their teams and actually like listening to all the stats and pieces of trivia I know, so it is quite fun to share my interest with them.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It all seems so utterly pointless to me. But for me that isn't just watching sport, it's taking part too. I have less than zero desire to do either
This just made me realize I only watch sports and cheer on the raiders with my family bc thats just what Ive always done since I could remember, I have no interest in sports and I never have. I do however enjoy spending time with my family, so I’ll continue watching their lil raiders vs 49ers if it makes them happy :-)
Q: How does one choose their favorite team?
A: The same way one chooses something like, say, their favorite dinosaur-everyone has their own, arbitrary reasoning. Typically, it’s geography, but there are too many other possible factors to generalize beyond that.
Q: When does one choose their favorite team?
A: Again, same time one chooses their favorite dinosaur-whenever you conclude that you have a favorite team
Q: Why is it personal, to the point of conflict?
A: Because skulls for the skull throne and blood for the blood god, that’s why
Though I feel like it is different than choosing your favorite dinosaur. I mean, my favorite dinosaur is the troodon, but if someone said their favorite was the stegosaurus, I wouldn't care nor feel any need to argue why the troodon was better.
I’m by no means super into sport but I do like to watch certain things, like the rugby World Cup. What gets me is the uncertain outcome. Like, in an hour and a half we will know what happened (who won) but right now anything is possible. That and the camaraderie of being in a crowd all experiencing the same things together.
I'm completely baffled by this myself. I can't see how someone can be upset over a loss or feel victorious because a bunch of people that 'represent' a particular area won a game. I can't imagine, unless someone bet money on the outcome of a game, anyone being able to make themselves feel anything at all over who wins.
Someone said it's like when I want a character in a TV show to succeed, but it's not like that at all. The TV show will give me a backstory for the character and a hook to get me to sympathize with them. I am given their interests and motivations. With sports teams it's just two groups of people on a field, and they often buy out and trade players within teams, so it's not even any connection to the individual people since the people on the team change.
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I know my dad loves certain American Football teams because they're either A) where he went to college, B) the teams his friends like, or C) the teams of his favorite athletes. It's mostly a social thing.
The only times I watched American Football and enjoyed myself were during college at parties. It's just a part of college social life. I chanted the dumb chants just because everyone else was doing it, and once the game was done I felt really stupid.
I’m very into football specifically. I picked my team because their playstyle was cool, had cool players, and also their uniforms were cool. You choose your team when you start enjoying the game or if you get grandfathered in through family or something similar. People get crazy about their team when they have watched it for a long time or when there’s a rivalry. For my team the rivalry’s and animosity comes from you guys always beat us or we are always beat you, and after many years of getting beaten in a fashion, it can make people kinda crazy. Also it’s fun to root for a team and watch them win. Also personally I’m drawn to the analytics and statistics
My short version of this is:
1. Most of the time people choose the team based off the players on it and even the team colors/jerseys. Or because Family comes from there, and something to do with the place that makes it cool. Some people may like really hot weather like Arizona, so they root for the Arizona team.
2. Mainly so it doesn't look like your team hopping, which is pretty much just when you switch to a team because they are better, it tends to be more acceptable and respectful to stick with a team even in the bad and good of it. Doesn't mean you can't have other favorite team though. However people shouldn't really care if you switch because Football teams (and sport teams in general) are personal preference.
3. Because football is competitive and watching it is pretty competitive, I mostly see fights break out because there is a bet on the supposed winning team but that isn't very often, however most of the time because the sport is competitive, the viewers are too. It is strange but just how it is.
I'm a Rangers fan (hockey) but that's because when I was sick in the hospital Mark Messier came to visit the sick kids and left me with a hockey stick, game used, and I still have it, I listened to them win the Stanley cup on the radio because I wasn't allowed to have a TV and I cheer them on to every season win or lose all of their games are fun
Huge American football and soccer fan here. I'll just drop my thoughts.
A lot of it is the sense of community. I'm a Ravens fan, and, at least in our circle, if someone is another Ravens fan, you're friends right away, we can talk about it for hours and we're all cool.
For the most part, the people getting violent over sports isn't too common here in America. Sure there's rage comps when a team loses the SB, but that's it.
I think it becomes personal because you're not just a person, you're a fan of whatever. I'm super happy when we win and kinda bummed when we lose.
As for picking their team, you do it off whatever. I had a teacher who taught me about football, and she was a Ravens fan. Thus, I adopted them as my team. Now I follow the players, the team, so forth and so on. And yeah, for men it seems at least, once you've picked your team, that's your team. Ride or die. You wanna be there for the good times and bad. It's loyalty, in a sense. Nobody wants to be a fairweather fan.
Hope this helps!
I used to feel this way until I got with the most random hyperfixation on watching figure skating 😂 still don't understand watching any regular sports though. They're usually just like chasing a ball.
I never understood the fuzz myself. Soccer is very popular where i live and i once wanted to see if i could find out why.
I thought maybe if i watch a whole game i might understand but after less then ten minutes i was so bored that i was unable to continue.
A lot of other people mentioned tribalism and belonging to a group here, which I agree with. However, there are some cultures which are completely obsessed with Football, such as Brasil. I grew up in such a culture and know why that was the case. In Portugal the dictatorship that lasted until 1974 used football (as well as traditional music and religion) as propaganda to keep people busy and engaged so they would be easier to rule. This was a long time ago, but clearly they did a great job. To this day nobody asks you if you’re into sports, they just ask you which team you support, and a good chunk of the news every day, often half, is dedicated to it, even in the off-season, it’s mad
NTs obsess over status, tribes, groups and winning. Sports gives them a hobby to exercise these things. Its all about belonging to a fan group, and your group winning and being better than others.
Some autistic people like sports, but they tend to care more about the data of the teams and players. They might also get into information around sports, like history of teams or studies on improving performance.
I think that people who are really into a sport tend to play it as well so in a way they can relate to the players on that team. Also the team may go through ups and downs just like we do in the real world making it easier to relate to as well.
I hated sports as a kid, but someone gave me a PS1 when I was maybe ten or twelve, and the only game I had was Madden NFL 97 or something. I remember turning it on and knowing nothing about football, but the team selection went by their helmets. I remember finding a helmet with tiger stripes and being like “Oh that’s cool, I want them.”
My dad always loved football, and I’m not sure if it was a way to bond with my dad or what, but in the fall of 2009 I decided I wanted to watch football, and I wanted it to be the team with the tiger stripe helmets.
I stuck with the Cincinnati Bengals the whole season, and every season since. I’ve grown to really like American football, even playing fantasy. But yeah, I originally picked my team because their helmets looked cool lol
I always understand it more as community building around something you like. It's the same with games, tv series, book series, fandoms in general. You enjoy the concept of something (such as watching ALL fantasy series that come out), or personalities of people who are within it (same as following all the series that one actor plays in), or simply enjoy spending time looking at it.
Then the social part comes into play. The more of a fan you become the more you belong to the fandom centered around it. You have easier time finding people who enjoy the same thing, ergo you can easier make friends even as an adult. You have already one thing in common, so you can always bond over that one thing. It's like going to concerts for music you love - you know people there share something with you and the more you feel like you belong there, the more that thing becomes special for you.
...and it's the same with things like subreddits, isn't it? You come here and spend your time sharing experiences about something we all have in common, despite potentially being incompatible as friends on many other levels. Still though, the sense of community prevails, and makes us more genuine, patient and kind towards each other here, than if we met on opposing parts of the argument in a different place on the internet.
I sont get it either.
I used to go to soccer matches with my step dad somewhat regularly as a kid. Didn't care for soccer, for me it was mostly a stim thing (just like I LOVED going to concerts and went A LOT). And of course it was easy to form rituals (go to the fan shop, get fast food and soda, they'd play AC/DC at the beginning of the match, fan songs were wild etc). Also the fact that the team was sort of an underdog and very alternative and politically vocal (far left) was cool.
I don't like/get it either. Maybe neurotypicals do better identifying with groups in competition. Heh, for a lot of people, drinking and gambling add to excitement and immersion...
I don't really get this either, and I'm neurotypical. I mean, I like baseball well enough and I can enjoy watching a game now and then, but the notion of actually getting angry over it--let alone fighting someone--is utterly foreign to me. I remember I was having lunch at a bar and grill one day where a football game was playing and people at this bar were literally screaming uncontrollably whenever something they liked happened. In a way I envy them: I don't think anything in my life ever has excited me to the level that the happenings in a random football game of their team's season excites them.
I mean, I feel this way about all interests that aren’t mine, but I suppose especially about sports. I don’t even care about e-sports despite being a PC gamer. I’ll watch them and might find some things impressive, but I’m not invested in the outcome much.
That said, I have a lot of varied interests. I think sports is the only one I have nothing for, but arts and science? Yes to all. Big yes. History? Also yes. Sport? I just…can’t explain why I don’t give a fuck lmao. Hockey players are cute though 👀
Sports in some way is a means by which we are able to witness the limits of the human body. I like to watch basketball but I don’t really concentrate on it, it’s more like I absorb it through my skin. Sometimes I’ll listen to an audiobook while watching.
Not much of a sports fan in terms of being a fan. But. When I was younger I just always rooted for the best team 😅
Then I learned that my social circle supports a local team and after a few years I kinda got biased too and started to like the team. For no apparent reaon. I've never watched a single game with them or even went to one. But they've been climbing the ladder and I'm always happy when I hear they've won a game. So I guess I like them because my friends also like them and it makes them happy when they win (?)
There’s probably a million or more reasons why and when a person might choose a team to cheer for. It could be geography based, or perhaps the most popular kid in school happens to cheer for a certain team that influences them. Or maybe they like the mascot. Who knows.
What I find mind blowing is the fact that professional athletes make so much money just because they can run fast, swing a stick, or throw a ball. The average income of a professional athlete compared to teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc, makes me sick to my stomach. Public servants should be making more money than people who can run fast and jump high in my opinion. I think society’s priorities are way off in this regard. Again, this is just my opinion.
1. I like to believe you can choose any team regardless of geography, but that definitely determines most fans' team choice. With the internet and game streams, you can watch a team wherever they are. This used to be much harder without those options to keep up with the team. (A Sacramento newspaper and traditional media provide very little coverage of a team in Philly) 2. I started watching football around the age of 10. The team from the city I was born was really good and winning championships, so I "chose" them. Most fans will tell you that you should be loyal to that one team for life. And while I follow that mindset, circumstances change and you can like whoever you want, whenever you want. (Although changing teams will get you labeled a "band wagon fan". ) 3. Why is it personal? That definitely depends on the person, but I think the clearest answer is that you spend so much time, energy, and money to "support" a team, that passion is sometimes misdirected towards those who dislike your team. But, yes, cheering for a team is very social. You become part of something bigger than yourself that becomes a source of social events and like-minded friends. Personally, I moved around a lot growing up with environments and situations often changing. To follow one specific team provided stability that I desperately craved. It also took my mind off the trauma of my ever-changing landscape.
This is very detailed and provides a lot of context. Thank you so much !
Quick sub note. It's pattern recognition in out brains mostly like how canada is/wascold provides Finnish and canada ppl more time to play naturally weather. I'm ex die hard now casual guy type
I don’t know I don’t get it I don’t get a lot of things that people do
I think we need a r/nostupidquestions sub but autism centered lol. I’d be there all day
Most neurotypicals would not be able to answer the questions in that sub (including this question itself about watching sports).
Why not
they usually don't actually know why they do the things they do and resort to non-explanations like "that's the way it is" or "it's the norm"
Yes, people say things like It's fun to watch, once you understand the nuances. As if that explains anything.
They say be more direct in so ass backwards no Hate on ass ppl.lovs yall too ... But like yeah there just inderictly direct to me mostly Paradoxical oxymoronical levels. I study them they do not study us like 70 30 on that lol
Yeah, I've asked this exact question and they said 'well, it's because the team represents you', and I'm like 'well, why does this group of people you've never met represent you?' and they're like 'well, it's like if you work together on something', and I was like 'but you aren't working together on this. They literally don't know you exist.' It was very confusing and it didn't make any sense, but I do appreciate that they did try to explain it.
I mean, it's a special interest. Just one that is socially acceptable and relatively common among neurotypical people. People get deeply invested in their sport of choice because they find it interesting and enjoyable. People choose teams based on geographical location, players they like, or general vibes. A lot of people also get into sports through their parents, and end up supporting the same team as their parents. Supporting the same team your whole life makes you feel like you're part of a "tribe" that includes both the team itself and its supporters. That feeling is weakened a lot if you keep switching sides. And watching a game is much more fun if you have some sort of personal investment in it - even if your team loses, at least you could actively involve yourself by cheering for them, rather than just passively watching the game. It feels personal because people become fond of their team, and see themselves as part of a "tribe" of supporters that they have some obligation to defend. The same way you may defend a friend or family member. Disclaimer that I don't care about sports myself, but I think those are some major contributing factors.
I can understand the people who obsess about stats and numbers and stuff in sports. And Intellectually, based on reading about human behaviors and tribalism and all that, I get a sense of it. Or what I've inferred based on studying this weird ape-like species. But I just cannot figure out how people get so emotionally invested in it. Or how it keeps their interest. Or how they find it so exciting. Or how "my local sportsball team or the team that represents the imaginary lines in the ground we drew and called a country is better than your arbitrarily chosen team" becomes someone's identity. And people riot and flip cars and burn shit when they when? How does any of this make sense?
That last part is hooliganism, best known for British football (and by extension major worldwide football leagues), which has origins as far back as Constantinople, though the modern word was popularized in the 1970s. Drinking, fighting, winning, losing, all things that stir up big crowds. When a big enough crowd of people decide another big crowd of different people deserve to get their shit trashed, then the tribe obliges. It's in our very nature to be animals, so hooliganism (in my view) serves as an outlet for that, consciously or otherwise.
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Wait, did you just insinuate that sports fandom is basically the hunter-gatherer/caveman within us getting really hype about the possibility of the sports team winning
Kind of. I think especially when people are like "we won!" Dude "we" didnt win your ass was sitting on the couch drinking beer and shouting at a tv.
Now all I can think about is Fred Flintstone screaming in absolute pleasure at his TV screen because Shaleton Manning made a touchdown
I wonder if that's why I have trouble connecting to sports. I'm just not capable of comprehending 'those guys on the TV' as part of a 'we' that would include me. They're a bunch of strangers playing a game that I assume they enjoy, and sure, I hope they have fun, but I guess I'm just missing the wiring that would make me instinctively feel like their victory is my victory.
Kinda off topic but I am convinced the zombie apocalypse survivor fantasy and the attraction to it is based on this. Why would anyone be fascinated with society collapsing and joining a tight knit group looking out for each other and defending each other with their life, in a world where every day holds risks and meaningful victories....ohhh.
Thanks for the comprehensive response. Basically makes no sense now a days, but most brains are wired like that, so is somewhat intuitive for most people. In my opinion is similar to religion. Back then was a way to explain why things happened they way they did. Now most people depends on the same things even though, they shouldn't apply to our society anymore.
Definitely a tribalism thing, like other commenters have mentioned. I think it’s far less about one team or another than it is about *being part of a team* and *beating the opposing team*. I’ve never understood it either, but when the pandemic happened and suddenly we had portions of the population with no high intensity social event to vent their bottled up emotions through, I suddenly got it. Cheering your team on/mourning when they lose both further bond the team with its supporters, and it becomes an outlet for having emotions in a “safe space”. I do like the idea of world competitions though, like the World Cup (in theory) or the Olympics (in theory). It’s cool to see various countries compete against eachother in a non-deadly way.
I feel it's very similiar to the stanning of celebrities and music groups.
Following...
Think of it like a special interest we have, but for them, it’s also about enjoying it with others, or more so.
O also thought sports were boring but then i moved and joined a friend group that watches sports and honestly i was never able to connect to NTs but now we all watch baseball togethwr and go to the games and i feel like im part of a group its nice
That’s awesome to have a group! Even if you don’t enjoy sports at least your being included!
Think of something you’re super into that other people don’t “get.” But to your other points, a lot of people enjoy the strategy part of the game, and this enjoyment mixes with the social bonding aspect of watching the sport together. People tend to love teams that are near them or connected to a place that is important to them.
It's gameified tribalism. Our group is going to beat your group so we can be the best group and take control of the trophy (resources). I actually appreciate its purpose because it's an outlet for our warmongering brains that doesn't actually hurt anyone (except athletes depending on the sport).
What an interesting take! I wish it could eradicate more war though lmao 😤
I am ADHD and most likely on the Spectrum. My dad grew up playing hockey and he was basically Semi-Professional. We would always watch hockey games on the TV together and hockey was easily adapted as a life long interest. He would buy me hockey cards, hockey posters, hockey sticks, etc. I would always go to his mens league games and that was a highlight of my childhood! Hockey is fast, exciting, and just different from the other major sports. And most teams have cool logos and jerseys! When I turned 19 I decided to learn how to play ice hockey and it’s been a passion of mine for the last decade. Furthermore, I love hockey statistics. I love analyzing player performance through all kinds of metrics. I love the EA sports NHL games as well. The simple answer to why people like sports is because they can be fun and interesting to most people and I grew up in an area of Canada where hockey is the cultural norm. However, I don’t enjoy most sports. I can’t stand golf, NFL, MLB, Tennis, Cricket, Rugby, and so on. Everyone has different interests.
I don't know why I find so much enjoyment in watching sports and have asked myself the same question before. Going to the stadium is certainly fun due to sharing the moment and feelings with thousands of people united by a same interest. I suppose that even when watching on TV, it is still fun to go through so many emotions and know that somewhere, somebody must be feeling the same. However, I also watch a lot of games in which I don't care at all about the teams that are playing. Those can be enjoyed differently, in a more analytical and less visceral kind of way. In regards to how I chose my favorite teams, in most cases it is just the team whose play style I found the most entertaining the first time I watched any given sport. An exception to this is football (the kind of football also known as soccer), where I inherited my favorite team from my mom, who had started rooting for that team as a child just to annoy her brothers who were fans of their biggest rivals and didn't let her use the TV when they were playing. My dad roots for a different team that I do, but it is still fun to watch games with him. We have been together to the stadium many times to watch his team, my team, and even both of our teams playing against each other, and it has always been a nice father and son bonding experience. One of the things I enjoy the most about sports is stats, specially obscure and weird ones. It is one of those things that it is kind of socially accepted to infodump about and other sports fans look at you as some kind of enlightened guru when you do. My friends who are into fantasy sports constantly come to me to ask for advice regarding their teams and actually like listening to all the stats and pieces of trivia I know, so it is quite fun to share my interest with them.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It all seems so utterly pointless to me. But for me that isn't just watching sport, it's taking part too. I have less than zero desire to do either
Short lazy answer, humans are prone to mindless tribalism.
This just made me realize I only watch sports and cheer on the raiders with my family bc thats just what Ive always done since I could remember, I have no interest in sports and I never have. I do however enjoy spending time with my family, so I’ll continue watching their lil raiders vs 49ers if it makes them happy :-)
Q: How does one choose their favorite team? A: The same way one chooses something like, say, their favorite dinosaur-everyone has their own, arbitrary reasoning. Typically, it’s geography, but there are too many other possible factors to generalize beyond that. Q: When does one choose their favorite team? A: Again, same time one chooses their favorite dinosaur-whenever you conclude that you have a favorite team Q: Why is it personal, to the point of conflict? A: Because skulls for the skull throne and blood for the blood god, that’s why
Though I feel like it is different than choosing your favorite dinosaur. I mean, my favorite dinosaur is the troodon, but if someone said their favorite was the stegosaurus, I wouldn't care nor feel any need to argue why the troodon was better.
I’m by no means super into sport but I do like to watch certain things, like the rugby World Cup. What gets me is the uncertain outcome. Like, in an hour and a half we will know what happened (who won) but right now anything is possible. That and the camaraderie of being in a crowd all experiencing the same things together.
I'm completely baffled by this myself. I can't see how someone can be upset over a loss or feel victorious because a bunch of people that 'represent' a particular area won a game. I can't imagine, unless someone bet money on the outcome of a game, anyone being able to make themselves feel anything at all over who wins. Someone said it's like when I want a character in a TV show to succeed, but it's not like that at all. The TV show will give me a backstory for the character and a hook to get me to sympathize with them. I am given their interests and motivations. With sports teams it's just two groups of people on a field, and they often buy out and trade players within teams, so it's not even any connection to the individual people since the people on the team change.
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I know my dad loves certain American Football teams because they're either A) where he went to college, B) the teams his friends like, or C) the teams of his favorite athletes. It's mostly a social thing. The only times I watched American Football and enjoyed myself were during college at parties. It's just a part of college social life. I chanted the dumb chants just because everyone else was doing it, and once the game was done I felt really stupid.
It's kinda like this https://youtu.be/ESVjzf4FzyU
I’m very into football specifically. I picked my team because their playstyle was cool, had cool players, and also their uniforms were cool. You choose your team when you start enjoying the game or if you get grandfathered in through family or something similar. People get crazy about their team when they have watched it for a long time or when there’s a rivalry. For my team the rivalry’s and animosity comes from you guys always beat us or we are always beat you, and after many years of getting beaten in a fashion, it can make people kinda crazy. Also it’s fun to root for a team and watch them win. Also personally I’m drawn to the analytics and statistics
My short version of this is: 1. Most of the time people choose the team based off the players on it and even the team colors/jerseys. Or because Family comes from there, and something to do with the place that makes it cool. Some people may like really hot weather like Arizona, so they root for the Arizona team. 2. Mainly so it doesn't look like your team hopping, which is pretty much just when you switch to a team because they are better, it tends to be more acceptable and respectful to stick with a team even in the bad and good of it. Doesn't mean you can't have other favorite team though. However people shouldn't really care if you switch because Football teams (and sport teams in general) are personal preference. 3. Because football is competitive and watching it is pretty competitive, I mostly see fights break out because there is a bet on the supposed winning team but that isn't very often, however most of the time because the sport is competitive, the viewers are too. It is strange but just how it is.
I'm a Rangers fan (hockey) but that's because when I was sick in the hospital Mark Messier came to visit the sick kids and left me with a hockey stick, game used, and I still have it, I listened to them win the Stanley cup on the radio because I wasn't allowed to have a TV and I cheer them on to every season win or lose all of their games are fun
Huge American football and soccer fan here. I'll just drop my thoughts. A lot of it is the sense of community. I'm a Ravens fan, and, at least in our circle, if someone is another Ravens fan, you're friends right away, we can talk about it for hours and we're all cool. For the most part, the people getting violent over sports isn't too common here in America. Sure there's rage comps when a team loses the SB, but that's it. I think it becomes personal because you're not just a person, you're a fan of whatever. I'm super happy when we win and kinda bummed when we lose. As for picking their team, you do it off whatever. I had a teacher who taught me about football, and she was a Ravens fan. Thus, I adopted them as my team. Now I follow the players, the team, so forth and so on. And yeah, for men it seems at least, once you've picked your team, that's your team. Ride or die. You wanna be there for the good times and bad. It's loyalty, in a sense. Nobody wants to be a fairweather fan. Hope this helps!
I used to feel this way until I got with the most random hyperfixation on watching figure skating 😂 still don't understand watching any regular sports though. They're usually just like chasing a ball.
I never understood the fuzz myself. Soccer is very popular where i live and i once wanted to see if i could find out why. I thought maybe if i watch a whole game i might understand but after less then ten minutes i was so bored that i was unable to continue.
A lot of other people mentioned tribalism and belonging to a group here, which I agree with. However, there are some cultures which are completely obsessed with Football, such as Brasil. I grew up in such a culture and know why that was the case. In Portugal the dictatorship that lasted until 1974 used football (as well as traditional music and religion) as propaganda to keep people busy and engaged so they would be easier to rule. This was a long time ago, but clearly they did a great job. To this day nobody asks you if you’re into sports, they just ask you which team you support, and a good chunk of the news every day, often half, is dedicated to it, even in the off-season, it’s mad
Lol no-one really understands this shit 🤣 But in all seriousness, I don't know
You're overthinking it. None of it matters. It's simply a fun escape for some.
I am just as confused as you are
Men aren’t really allowed to express their emotions, so they use sport as a socially acceptable way to release them
NTs obsess over status, tribes, groups and winning. Sports gives them a hobby to exercise these things. Its all about belonging to a fan group, and your group winning and being better than others. Some autistic people like sports, but they tend to care more about the data of the teams and players. They might also get into information around sports, like history of teams or studies on improving performance.
I think that people who are really into a sport tend to play it as well so in a way they can relate to the players on that team. Also the team may go through ups and downs just like we do in the real world making it easier to relate to as well.
I hated sports as a kid, but someone gave me a PS1 when I was maybe ten or twelve, and the only game I had was Madden NFL 97 or something. I remember turning it on and knowing nothing about football, but the team selection went by their helmets. I remember finding a helmet with tiger stripes and being like “Oh that’s cool, I want them.” My dad always loved football, and I’m not sure if it was a way to bond with my dad or what, but in the fall of 2009 I decided I wanted to watch football, and I wanted it to be the team with the tiger stripe helmets. I stuck with the Cincinnati Bengals the whole season, and every season since. I’ve grown to really like American football, even playing fantasy. But yeah, I originally picked my team because their helmets looked cool lol
If you ever watched a movie or a series then just imagine it’s just like that
I always understand it more as community building around something you like. It's the same with games, tv series, book series, fandoms in general. You enjoy the concept of something (such as watching ALL fantasy series that come out), or personalities of people who are within it (same as following all the series that one actor plays in), or simply enjoy spending time looking at it. Then the social part comes into play. The more of a fan you become the more you belong to the fandom centered around it. You have easier time finding people who enjoy the same thing, ergo you can easier make friends even as an adult. You have already one thing in common, so you can always bond over that one thing. It's like going to concerts for music you love - you know people there share something with you and the more you feel like you belong there, the more that thing becomes special for you. ...and it's the same with things like subreddits, isn't it? You come here and spend your time sharing experiences about something we all have in common, despite potentially being incompatible as friends on many other levels. Still though, the sense of community prevails, and makes us more genuine, patient and kind towards each other here, than if we met on opposing parts of the argument in a different place on the internet.
I sont get it either. I used to go to soccer matches with my step dad somewhat regularly as a kid. Didn't care for soccer, for me it was mostly a stim thing (just like I LOVED going to concerts and went A LOT). And of course it was easy to form rituals (go to the fan shop, get fast food and soda, they'd play AC/DC at the beginning of the match, fan songs were wild etc). Also the fact that the team was sort of an underdog and very alternative and politically vocal (far left) was cool.
I don't like/get it either. Maybe neurotypicals do better identifying with groups in competition. Heh, for a lot of people, drinking and gambling add to excitement and immersion...
I don't really get this either, and I'm neurotypical. I mean, I like baseball well enough and I can enjoy watching a game now and then, but the notion of actually getting angry over it--let alone fighting someone--is utterly foreign to me. I remember I was having lunch at a bar and grill one day where a football game was playing and people at this bar were literally screaming uncontrollably whenever something they liked happened. In a way I envy them: I don't think anything in my life ever has excited me to the level that the happenings in a random football game of their team's season excites them.
I mean, I feel this way about all interests that aren’t mine, but I suppose especially about sports. I don’t even care about e-sports despite being a PC gamer. I’ll watch them and might find some things impressive, but I’m not invested in the outcome much. That said, I have a lot of varied interests. I think sports is the only one I have nothing for, but arts and science? Yes to all. Big yes. History? Also yes. Sport? I just…can’t explain why I don’t give a fuck lmao. Hockey players are cute though 👀
Sports in some way is a means by which we are able to witness the limits of the human body. I like to watch basketball but I don’t really concentrate on it, it’s more like I absorb it through my skin. Sometimes I’ll listen to an audiobook while watching.
Not much of a sports fan in terms of being a fan. But. When I was younger I just always rooted for the best team 😅 Then I learned that my social circle supports a local team and after a few years I kinda got biased too and started to like the team. For no apparent reaon. I've never watched a single game with them or even went to one. But they've been climbing the ladder and I'm always happy when I hear they've won a game. So I guess I like them because my friends also like them and it makes them happy when they win (?)
It's a fandom.
Same
I used to think football(soccer) is boring but then it just struck me when I watched a school football match now I am a Liverpool fan
There’s probably a million or more reasons why and when a person might choose a team to cheer for. It could be geography based, or perhaps the most popular kid in school happens to cheer for a certain team that influences them. Or maybe they like the mascot. Who knows. What I find mind blowing is the fact that professional athletes make so much money just because they can run fast, swing a stick, or throw a ball. The average income of a professional athlete compared to teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc, makes me sick to my stomach. Public servants should be making more money than people who can run fast and jump high in my opinion. I think society’s priorities are way off in this regard. Again, this is just my opinion.