Why are some people so fixated with professional sports?

reply to post by GrandStrategy


Please keep your personal attacks to yourself as they are usually a sign of a very week argument.

Professional team sports and regional sports arena's have been an invention of the 20th century. So maybe you would like some education yourself Hg wells sport arenas .

We were having this discussion in chat last week. lol

My fiancee is a crazy Florida State football fan. It is really bad. I don't get it at all! I am not into sports. I think they are boring and just not for me. He gets pissy because I don't like to watch sports. He thinks he can convert me and I tell him it will never happen. He isnt' the first guy I've dated who is a die hard sports fanatic. I dated a guy who was a sports editor for ten years! He knew EVERYTHING about sports and watched them all. I remember when he ripped his shirt off when his team scored a touch down. Apparently they weren't a very good team so it was a big deal. Yea that is how die hard he was and is to this day. lol

I did go to a FSU football game with my fiancee. It was fun but I was kind of bored. I went for the experience. It was literally a stadium full of people like him. The lady in front of us I thought she was going to have a break down. I couldn't believe how she was acting because they were losing. It was definitely something I have never witnessed before..

I tell my fiancee he can be all into his FSU football all he wants and I will support it but don't expect me to me next to him acting a fool as well. It won't happen. I'd rather watch something that stimulates my brain and I learn. lol

Everyone has their "thing" and if for some it's sports then so be it.

Everyone who is bashing sports in this thread is just mad because they were always picked last in elementary school to play.

Enjoying sports is one thing. Being completely fixated on it to the point where it defines who you are is just unhealthy. The same thing can be said for music, video games, soap operas etc.

What gripes me is how these people are considered todays "role models". There was a time when we looked up to people such as Tesla, Edison, MLK. Now we look up to Lebron James and Tiger Woods...

Theories abound.

Pure entertainment with no emotional attachment or investment.

Powerful emotional investment resulting in a personal feeling of accomplishment despite no input or effort on the spectator's part.

An outlet for some sort of inborn human need for competition and quasi-"combat."

Social and cultural touchstones.

All of the above.

Personally I've never had any interest in sports. Not one iota. I can appreciate the effort and athleticism that goes into it, but for the same reason I don't enjoy watching American Idol and similar competitions, I don't enjoy sports.

Peace.

It goes back to the core principal of survival of the fittest. There is no outlet for this anymore as we have bred ourselves to the point that everyone should stay alive forever and that is not the correct way that nature intended it.

Nature intended for the weak the lame the ill the lesser animal die off and or be eaten. We have re engineered the global scheme and have screwed up the natural order.

Hence the reason that we are fascinated with sports it is the only outlet that can feed the desire for survival of the fittest on a subconscious level.

No matter how hard we try we are nothing more than an animal floating on the rock in a giant chasm of space trying to fight off the inevitable which is death...

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
reply to post by GrandStrategy

 

Please keep your personal attacks to yourself as they are usually a sign of a very week argument.

Professional team sports and regional sports arena's have been an invention of the 20th century. So maybe you would like some education yourself Hg wells sport arenas .

edit on 3-5-2013 by PhoenixOD because: (no reason given)

Nope, you're wrong.

You know what else is the sign of a "week" argument? Changing the goal posts when you're called out on your duck tales. Throughout the thread you've been saying sport is a modern invention used to control society.... now you're saying "professional team sports".

You've gone from "A lot of people dont realize that the idea of sports is a relatively new idea in human history. designed to keep the more aggressive people focused on things that wont upset the running of countries and governments. Teams and sports were designed as a way of forcing social order on the working class "

to

"No , saying saying "people who listen to music are sheeple" does not make any sense while the reasoning behind my statement was backed up will proof of the design of sports in the first place. "

to

Professional team sports and regional sports arena's

... Running scared much? With every post you're making concessions and switching positions.

Here are the facts about how long sports have been around, both as participation and viewing activities.

"Sports that are at least two and a half thousand years old include hurling in Ireland, harpastum (similar to rugby) in Rome, cuju (similar to association football) in China, and polo in Persia. The Mesoamerican ballgame originated over three thousand years ago. There are artifacts and structures that suggest that the Chinese engaged in sporting activities as early as 2000 BC.[18] Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's ancient past. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh. Among other sports that originated in Persia are polo and jousting. A polished bone implement found at Eva in Tennessee, USA and dated to around 5000 BC has been construed as a possible sporting device used in a "ring and pin" game."

Every culture and society in the world has some kind of sport activity they engage in. It's not a modern invention and anyone telling you that it is is stupid. You have to be ignorant of history to think that sports were created only a few hundred years ago. Do you know anything about humanity at all? You might as well say that humans only started eating in the 20th century on account of the creation of processed food

Valid question. You must remember that "fan" is short for fanatic. For me, I watch sports because I grew up playing those sports and appreciate the level of athleticism that the pros have. The only two sports I watch are football and hockey (although I was at the pirates' game just last night). I watch them because they include hitting, strategy, and skill. Basketball and baseball, you don't even get hit. Thats not an athlete to me. Especially basketball, probably the most embarrassing ting to be called a sport next to bowling.

That being said, the players and staff are paid stupidly high prices to play a game. But the same can be said for musicians and movie stars.Why would i pay to go to the theater or rent a dvd to give an actor more money when they're already comfortable driving their porsche back to their 4 million $ mansion to their super model wife. I torrent.

Also, I refuse to watch college sports. As I write this sitting in my college apartment, I don't even go to my college's sports games. The athletes are treated with much better respect than the highest-earning academic student here ever will. Just last week, two football players drunkenly beat up another student for being gay at my girlfriend's school, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It was never mentioned and the kids continue to play football.

All in all, sports is just like movies and music, it's just entertainment. And the entertainment industry is all around a joke for the amount of money they make. At least when sports teams do well their city benefits financially from it. It also brings a sense of camaraderie to the fans and city. Some movies and music rarely do.

As for why we say things like, "we won tonight" I can't explain. When you've put money and time into a franchise that you've been watching for nearly twenty years like I have with the Pittsburgh Penguins, maybe you start to feel like you're a part of the club. Maybe that's where it's from.

Finally, let's go pens! Bring home the cup!

reply to post by GrandStrategy


All you have proved is i need to be more specific in my wording with every post so that people like you can not take advantage to try to win an argument that has nothing to do with the intended meaning of my posts.

The context of the op was modern professional sports and when i said sports i was referring to it within the context of the OP. You have unsuccessfully tried to prove that i was talking about every sporting activity ever undertaken by mankind and win some sort of argument based on that false premise.

The original quote i gave in my first post explained that

before the advent of National Sports teams talked about “Arenas,”

and how the great H.G.Wells had an idea :

at the time was to eventually create a “Sports culture” for the men, using a tribal system where men would form allegiances according to a tribal system where men in set geographic areas would exhaust their aggressiveness in a vicarious identification with “their team.” Because men would be more disengaged then ever before from their own destiny a “Sports culture” was developed for them in order to provide an outlet for aggression that might otherwise be channeled in things that really were matters of consequence for responsible male citizens of a commonwealth.

also :

It was unimaginable during Wells time that there would be a need for adult sports on the scale we have it today.

So if you want to have an argument with someone about whether all sports ever created were done to control people i suggest you go and have it with someone who believes that's that case rather than try to take my statements out of context

reply to post by Lingweenie


because of the hype machine that's meant to get people into a frenzy and sustain some kind of mass hysteria which they then exploit to advertise all kinds of stuff.

They even somehow lead people to believe its part of being "American," British, or whatever nationality you are.

I was crazy about basketball myself as a kid...then I got over it.

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
I don't get pro sports either.

A bunch of adult men running around acting like kids, and getting paid millions for it.

Edit: Additionally, I find sports fans think in very black and white terms. People that are very into sports are very "us vs. them" -- and this in turn spills over into their politics. People love the inclusive feeling, even if they don't even understand they are being played for a tool.

On ATS we complain that both sides of the political spectrum are really the same thing in different outfits. Sports fans don't understand this, won't understand this and can't understand this. Being raised to see the world in absolutes programs and wires the brain in such a way that any other alternative viewpoint is instantly dismissed.

So no to sports, no to us vs. them and no to a world of absolutes.

edit on 3-5-2013 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)

Assumed generalizations like this are annoying. When it comes to sports the trash talk is all in fun, only drunk idiots will fight over sports, but drunk idiots will fight over anything, If my team beats yours there will be some "ah ha tony romo sucks, blah blah blah" but in the end of the day we are still friends, we aren't really against each other. I'm as hardcore of a 49er fan as you can have, I've supported them my whole life, but I'm still friends with fans of rival teams. It's not that serious.

When it comes to politics I'm as anti-partisan as it gets, I hate these political parties and the bickering people do. You can read my post history and you will find plenty of posts telling people to stop with that non sense.You have no idea how silly you look making comments like "Sports fans don't understand this, won't understand this and can't understand this" While you rant about absolutes.Sports fans don't belong to some hive minded way of thinking. I promise you there is more depth to my life than you've just given credit with in this post.

I'm a member of a football forum and we've had some really good philosophical discussions there as well, we aren't drones blindly following some design like you make us out to be.

As far as people saying sports are useless goes, Playing football helped keep me out of trouble. While the rest of my friends where joining gangs, I was a captain of my football team, I was working hard to keep my grades up so I could play every week, while my friends where doing drugs. If it wasn't for football there is a good chance I end up in one of those gangs or on drugs like them. Same is true for many pro athletes who come from compton or detroit, but made it out thanks to sports. I'm greatful for these "stupid mindless sheeple" games.

Answer to your question: you're all nerds.

Some of us that play and watch sports cant imagine how someone can have fun with computer code or building a house or doing yardwork or playing D&D. Different strokes for different folks.

Sports don't hurt anyone, they provide some necessary distraction from the hell that is modern society. For two hours I can turn my brain off, stop worrying about the problems in the world and enjoy the best athletes in the world performing at the highest level possible. Sports are fascinating if you delve into the theory of the game.

Also, sports bring people together. I can make friends with any Chicago Bulls fan on the PLANET, because we already have something in common that we're passionate about. It's that passion that brings people together so who cares if athletes are overpaid (which they're not, you and I are all UNDERpaid)

Besides, games are ingrained into our being. Every culture, every one of yall that hate on sports, have games that you play.

Sports are a part of our history and our culture. Remember Jessie Owens whoopin Nazi ass during the WWII Olympics in Germany? What about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball? What about Micheal Jordan who, around the world, is just as recognizable as Jesus or Ronald McDonald.

But, yeah, when people start flipping cars over and rioting because their team lost, that's just sad. There are so many better reasons to riot.

Because watching sports is kinda exciting, I don't play basketball, but I love the NBA, for instance, the San Antonio Spurs are my favorite team and when I got to work, Ill bust out stats to other NBA stats spitting people too, perhaps thats what it is, leisure with stats involved.
Sports is also a great "Ice Breaker" in a place where you don't know anybody, I somtimes find myself talking up a storm with complete strangers, its somthing we as a people can relate too, trust me, I know people who ask tjat same question, but what would you have us say??? Can it be inspiration? The love of competiton? Sport? Who knows, maybe its like national pride, or at least borders it.
I can go to work an try to talk with folks about ATS.COM, they kinda just shun me away, but the moment I bring up last nights game stats, WHOOO!!!! WEEEEE!!! I done started a debate with people three rooms down the hall.
This is just one of those things better left alone, I can understand if you have a problem with overpaid players, but its not like the Goverment pays them, its a sports business, the FANS pay their salaries, when you got stadiums across american that can seat 19000 or more people at $50.00 to $1000.00 a pop depending on your seat location, thats alot of money....AND sports fans WILL buy them.

reply to post by Lingweenie


If more young men and women had been introduced to a sport there would be less crime and the world would be a better place. It's an outlet and is time consuming which leaves less time for trouble making. That's why there's such a big push for kids youth leagues in inner cities.

Originally posted by reject
reply to post by Lingweenie

 

because of the hype machine that's meant to get people into a frenzy and sustain some kind of mass hysteria which they then exploit to advertise all kinds of stuff.

They even somehow lead people to believe its part of being "American," British, or whatever nationality you are.

I was crazy about basketball myself as a kid...then I got over it.

Yeah that's one thing I frown at, I'm refering to nationalism. People root for a team that represents their state/city/country, and they think in some way their team beating the other basically puts their state/city/country on a higher level. And of course, as a fan, you have no control whatsoever over the outcome of the game. You can cheer, and scream at the TV all night, but it won't change anything. A good example of this would be the famous hockey game with the US and Russia. It was thought the US couldn't beat them, but it ended up happening. And people were basically thinking "If we don't win this game the Commie's win!" Which is pretty ridiculous to me.

A little moderate nationalism is fine. But if people go over board with it, it can be dangerous. I remember about 4 years ago or so, A Yankee fan got into an argument with a rival team player and ended up murdering them. And I'm sure countless times people have gone ballistic at other people for rooting for another team. Nationalism can lead to extremism, and extremism can be very dangerous. There are some people that are really hardcore with sports, and they won't even associate themselves with someone if the root for a different team. And this kind of mindset can further divide us as american's, and also as fellow human beings. Although a fan rooting for a team hardly ever results in something like that. But the fact it promotes nationalism isn't very good. Every state, and every country shouldn't be considered inferior to another simply because their team based in their area won a sports game.

i think its the simpleton gene. you get to shout at someone, feel rage and happiness towards something that has no connection to you.
you can get excited and shout and you know there will be no consequenches(i dont know how to spell that).

in short , if you watch sport, youre probalby a moron.

This is a good question. But an even better question is why in the world do professional athletes makes millions of dollars when there are starving people in the US and other countries around the world? This just shows that there is a disconnect between humanity/morals and capitalism. The two are not compatible. It is because of situations like this that I think certain redistribution ideas are great. The moral part of a person should make it evident that it is not a good thing that someone has millions or billions of dollars that they do not need, while other people have absolutely nothing.

And some want you to believe this is because those who make this much money deserve it, or have worked hard for it. What a load of crap. There are poor people, all over the world, who work MUCH, MUCH harder than people who make millions of dollars every year. So why is the myth perpetuated that poor people do not want to work, or are lazy? This is just a lie.

reply to post by Lingweenie


I think it really has to do with a pre-human instinct to chase things. Like the way dogs LOVE chasing balls. When I see spectators watching baseball, I imagine them yeLling, "GET THE BALL, GET THE BALL, GET THE BALLLL!"

No matter how talented a player is in baseball, it's still a matter of hitting a round object with a stick. Whoop-de-doo!

Throw the ball!

Originally posted by Rikku
i think its the simpleton gene. you get to shout at someone, feel rage and happiness towards something that has no connection to you.
you can get excited and shout and you know there will be no consequenches(i dont know how to spell that).

in short , if you watch sport, youre probalby a moron.

Yea, I completely disagree with this statement, you pretty much called the vast "majority" of us people on planet earth a moron. "Simpleton gene?" Is that what you call it? I guess your a highly educated geneticist that has uncovered such a gene an wrote a thesis on it. Course I could be very wrong.
I understand if your lazy an contribute nothing to your own physical self, but to call people morons because they like to watch sports is as dumb as saying people are morons because people like to run during a cardio workout, of which I presume you know nothing of. Thats not to say you have to be physically fit to enjoy sports, but with you, I'll put my money where my typing is at.
Let me see, rikku is your avatar, so you prolly stay at home an play final fantasy an any other RPG all day, shun the sunlight an most of the human race, eating and drinking fastfood an 7
Eleven slurpies, 'bout right?

reply to post by Lingweenie


I share your views