Alright, this is the million dollar question that is just damn near impossible for me to answer in such a brief way. I'll do my best to keep it short, sweet, and somewhat stream of consciousness:
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The first source of bonding between fathers and sons... four year old boys with gloves twice the size of their heads desperate for a foul ball even though they're sitting in the 400-level... it provides instant conversation between male strangers at a table at a wedding, Bar Association event, or anything else... being on travel in a different city and being excited to tune into the televised local pro sports event in the hotel room and hear strange new announcers, hear about different sponsors and promotions, and see a strange new venue... how it brings towns and cities together... how life-long lessons can be learned from playing on that very first Little League team or swimming for that very first community swim team... 90,000 people screaming for a touchdown, 30,000 (10,000 in Baltimore) screaming for a home run, 20,000 people screaming for a goal... the fact that grown men in their 40s who already have more money than they could ever possibly need will play well beyond when any reasonable person would quit just for the chance to shed tears and win a Ring and hold that trophy... the rivalries it creates, the camaraderie it creates, and the fact that I can feel strange affection for somebody who I would otherwise not like just because they root for the same team as I do and feel unadulterated and unjustified hatred for somebody who I would otherwise love just because they happen to support a team that I despise... overtime in the Stanley Cup Finals... bases loaded, bottom of the ninth... adults who play in softball leagues and spend hundreds of bucks on expensive gloves, bats, and other gear just because they think that will give them a competitive edge and compensate for the fact that they've put on 50 pounds since their twenties... the thrill of unexpected victory and the agony of unexpected defeat.
2 Responses:
Allow me to move the conversation from Brien's thread to Jeremy's...
Sports provide theater and drama (complete with heroes and villains), idol worship, a form of gambling, community and camaraderie, debates and arguments, an outlet for absurd behavior (especially if you're Jeremy), and continuity throughout your life.
All the while, you believe you can relate to what the athletes are going through as someone who has or does participate in athletics.
I agree with one of the earlier commenters. How could anyone not be a sports fan?
Oh whoops, it wasn't a commenter, it was Brien who said that.
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