Psychology of a Sports Fan

[Ego]

Hah!

Who says it isn't important?

[vivacious]

It's mostly harmless.

What I would say is it's usually better to watch it on tv, at a friend's house, at a bar, etc.

Why pay hundreds of dollars to watch in person? You get a better view on tv, don't have to deal with parking, can feel more comfortable, and most importantly can put those hundreds of dollars towards your playing sports fund.

Sure it's more exciting in person but it seems to be a significantly bigger time and money hit etc.

It is a fairly passive experience and it's somewhat irrational to be that invested in it.

@Ego, yeah the statistics and whatnot are sort of fun/interesting.

@Jennypenny I seem to very much disagree with you about half the time and agree the other half. I mostly agree this time. Loyalty, family bonding, overcoming disasters in a community, etc are fairly good aspects.

I think the key is not getting too ridiculous about it. The teams are going to play every year. Nothing is really accomplished.

I was just thinking today though that my mind seemed to associate the fall weather with football. That's actually a fun game, even if you just play with some people in the neighborhood etc.

[Ego]

While driving yesterday I was listening to Only A Game on NPR when they discussed the new test Boston University developed for detecting CTE in living patients. Both of the sports writers suggested that this was the beginning of the end for the NFL. Will parents allow their kids to play if they get a positive test? Will high schools be able to field teams with the liability involved? Will colleges be able to find players if the programs that feed them players no longer exist? Will people watch the NFL if it becomes something akin to flag football?

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510052/only-a-game

If so, how long until that same dynamic play out in other contact sports?

On the way home I was listening to another NPR program, Radiolab, which featured the young grandson of a famous professional football player whose mother desperately wanted him to play despite the fact that her father was showing signs of CTE. The kid had 13 relatives who had played in the NFL, so the sport is in his blood, and during his first season he was nicknamed Tank because he was so good. But he didn't want to play football next year. He said he'd rather do synchronized swimming.

http://www.radiolab.org/story/football/

Are we on the cusp of a massive change or is this the wishful thinking of NPR and Ivy League researchers?

[jennypenny]

Our high school is having trouble getting enough kids to play football. We've known some kids who left soccer for the same reason.

I think this might gain traction because it's coinciding with the uptick in suicides in young men which is a hot topic among parents right now. Head injuries aren't the only reason for the uptick but people with post-concussion syndrome have much higher suicide rates.

[Jason]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/ ... of-denial/

I stopped following football because of the above referenced. I don't see why any parent would let their kid play football, even if he was Peyton Manning. Not coincidentally, OJ Simpson is being let out again today and I don't want to create a simple narrative but you have to wonder what effect it had on him.

As I've gotten older, I follow sports less because it just seems pathetic to me. It's a habit I have broken away from. I do allow myself to follow local teams if they are of championship caliber. I did get into the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U though. That was good.

[Scott 2]

I care nothing for football, either as a player or a spectator.

However, I think it is a valuable outlet for the biggest, strongest, most aggressive teenagers. All of that energy needs to be directed into something. It's not as simple as eliminating collisions from one sport - they are wired for violent competition.

[Tyler9000]

My brother was a complete hellion growing up. From my perspective, high school football saved him. The discipline, practice, purpose, and sportsmanship it taught him transformed him from a kid to a man. He eventually had to quit after an injury revealed a preexisting condition that prevented him from continuing, but the new persona stuck. Sports gets a bad rap today from people who just don't get the positive impact is has on people's lives, but I've seen it over and over and am a big believer.

Personally, I love sports -- especially football and basketball. I was never the best athlete, but it encouraged me to try and it's always fun to live vicariously through your heroes. Not everything in life has to be so serious.

When it comes to youth football, it doesn't surprise me that the negative press regarding CTE would be suppressing participation. But I think most people predicting the death of football are probably coastal skinny types who can't throw a spiral to save their life. Here in Texas, it's alive and well. It's not just an activity -- it's a cultural thing.

[slsdly]

I loved playing soccer growing up. Part of me would still like to play, but ultimately that's what I want -- to *play*. Competition is why I do a lot more solo activities over team sports. Why aren't there leagues which kick you out if you complain about not winning?

But watching? I feel like I am from another planet when I hear sports talk. They are making recognizable sounds but I don't understand at all. I'd rather become a millionaire than worship them on TV .

[Seppia]

Our high school is having trouble getting enough kids to play football. We've known some kids who left soccer for the same reason.

Soccer?
I'm cuorios what the rationale would be?
Doesn't sound anywhere close as bruising as football

[C40]

Soccer also causes a lot of injuries. Supposedly, just as many head injuries as football (soccer players don't collide as often, but they do collide at high speeds and have no helmets). Plus, they get a lot of over-use injuries, including ACL tears.

[Seppia]

I see.
From superficial observation, the two sports seem completely uncomparable.
Football humans are substantially larger
They hit each other as hard as possible on almost every single play
They head collide multiple times per game
In soccer there's maybe a head collision every 3-4 games, and over use injuries seems a characteristic of all of today's sports played at high level.
I'll look into it

[jennypenny]

It's the repeated heading as well ... The Cost of the Header

[Smashter]

What I'm getting out of all this is that basketball is the best

Of course, I'm biased, having devoted ages 7-25 to playing the sport.

But really - few concussions, low cost to learn and play, teaches teamwork, great exercise, very fun, professionals are very well compensated compared to other sports (especially the NFL). What's not to love?

[Papers of Indenture]

Football is not going to die. It is just going to become more of a niche sport similar to hockey. It will remain popular in rural areas and among urban blacks. It will likely decline in suburbs other than in niche states like Texas and Ohio.

[Papers of Indenture]

There are two types of sports fans in my experience. Those who see it as a drinking/party event and Nerds. A substantial portion of sports fans are just nerds. Sports nerds. Just like video game or collector nerds. Just with different tastes.

[Papers of Indenture]

@sshawnn

Thanks a lot. That looks awesome! The "tight" copy (from the endzone) is great to watch as a former lineman.

Hey there hog. 15 year offensive lineman checking in.

[Chad]

10 years of experience for me. 8th grade through college. I played offensive and defensive line in high school and defensive line in college. I also coached a little.

I do hope they find that CTE isn't guaranteed or all the result of football, as I love the sport. I have played almost everything else and nothing else really compares to the physical, intellectual, and group dynamics of football.

[Papers of Indenture]

I often describe football (the games not practice) as sort of a psychedellic experience. Nothing quite matches the high of a big night game under the lights in front of a hostile crowd. Of course I realize that part of the "high" was stupor from sustaining constant impacts at the line of scrimmage.

As I long suspected it appears to be the linemen and running backs taking the brunt of the long term CTE injury. The WR's and QB's endure the high profile, high impact, defenseless collisions that draw the accusations of barbarity but it's the sustained low impact collisions at the line of scrimmage that really seem to take a toll.