What science can tell sportswriters about why we love sports
Curated from: archives.cjr.org
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Sports Fans
Sports is a big deal across the world, with die-hard fans who are extremely emotional towards their home teams. It is hard to pinpoint the motivations of a sports fan, and why a win or a loss of a team matters so much.
Sportswriters have to be careful to navigate the complex emotional landscape, writing about sports in a way politics is written about: Avoiding verbal minefields.
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Why We Love Sports
Sports psychologists have a list of why people love sports:
- Sports carry self-esteem benefits.
- Commercial reasons (money bets etc.).
- Peer pressure of being part of their group.
- Sports are exciting.
- Sports is an aesthetically pleasing activity.
- A venue for emotional expression.
- Sports is an escape from real-world problems.
- Sports provide a sense of connectedness and belonging.
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Explaining Sports Appeal
- Talent-Luck Theory: Sports appeals to a lot of people due to its ability to balance skill with randomness.
- Mirror Neurons: Many fans are able to feel what the player is feeling, and experience the excitement first-hand in his mind, with no barrier between the self and the outside world.
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Us Vs Them
Human beings have always been motivated by being a part of a certain group, while automatically being at ‘war’ with the other group(s).
This basic ‘us vs. them’ attitude is hard-wired in most of us.
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The Fans
Sports fans are like us only, having a common set of values, beliefs, and life experiences.
Sports is like a thrilling emotional roller coaster ride for them, a movie to which they have surrendered themselves.
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