sportsfanIQ

What is it about sports that makes its fans so enthusiastic?  

Is it the heat of the battle that causes us to rest on the edge of our seats, as grown men - having nothing to do with our personal lives - compete for victory?

Is it that sports - the same ones we participated in as kids and were eventually unable to perform at the highest level - enable us to hold onto our youth?   

On a given day, thousands of fans dress themselves in team-favorite jerseys in order to display particular fanhoods.  And throughout a sporting event, emotions will sway, cursing will ensue, and a winner and loser will affect two sides.  

But for fans, especially the diehard, sports play a pivotal role in how we go about our day.  If the game is on, everything else takes a back seat.  (Except for our wives!)

Considering all this, I needed an explanation.  So I decided to reach out to some dedicated sports junkies and simply ask.

Here are some findings:

Why do fans wear paraphernalia?

Reasons ranged from wanting a feeling of knowing "that everyone ... will know where I stand," to "It's gameday.  If I don't, is a win possible?"

Or...

"If I didn't, would the players on the field really know whether they were home or away?"  I wasn't really sure if this was a serious response, but if it was, god bless the devotion.  

On the day of a big game, the actual participants experience emotions like nervousness, peacefulness or anticipation.

But for the fans, the ones sitting idly by:

"One word, zone.  If I get into the zone before my team, there's no way they can fail."  

Or...

"Urgency.  I can't wait for the puck to drop."  

When pressed to know why, this last comment stoked this:

"Because when my team lights the lamp ... my stomach tingles like the goal and the moment were mine.  And I can't wait for that feeling."

But the most informative sincerity came from a fan of the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies:

"Honestly, when the Phils are playing, all reality escapes me.  I get the feeling ... all that matters is me and the nine guys on the field.  There could be a hurricane going on around me, but as long as the game's still on television, I'm at peace.  My world starts and ends with the Phils.  Call me what you may, but it's what gets me up during the baseball season."

(Imagine what this guy's feeling now that the Phillies are seeking back-to-back titles.)  

But what if his Phils don't win?

Of the emotions some fans experience when their team fails to produce a victory, the most popular was devastation.  

A close second - worthless.  

Some honorable mentions: gut wrenching, sick, angry, and the most alarming, "I feel ... angry enough to probably choke someone."  

Having considered these disheartening feelings and then wondering why we put ourselves through this torture, the impossible question naturally surfaced: How long could we go without sports?

"Are you kidding me?  I would take a crushing defeat over not being able to watch a game."

(Not me.)  

"Two days, max.  Any longer and I'll have to watch those Super Bowl highlights ESPN has on during the month of January."

(By the way, I love those!)

Finally...

"Whether it's poker, bass fishing, X Games or women's basketball, I need sports."  

As for me, I can handle poker as a sport.  But watching bass fishing on television is like observing an accountant doing my taxes.  No thank you!

But hey, I guess if you like competition then a sport's a sport.  

Nevertheless, whether these excerpts provided you any insight into why fans are so loyal to their teams is beyond the point. 

Fans root for sports the way religious folk attend a service; It gives them meaning.  It offers purpose to know our teams are there each night, waiting for us to scream, holler, cheer, cry, curse, hug, high five, inhale in disappointment or exhale in jubilation.  

On the morning of a big game, I personally wake up knowing I'm going to be entertained with greatness.  This isn't to say I've mastered the art of watching my team lose, because my wife will attest that I haven't.  

But regardless of the outcome, sports is my life.  I enjoy athletes performing magical moments and writing history right in front of my eyes.

Why are fans so enthusiastic about sports?  

Because we love em.