Imagery
The question “why do I care about sports” is undoubtedly a tough one to answer because it doesn’t lie in the game, it lies in the individual. People like watching sports for all different reasons. Many scientists have tried to hone in on the motives behind sports fans. Neuroscientists at UCLA say that mirror neurons play a key role in the brains of sports fans. In a sense, they put the fans’ minds in sync with those of the players. Endocrinologists say that the emotions felt and the hormones released by the fans oftentimes mirror those of the players. The fans see the players as an extension of themselves. In many cases, the fan identifies so strongly with a team that the line between themselves and their team becomes blurred. When a fan is watching their team play, they can hear the crowd chanting, they can feel the sweat dripping down their foreheads, the fan’s senses are linked with those of the players. They subconsciously live through the team. This is why fans often refer to their respective teams using “we.” When a football player leaps up into the air to catch a ball, the fan can feel that blood pumping through their veins. When a hockey goalie lets in a goal, the fan can feel that pent up anger in their gut and the tenseness in their muscles. This internalization of a sports team into a fan’s identity is the main reason that fans feel such burning passion for their teams. This internalization and passion towards a team can cause a fan to react in a variety of different ways. Some are harmonious, like sitting in a bar, surrounded by friends, drinking a cold beer, picking the bits of hamburger meat out of your teeth and cheering on your team. Some are hostile, like screaming at the top of your lungs at an opposing team’s fan. Some are outright malicious, like the assassination of a Columbian soccer player by a fan for scoring a goal against his own team.
Hypothetical Scene
Imagine you’re sitting a local bar. You look to your left, you look to your right, everyone’s wearing that classic Montreal red white and blue. You look up at the screen, the big game is on. Habs versus Bruins. The sounds of beer bottles clanking and drunk men laughing blare through your eardrums. You stand up, glance over the sea of red that engulfs you, and see one yellow jersey, a Bruins fan. You squint your eyes and notice that he’s being pushed around by a couple of Habs fans. You start walking closer to see what’s going on. You push and shove your way through the red jerseys and finally get a good listen. “Get the hell outta here!” Now more Habs fans start to join in. “No one wants you here!” “Dirty Bruins fan!” The Bruins fan is finally shoved out of the bar, scraping his knees on the sidewalk. The Habs fans come back inside and start to rejoice. They clank their beers one more time as their eyes turn back to the screen.
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