Let me ask you, how many sports bars can you count on your street?
If you live in a busy town like mine, you’d probably say many.
Indeed, sports is one thing the whole world seems to be crazy about. No matter where you go, you’ll find people supercharged and crazy about sports events. And it makes you wonder why.
I remember my first experience in Africa. I was stunned to find people so enthusiastic and passionate about sports in general. When you walk on the streets, you’ll find people arguing about soccer matches. Go to the clubhouses; you’ll find people walking in with their sports jerseys on. Even where you least expect to hear anything sporty, you’ll still find folks talking passionately about an upcoming tennis game or a last-night boxing match.
For a non-sports lover, this left me intrigued.
Why do people love sports this much, and why do they spend so much time watching them? My questions led me to these interesting discoveries.
Mind you; you can now find lively sports bars to watch all your favorite sports games on Nicelocal.com.
Why do people love sports so much?
-
The entertainment
First and foremost, sports are entertaining. And that’s the first reason people love them. Sitting down and watching a sports event can fill you up with such excitement that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Talk about players stepping out onto the pitch/ring/court in colorful attires, fans cheering and screaming their lungs out, athletes pulling off stunts normal people can’t do – all these put together birth an incredibly entertaining show that keeps you salivating for more.
-
The Players
Why do we love movies? The actors
Why do we love music? The artists
Why do we love TV shows? The stars
In a similar vein, people love sports because of the players. Much like how musicians blow our minds with their sounds or actors with their moves, all sports have players that make us go “wow.” And that makes people want to tune in every night.
So, if you think you’ve never fancied any sports, try to watch Tyson Fury throw a combo of punches or Lebron pull off a number of dunks. Come back then and tell me whether you wouldn’t pay to see them do that again.
-
The unpredictability
Sports are generally unpredictable. As such, when you watch, you watch with great enthusiasm – because you don’t know what might happen. This unpredictability adds to the inherent fun of the activity itself.
-
The Storylines
Like movies, sports have storylines, too. Talk about players’ journey to stardom, how teams hustle for glory, the reward for success, trophy lifting, and all of that. The thought of being able to experience all these drives people to watch again and again.
-
The Upset
Because it is unpredictable, upsetting outcomes aren’t farfetched. People love sports because it pulls off a series of upsetting stories and outcomes. As a lover, you know your team can be on the receiving end of an upset, which hurts. And on the other hand, you know another team can be, which is fun.
All these put together make for an exciting experience.
-
The rivalry
If you grow up in a place, there’s a high chance your local team has an existing rivalry with a neighboring team. The thought of getting one over your noisy neighbors is enough to fuel your love for the game.
Now that we understand the reason behind the love and interest, let’s take a look at why people go out of their way to ensure they don’t miss a moment.
Reasons people can’t stop watching sports
-
Love and passion
As we’ve established, people love sports. So, it’s only logical that they’re passionate about watching it. Man would spend his hard-earned cash or precious time on what he finds lovable and enjoyable. And that’s what has happened with sports.
-
A sense of belonging
Whether you do it by donning your favorite team’s jersey or supporting your local team in a competitive match, there’s this sense of belonging that comes with supporting a sports team.
In a way, it makes you feel like a part of something bigger.
-
A chance to see your favorite stars
Everybody will agree the reason we watch some movies is so that we can see our favorite characters in action again. I plan on watching DC’s Titans because the show enlisted Joseph Morgan from ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘The Originals.’
It is the same for sports fans. They go back and watch sports shows because they want to see their favorite players in action again. The English Premier League is about to kick into action, and I can’t wait to watch the likes of Harry Kane in action.
-
Tradition
Some people watch sports because that’s the only thing they know. A group of friends that come together on a weekend to watch a football match does so because it’s what they do every weekend. Asking them to skip a weekend might seem like a death sentence.
A lot of people watch sports for this reason.
For example, some families cannot miss the Super Bowl for anything and would do anything to ensure they savor every moment of the event.
That’s tradition.
-
Bragging right
This is common amongst friends and peers. Folks would sometimes watch sports solely because they want to claim bragging rights over their friends. They want to be the first to say they saw a player live in action or that they streamed a sports event live.
Also, coming to work on a Monday and being the one to narrate every action that happened in the NBA over the weekend feels like winning a trophy for some people.
-
The feeling of being left out
It is always not cool being the odd one out. So, if you find yourself in a group where everyone loves and watches sports, it’s only logical that you do the same.
-
Escapism
People watch sports because it helps them escape from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives.
For the duration of the show, you’re only thinking about a bunch of guys kicking a ball or a bunch of fellas bashing each other’s face.
In a way, your worries are bottled up and locked away.
