why do we like sports?

[ilikecharlene]

Is there any other reason than "just because"?

[broked]

I think a lot of people enjoy it for the vicarious pleasure it gives them. It's amazes me how people actually cry when 'their' team loses, or experience ecstasy when 'their' team wins a cup or whatever. I've never quite understood people who get that emotionally involved and obsessive over sport, to me it shows they don't really experience their own victories and have to get that elation through 'their' team. Most people I know who are very involved in sport themselves, train and compete themselves, get their kicks from their own hard work paying off and the victories they actually earnt themselves and as such don't get overly obsessed with watching sport, but view it from a true (arguably more healthy) perspective of interest, appreciation and entertainment.

I personally find soccer mildly interesting, the level of physical prowess and skill compared to other sports is imo mediocre. I mean some of the 'athletes' earning beyond ridiculous money can't even sprint properly!..yet obviously a high percentage of sedentary males find the sport mesmerising. I'd ask those people to pick up a 20kg plate off the gym floor...then watch the olympic weightlifting and watch a woman half their weight put 10 of those plates over their head...THAT is mesmerising! *rant over* lol

[Welshie]

Because sports fuel are competitive edge, and in my case give you balls of steel.

[kuju]

because we're a competitive species... and in the old days one would prove his superiority by killing someone else. But since we learned to work in groups (and still kill each other in groups, *sigh*) we had to find some other method of showing physical dominance over others.... hence competitions of strength, speed, accuracy etc. As those competitions grew more sophisticated and complicated, they evolved into sports.

And since we're mostly a bunch of lazy slobs, we prefer to cheer on (prop up) the strong ones. Anthropologically, we're the strong one's "posse" who give him praise, and he protects us. But since TV and such are around, it's mostly an emotional involvement now.

Deidre, feel free to wipe my ass with that.

[Sonny]

I've actually given this some thought myself over the years. Some of my friends look down on sport like we're barbarians running around after a particularly shaped ball. When I look at it from their perspective I can see their point. It does seem ludicrous. But then there is the fact that I love sport of almost any kind. Like kuju says there's the competitive side and supporting a team is probably linked to an evolutionary tendency to support and fight for a certain tribe. As far as actually playing it, I enjoy sport even without competition. Our brains are finely tuned to make precise movements (that robots havent come close to replicating yet) and I find it enjoyable to actually use our remarkable bodies. Also I compare it to dance. People enjoy moving and watching other people move, and if you add a purpose to that movement it's even cooler!

[Ricky209]

Because sports pushes certain nuerochemicals in our brains.

[Krystal]

I think it does 2 things, especially for men, it gives that battle simulation... We are civilized now, but still have battle and honor in us... So we choose a team, cheer for them and its like we are in a war and have a side so to speak. And it helps take our attention away from the real world, we can focus on the team instead of politics or whatever.