I’ve no difficulty understanding lads being thirsty and attracted by a lovely lady who appears to be into gaming and hey, you can even interact and try to get her attention!
Now, explain to me lads getting super invested in some lads running around a field chasing a ball. Like, literally having their lives revolve around it, their identity entirely centered on it. Now that’s a complete mystery to me.
I actually understood sports fandom for the first time because of watching streamers play video games. I was like ooooohhh, this is a very challenging skill, and I’m watching someone do it very very well, and I’m fucking hyped and I want to see more.
I never in my life had that for basketball or anything. But it made sense when I saw it for video games.
As someone who was born into the ball chasing cult, there are three things:
The social aspect. It’s the one thing that brings my family together, each week, to watch the game. For away games, you have a cookout with some family friends, buy some drinks and then you watch the game. If it’s in the evening, then you go out afterwards.
For home games, you gather the same group, but now you’re gonna meet more people in the arena, people you know because they’re also in the cult. You have a drink, you have a laugh and you catch up with them.
Our team is a second division side with some okay players and a great goalie, so the game is almost relegated (heh) to play second fiddle.
Oh and don’t get me started on the choreos.
Hometown pride: This team has been here since the 19th century and for me, going to the games or even having just a passing interest in the team is part of being from that town.
You tag lamp posts in your town with their stickers and you do the same in the surrounding smaller cities. By looking at the stickers in any given town, you can see to which city their youth gravitates, which tickles my brain in ways I can’t explain.
It’s fun to watch:
Arguably the weakest reason, but God damn, sometimes even second division footy just looks so good! When you see someone pull off a sick trick or make a clean tackle or catch, you get that sweet dopamine kick, it’s insane.
I’d never beat someone because of their allegiance. Those people can kick rocks.
Fair-play to you for a thoughtful answer. Much appreciated and it certainly matches my personal experience.
As I said somewhere else : seeing my mates being all up in arms about ManU when they live in fecking Donegal was always funny to me, but I totally see the social aspect.
So much banter at the pub! If there is a thing the Irish love, it’s a good banter.
Shame about the assholes who use it as an excuse to get into fights. Fecking idiots the lot of them.
Thanks for the kind words, I really have to take every excuse to practice writing in English ^^
Yeah, I definitely forgot about the banter and storylines.
I think what contributes the most to the sports ball hype is that a lot of people play sports ball themselves. And just like gamers watching streams of people playing the games they want to play or are playing, ball cultists wanna see guys do the shit they do on some backwater pitch. You know, for the “damn, I know that’s difficult” or the “I could do it better” - factor.
Man, the “damn, I know that’s difficult” is strong in every sport. I can appreciate a sport so much more if I did it myself, even just a few months. Fencing? No idea, people waving some sticks around. Soccerfootball? Sick volley shot, man, I saw a mate to the same thing back in 2006…
Do you also refer to your city’s sport team using “we”, “us”, and “our”? I’ve always found that weird, because while I’m a fan, I don’t consider myself being a part of what the team accomplishes. I’m just a spectator. I just refer to them as the team name.
I have pretty deep roots within the city, and I could not imagine not rooting for my team (within limits, I wouldn’t tolerate bigotry, but as of now, they behaved pretty good on that front), so yeah, I use “wir” and “uns” :)
I appreciate the summary and I think i get why people like sports ball… but I really enjoy having a sports ball free space to talk about how absurd it is the way our society obsesses over it. on the internet, you’re the weirdo, not me!
The male ball chase cult is not even into women’s sports. I always found contradictory that the crowd that qualifies itself as the manliest and straightest, enjoys looking at sweaty males that grop each other celebrating scoring. The whole thing reeks of suppressed sexuality.
My point was it’s super clear why a teenager wants to thirst on a pretty woman playing vidya.
Now, my irish mates all having their club and being all very serious about it, when they’ll curse the English in the same sentence has always been hilarious to me.
And I’m talking people from fecking Donegal, who lived through the Troubles and shit. Never understood that one.
I’ve never really understood it either to be honest. I’ve gravitated to solo sports and more admiration at the ability than the winning per se.
I’m from Manchester, UK, so been around a lot of Irish people. Had a lovely time in Port-Stewert once. (Port-Stewart?) At the same time I’ve put countless hours into Minecraft, Factorio, Running, or climbing and people wonder why.
I’ve no difficulty understanding lads being thirsty and attracted by a lovely lady who appears to be into gaming and hey, you can even interact and try to get her attention!
Now, explain to me lads getting super invested in some lads running around a field chasing a ball. Like, literally having their lives revolve around it, their identity entirely centered on it. Now that’s a complete mystery to me.
I actually understood sports fandom for the first time because of watching streamers play video games. I was like ooooohhh, this is a very challenging skill, and I’m watching someone do it very very well, and I’m fucking hyped and I want to see more.
I never in my life had that for basketball or anything. But it made sense when I saw it for video games.
As someone who was born into the ball chasing cult, there are three things:
Oh and don’t get me started on the choreos.
You tag lamp posts in your town with their stickers and you do the same in the surrounding smaller cities. By looking at the stickers in any given town, you can see to which city their youth gravitates, which tickles my brain in ways I can’t explain.
I’d never beat someone because of their allegiance. Those people can kick rocks.
Fair-play to you for a thoughtful answer. Much appreciated and it certainly matches my personal experience.
As I said somewhere else : seeing my mates being all up in arms about ManU when they live in fecking Donegal was always funny to me, but I totally see the social aspect.
So much banter at the pub! If there is a thing the Irish love, it’s a good banter.
Shame about the assholes who use it as an excuse to get into fights. Fecking idiots the lot of them.
Thanks for the kind words, I really have to take every excuse to practice writing in English ^^
Yeah, I definitely forgot about the banter and storylines.
I think what contributes the most to the sports ball hype is that a lot of people play sports ball themselves. And just like gamers watching streams of people playing the games they want to play or are playing, ball cultists wanna see guys do the shit they do on some backwater pitch. You know, for the “damn, I know that’s difficult” or the “I could do it better” - factor.
Man, the “damn, I know that’s difficult” is strong in every sport. I can appreciate a sport so much more if I did it myself, even just a few months. Fencing? No idea, people waving some sticks around.
Soccerfootball? Sick volley shot, man, I saw a mate to the same thing back in 2006…Yeah, I think it’s also “I saw like 10 of my mates shit the bed trying to do that”.
Thanks for avoiding the s-word btw ^^
Do you also refer to your city’s sport team using “we”, “us”, and “our”? I’ve always found that weird, because while I’m a fan, I don’t consider myself being a part of what the team accomplishes. I’m just a spectator. I just refer to them as the team name.
I have pretty deep roots within the city, and I could not imagine not rooting for my team (within limits, I wouldn’t tolerate bigotry, but as of now, they behaved pretty good on that front), so yeah, I use “wir” and “uns” :)
lol yeah :D
I appreciate the summary and I think i get why people like sports ball… but I really enjoy having a sports ball free space to talk about how absurd it is the way our society obsesses over it. on the internet, you’re the weirdo, not me!
It’s weird to be both somewhat of a nerd and a sports ball person since birth, so I get your comment :)
The male ball chase cult is not even into women’s sports. I always found contradictory that the crowd that qualifies itself as the manliest and straightest, enjoys looking at sweaty males that grop each other celebrating scoring. The whole thing reeks of suppressed sexuality.
Each to their own pal. I’m sure there are things you do that others find a mystery.
Hey, no hate on people loving sports!
My point was it’s super clear why a teenager wants to thirst on a pretty woman playing vidya.
Now, my irish mates all having their club and being all very serious about it, when they’ll curse the English in the same sentence has always been hilarious to me.
And I’m talking people from fecking Donegal, who lived through the Troubles and shit. Never understood that one.
Why?
Their mad at the English government, not the English people. An English football club is entirely separate from the English government.
Good point, cheers!
It’s cool.
I’ve never really understood it either to be honest. I’ve gravitated to solo sports and more admiration at the ability than the winning per se.
I’m from Manchester, UK, so been around a lot of Irish people. Had a lovely time in Port-Stewert once. (Port-Stewart?) At the same time I’ve put countless hours into Minecraft, Factorio, Running, or climbing and people wonder why.
That is a magnificently executed thought-terminating cliché, but if I may offer a rebuttal: nuh-uh!
Expanding on the penis in vagina theme for a minute…
Now that’s a bit of a stretch
Holy fuck I wish lemmy gold was a thing i could give you. Sport fans always seemed like cultists to me.