People who worry about such things believe diehard sports fans — the most enthusiastic ones — are looking for escape from monotonous lives or self-identity or purpose.
They say fans might even display the social-psychological phenomenon of disinhibition. Ouch.
In other words, some brainiacs think sports fans are maniacs. Just because the sports nut goes through agony, stress, torture and torment. And not only loves it but simply cannot wait to do it again.
More than a few (million) gathered in parties everywhere to enjoy and suffer the Final Four, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, won this week by the University of Connecticut for the second year in a row. U. C. O. N. N. Rah, rah, Huskies.
Purdue lost. But then, somebody had to.
A lot of barbecued burgers, chicken, steak, weenies and other nummies were gobbled and went down good or not-so-good, depending on who you were rooting for.
The Final Four finals ended in a 15-point rout for UConn and yet, even Husky fans were probably uneasy for a short time in the first half. But whether it’s the Final Four, the College Football Playoff National Championship, the Women’s College World Series of Softball, the final day at the Masters or the World Championship Cow Chip Throwing finals in Beaver, Oklahoma, devoted fans willingly — lovingly — put themselves through what poet-songwriter Oscar Hammerstein II called “a conventional dither.”
That’s because we who love sports care so much we can’t wait to agonize and stress and spill popcorn and throw things (pillows, hopefully) during the Big Event.
As if it helps the team. Which, of course, it doesn’t.
But going bonkers over the title game, the finals, the Interplanetary Absolute Showdown or whatever is part of the fun.
And you want to know who the craziest of the crazies are? They’re the hired loonies of television who dissect the Final Super Winner-Takes-All Showdown World Championship on shout shows after the event.
They scream and shout and slobber about sacrifice bunts and blocked punts.
They knew all along what it would take to win. They know more than the coaches, the players, anybody.
And these windbags are almost as much fun to watch as the sporting event itself.
It all boils down to this: Agony in sports can be fun. Along with stress and torment and spilled beer and popcorn.
Finally, dear Green Valley News reader, I hope your team makes the finals of the Final Four next year and I hope you enjoy the agony it will no doubt offer.
Corky Simpson is a veteran journalist who writes a column for the Green Valley News.
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