Saturday, August 31, 2013

Life is worth living...

...because my Fresno State Bulldogs won an overtime thriller 52-51.  As I watched the game from the stadium stands, and alternated between bouts of agony and ecstasy, I had to ask myself: Why do I, a grown man, get so emotionally involved in a sporting match?  It's ridiculous.  I'm not a participant, I don't gamble on the games, and I don't know a single soul on the field.  Yes, I'm an alum of the university, and they represent the city I live in...but still.  What is it about sport that puts men on an emotional roller coaster more completely than a coked out, bi-polar girlfriend/spouse ever could?  And it's not just me.  Every where I looked there were grown men of all ages with looks of anguish, happiness, concern, etc.  You'd think they were watching their child being born.  While I'm aware of all the psychological explanations (sports are a 'safe' place for men to experience emotion without looking effeminate, etc and blah blah blah), it's more than that.  We obsess on statistics, injuries, uniform changes, pre game/match analysis, post game/match analysis, and on and on.  We don't pay nearly as much attention to our financial investments as we do to league standings.  And why?  What's in our DNA that makes it so?  Truth is, I don't know...but I suspect it's the same gene responsible for the love of audio/video equipment, beer, sports cars, and steak.    

(Liverpool has yet to lose as well...match with Man U Saturday morning will be first indicator of what we can expect for the season.  Good friend is a Red Devil supporter...I will never hear the end of it if The Reds lose...)

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