SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2016

This Sunday in America…… at the Church of The Compassionate Conservative, Beloved Whistleblower Publisher, the Right-Wing Reverend Charles Foster Kane was asking God’s help for Cincinnati Sports Fanatics having difficulty coping after the Bungals were “One-and-Done” for the seventh time in Saturday Night’s AFC Wild Card Playoff Game. Some Sports Obsessed Fans were even calling it the “Epic Choke” of all time.

What makes ordinary people so obsessed with sports anyway, when there are actually so many other really important things in America to worry about these days, as we watch the Devolution of Our Nation’s Culture in the Age Obama?

“It’s all about a person’s need to belong,” Kane explained.

Although people report many reasons for following a favorite team, being socially connected [like on Facebook] is among the most frequently cited.

Daniel Wann, professor of psychology at Murray State University, who has spent much of his career dedicated to research about sports spectators, says, “Identifying strongly with a local team where other fans are in the environment — that’s a benefit to social-psychological well-being.”

Seeing another person wearing the team emblem on a shirt or hat allows for an instant connection. This shared identity might facilitate communication among individuals or just increase a feeling among fans that they have shared values. “Think how much Sports Obsessed Fans are willing to pay to supports feelings,” Kane said.

If you take away the socialness, it would lose something for some people. Part of identifying with the sport team is not just with the team, but with the fan base.