OT: Is happiness in sports an illusion?

[rekofred]

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I both 1) care less about sports and b. am increasingly cynical about their ultimate aims. Let me establish some priors:

1. I am a Christian of a sect who believes that true fulfillment cannot be found apart from Christ. However, I do believe there are many lesser joys in life that are worthy of pursuit. so to be clear, I am not equating “happiness in sports” with anything on an eternal scale.

2. In my life I have had multiple franchises I follow in multiple sports win championships. The Canes, 49ers, Spurs, and tangentially the Cubs have all won ships, with all but the Cubs winning multiple in or around my youth/adult life. I am not a Cleveland Browns or Buffalo Bills fan who doesn’t know what winning it all feels like.

3. I think the commercialization of sports, specifically college and pro, has reduced the joy of being a fan to the ultimate ends of the sport only. Namely, winning championships, which we already refer to as “winning it all” (suggesting there is nothing left).

The last point has harmed the sports individually and collectively, especially college, and turned them into 365-days-a-year content machines. Whoever wins the Super Bowl in two weeks will have less than 24 minutes dedicated to their victory, let alone 24 hours. The content machine will immediately kick into high gear, refocusing the fans of the other 31 teams on free agency and the draft. The NFL is no different than an endless scrolling app like IG or YouTube, it just uses your calendar instead of a piece of software.

Im pro-playoff expansion in CFB, but I’ve come around more to the thoughts of my late father: he hated the idea of a playoff. I thought he was a grump, but hes been proven right on a couple of things since the sport added the BCS and playoff: 1. College football would lose its local flavor and focus. 2. The significance of conference accomplishments would vanish (I remember his profound joy when Illinois won the B10 and got to play in a Rose Bowl. A huge deal decades ago). It’s that second point that I think reverberates so strongly with me now; nothing short of winning it all matters anymore. There is no “good season” that ends in defeat, not unless you expected your team to suck.

So the significance of *not* winning it all has never been lower, and, oddly enough, the significance of winning it all has never been lower. If you can’t find joy in lesser accomplishments, and you can’t really enjoy when you win it all, has the ceiling in sports not fallen dramatically? (I think this may also explain why data-driven, “I love the sport itself” type interests and media adjacent to those interests have flourished, but that’s another issue.)

I don’t expect anyone to really read this, it’s a stupid question. Besides, there’s always next year.

I personally love this post and agree whole heartedly. The missing aspect in today's world is perspective and common sense. Your pops as well as mine had plenty of it and tried like **** to pass it on to us. We all need to stay in touch with reality. Happiness does truly exist. In my personal opinion it helps to have Christ at the center of your world. But I believe even those who do not can still find true happiness if they are able to find peace. In the grand scheme of life sports mean nothing. Therefore when it's going good it's like winning the lotto.

Perspective

 

[Memnon]

The happiest I’ve been as a sports fan:
(Aside from the Canes National Championships)

- Dany Bill KO’d Nongmoon Chompunong
- Eddie Bravo Triangle vs Royler Gracie at ADCC
- Marlins win the World Series in 97
- Ravens 2000 Super Bowl win
- Tiger Woods wins the US Open, British Open & PGA in 2000
- Marlins win the World Series in 03
- 2003/04 Saint Joe’s team goes undefeated & makes it all the way to the Elite 8
- Travis Pastrana lands the first Double Backflip in competition at X-Games 06
- 06/07 GTown Hoyas make the Final Four
- Kobe wins his 5th ring against the Celtics in 2010
- Eddie Bravo Calf Slicer vs Royler Gracie at Metamoris 3
- Jon Jones kicked Daniel Cormier’s head off at UFC 214
- Khabib Neck cranked Connor McGregor at UFC 229
- Miami beats Notre Dame in 2017
- Miami beats NC ST in 2020

 

[Ispyin]

 

[cocanes]

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I both 1) care less about sports and b. am increasingly cynical about their ultimate aims. Let me establish some priors:

1. I am a Christian of a sect who believes that true fulfillment cannot be found apart from Christ. However, I do believe there are many lesser joys in life that are worthy of pursuit. so to be clear, I am not equating “happiness in sports” with anything on an eternal scale.

2. In my life I have had multiple franchises I follow in multiple sports win championships. The Canes, 49ers, Spurs, and tangentially the Cubs have all won ships, with all but the Cubs winning multiple in or around my youth/adult life. I am not a Cleveland Browns or Buffalo Bills fan who doesn’t know what winning it all feels like.

3. I think the commercialization of sports, specifically college and pro, has reduced the joy of being a fan to the ultimate ends of the sport only. Namely, winning championships, which we already refer to as “winning it all” (suggesting there is nothing left).

The last point has harmed the sports individually and collectively, especially college, and turned them into 365-days-a-year content machines. Whoever wins the Super Bowl in two weeks will have less than 24 minutes dedicated to their victory, let alone 24 hours. The content machine will immediately kick into high gear, refocusing the fans of the other 31 teams on free agency and the draft. The NFL is no different than an endless scrolling app like IG or YouTube, it just uses your calendar instead of a piece of software.

Im pro-playoff expansion in CFB, but I’ve come around more to the thoughts of my late father: he hated the idea of a playoff. I thought he was a grump, but hes been proven right on a couple of things since the sport added the BCS and playoff: 1. College football would lose its local flavor and focus. 2. The significance of conference accomplishments would vanish (I remember his profound joy when Illinois won the B10 and got to play in a Rose Bowl. A huge deal decades ago). It’s that second point that I think reverberates so strongly with me now; nothing short of winning it all matters anymore. There is no “good season” that ends in defeat, not unless you expected your team to suck.

So the significance of *not* winning it all has never been lower, and, oddly enough, the significance of winning it all has never been lower. If you can’t find joy in lesser accomplishments, and you can’t really enjoy when you win it all, has the ceiling in sports not fallen dramatically? (I think this may also explain why data-driven, “I love the sport itself” type interests and media adjacent to those interests have flourished, but that’s another issue.)

I don’t expect anyone to really read this, it’s a stupid question. Besides, there’s always next year.

 

[NC_Canes_11]

There’s an entire thread calling a kid who QB’ed his team to back to back national titles (winning both MVP’s) an alcoholic, white privileged as*shole, and everything in between bc he got drunk. So if he’s not allowed to be happy, then neither are you. Close thread.

 

[JHallCanes]

I think you get a little bit older and you start to get more protective of your energy

Might sound dumb but I remember asking myself why do I have a jersey with someone else’s name on it but I’ve never been my own biggest fan?

So I made a switch in life in general so now sports just don’t have that negative impact but I can still let myself be happy when they win

 

[L A M P]

 

[kyle_schick]

Its more about passion. Going to the games with family is a great time. It's exciting.

Its made me realize the massive levels of incompetence in the sports world and that is very frustrating.

Watching coaches make millions to hire their friends, and run terrible programs and schemes while the average person makes nothing.

I feel like I'm giving 100% and doing my part as a fan. It makes me feel like I'm a part of the program, and when our beloved Canes are mismanaged for 20 years I feel let down and that makes me care less.

I dont expect championships. I don't think it's fair to have expectations that high for any team, but it's not fun being let down every year.

Its not fun being a Canes fun but it's something I'm passionate about.

 

[JHallCanes]

The happiest I’ve been as a sports fan:
(Aside from the Canes National Championships)

- Danny Bill KO’d Nongmoon Chompunong
- Eddie Bravo Triangle vs Royler Gracie at ADCC
- Marlins win the World Series in 97
- Ravens 2000 Super Bowl win
- Tiger Woods wins the US Open, British Open & PGA in 2000
- Marlins win the World Series in 03
- 2003/04 Saint Joe’s team goes undefeated & makes it all the way to the Elite 8
- Travis Pastrana lands the first Double Backflip in competition at X-Games 06
- 06/07 GTown Hoyas make the Final Four
- Kobe wins his 5th ring against the Celtics in 2010
- Eddie Bravo Calf Twister vs Royler Gracie at Metamoris 3
- Jon Jones kicked Daniel Cormier’s head off at UFC 214
- Khabib Neck cranked Connor McGregor at UFC 229
- Miami beats Notre Dame in 2017
- Miami beats NC ST in 2020

Great list. A Hoya fan…the Twin Towers got me when I was a kid

I would put Tiger winning the Masters in 2019 on my list. Probably the #1 sports moment I’ve ever experienced

 

[DTP]

As a kid , I lived and died with my sports teams but as I got older, I’ve just kind of stopped caring. Besides UM football, none of my other favorite teams are must watch tv for me. I don’t particularly care if they win or lose. Obviously I pay more attention to big games, playoffs etc. but a mid season Miami Dolphins game won’t even register on my radar. That said, I found myself staying up way too late on work nights all during the Heat’s championship runs so I can still get really into games. Maybe I’m just a bandwagon fan now. I don’t care to follow anyone besides the Hurricanes if they’re not winning. Just like I don’t go to restaurants with bad food or watch terrible movies.

 

[DTP]

Also I find the guys that fight about sports teams to be incredibly pathetic. There’s not a single coach or player on the field that would EVER bother fighting for you, why would you fight for them?

 

[Go Canes!!]

I have seen, in person, what I believe to be the greatest three moments in South Florida sports history:

1) Craig counsel scoring the winning run in extra innings to give the Marlins the World Series.

2) Ray Allen hitting three against the Spurs, propelling the heat to the championship.

3) Kenny Calhoun batting down the two point conversion to win the game, giving the hurricanes their first national championship.

I was pretty **** happy those three moments.

 

[ben]

I was really happy the day richt got hired. Maybe not because he was going to make us a championship team, but because he knows how to run a good program, is a good man, humble, and showed that he cares about his former players on numerous occasions.

His run definitely had its lows but our program is way better for it. And he provided some great moments of happiness — jumping over a sliding player in the rain like a G, saying “thank god” with a smirk after whalloping known human killer Brian Kelly’s fighting Irish, and breaking down the merits of the four bite sandwich.

That to me is the best way to happiness in sports. root for the people on your team not just as players and coaches, but as people. That way, when your team loses, you empathize for people you respect instead of punching a television because you are a disconnected piece of ****.

As a side note… That’s part of why I found the narrative this past season that Cristobal didn’t have any talent to work with to be dangerous invective. I’m not saying he had the 2001 canes out there but a lot of those dudes put in their work and deserve our support.

 

[Memnon]

Great list. A Hoya fan…the Twin Towers got me when I was a kid

I would put Tiger winning the Masters in 2019 on my list. Probably the #1 sports moment I’ve ever experienced

Yeah, I could’ve made a whole separate list of just Tiger Woods wins...

But the Tiger Slam was really when he catapulted himself into the upper echelon of Golf lore.

That’s when it became real that he was serious contender & threat to Jack’s 18 Majors.

And winning the US Open in 08 at Torrey Pines on one leg after tearing his ACL, was some God-level sh*t.

 

[BS85]

Happiness in itself is an illusion.

Even with all the good beer you have?

 

[Tru C]

Nope. I get pretty **** happy when my teams win big and definitely win it all. In perentheses are the last time i tasted ultimate glory.

Miami Hurricanes Football (2001)
Duke Basketball (2015)
New York Mets Baseball (1986)
Boston Celtics Basketball (2008)
Denver Broncos Football (2015)

My Mets and Celtics are knocking on the door to end my pain. Can't complain about Duke basketball, what kind of spoiled **** would I have to be to do that. Broncos going in the wrong direction.

The Canes? lol I just keep holding on......

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

The canes are my passion, but overall, if something doesn’t make you happy, and it’s not obligatory, and it’s not a moral responsibility, then just step away.

 

[Memnon]

Also I find the guys that fight about sports teams to be incredibly pathetic. There’s not a single coach or player on the field that would EVER bother fighting for you, why would you fight for them?

I’ll fight anybody over Kobe Bryant, but other than that I agree lol

 

[Eric The Midget]

College football is about all I watch anymore and I can barely make it half a season being a Cane. I still have **** to do once the games over.

 

[Poptimus]

I’ll put it like this:

The happiness I felt about winning the 2001 national championship is dwarfed tenfold by the anguish of the 2002 national championship loss fvckery. Not even close.