What's a matta wit you, Ed? You must be missing that part of the male brain that makes us behave that way!
No, just kidding. I often ask myself why my moods are so closely tied to the Redskin's success or lack therof, why I pay for the NFL Sunday ticket just so I won't miss any games down here in SC, and why I am now hoping that Steve Spurrier, a coach I have hated for years (I'm from Florida State), will lead the Skins into the playoffs next season. And please, no jabs about the name of my team. I am already embarrassed about that though I WILL say that my father in law's family, all Lumbee Indiands in NC, are Redskins fans and have no problem with the name. I think sport team fanaticism must have to develop early in life, as if there is some critical period. And there seems to be some choice in it when it happens. A kid chooses to either identify with the home team as most of his neighbors and friends do, or he chooses to be different. Being different might even mean choosing the hated rival of the home team. One of my brothers chose the @#$%*&% Cowboys and has stuck with them for 30 years. And that is another characteristic of fanaticism; it is darn near impossible to change loyalties after the "imprinting" has taken place. I should switch to the Carolina Panthers inasmuch as I have lived in SC longer than anywhere else in my life now, but that won't happen. Another brother of mine, up in MD, has been loyal to the Redskins until this season, but he couldn't take Shottenheimer anymore, and he has been telling his friends that he is for the Baltimore Ravens from now on. I DON'T THINK SO! It's possible, but I don't think he can pull it off. That brings me to one of the big payoffs involved in rooting for the home team you grew up with. It connects you with your home town and the people in it, whether you are living there or not and whether you know anyone there or not. If you ARE there, the team is a topic of conversation with nearly anyone you meet, and it is a source of camaraderie among acquaintances, coworkers, and friends. If you are living elsewhere, you still feel the connection. In fact it becomes part of your identity to others around you. "Oh yeah, there's Dr. Gaines. He's a Redskins nut so you'd better watch what you say about yesterday's game." I'll never forget the drive home to MD one Christmas break when the Redskins were playing an important game that could put them in the playoffs. On every stop I talked to others about what they had heard about the score of the game and what radio station was carrying the game in that area. For days after they won, the whole community was uplifted by the accomplishment and the prospect of winning in the playoffs. So, there is my attempt to answer your question. For the most part, it is irrational behavior, but it sure gives you something to look forward to when your season comes around. Tim >Can someone please explain to me why/how presumably intelligent people >become so obsessed with the activities of a professional sports team with >whom their only connection is that the team plays 1/2 of its games in a city >close to where you live or have lived. I just don't get it. And don't tell >me about how much you appreciate the athletic ballet, etc. because the fact >of the matter is you are happy when your team wins and miserable when they >lose, regardless of how ugly was the quality of the play. Help me out here. > >Ed > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. >Graduate Coordinator, Holocaust and Genocide Studies >Department of Psychology, >West Chester Univ. of Pennsylvania >Office: 610-436-3151; Home: 610-363-1939; Fax: 610-436-2846 >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass fiddler and >herpetoculturist ( http://www.adcham.com) >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Shameless self promotion: The Mill Creek Bluegrass Band performs every >Tuesday night at Dugal's Inn, Mortonville, 8 miles west of West Chester, PA. >Call 610- 486-0953 for directions. >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- **************************************************************** Tim Gaines [EMAIL PROTECTED] Professor of Psychology phone: 864-833-8349 Presbyterian College fax: 864-833-8481 Clinton, SC 29325 **************************************************************** --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
