Only people with very little going on in live attach themselves to pro sports at that level. I have teams I like and I am disappointed when they lose but I don't let it effect my mood or make me sad. Only things that really matter, like my job, health, the health of my children, and so on can really make me sad like that.
You have to understand the context. Buffalo is one of the most tortured fan bases in American pro sports. They only have one major pro sport team, and that team has never won the championship despite going to the Super Bowl four years in a row in the early 90’s. More recently, the Chiefs had eliminated them from the playoffs in two of the three previous years. Those games were played at Kansas City. With today’s game being held in Buffalo, their fans thought they could finally beat their rivals. Instead, they lose after their kicker missed a field goal attempt wide right, which is the same way they lost in Super Bowl XXV. So this loss was heartbreaking both in current and historical contexts.
Things would have ended differently if I still played there!
I hate to add politics to this, but I was flabbergasted when I saw some peoples' reaction to Obama at his rallies back in '08. Crazy that anyone would allow herself to get so involved over a politician. It honestly reminded me of footage of the mass hysteria from 1930s newsreels out of Germany. Anyway, apparently humans are susceptible to stuff like that so I stay on my guard.
I agree with the whole notion of investing so much of your being into a (any) sports team or individual as an adult is mind-boggling. I remember watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. I loved the Cowboys and actually cried when they lost that game. I was 10. Never was that invested again.
Another thing that blows me away is all these guys buying NFL jerseys with some guy's name on the back. If you're not under the age of 16 wearing one of these you are suspect.
Yeah in all seriousness it's absolutely tragic that people (mostly men with respect to sports) are driven to this. And it's not just "Buffalo guy" - it's the people that smash TV's, smash things, fight each other over sports results played by people that ultimately give zero, ZERO f--ks about them and their lives. People that cry over sports results, defend pro athletes cr@ppy behaviour and rejoice in the disgustingly large amounts of $ they make for ultimately contributing nothing of actual value to society - these guys wouldn't buy you lunch and yet there they are, miserable at a playoff exit.
So many people living in quiet desperation, their happiness reliant on a sport result? You nailed it - it's a mental health thing 100%.
People have been fighting over sports for years. You think this something new? You had guys that fought in WWII, men that saw real battle, actual life and death situations, and THEY got emotional over sports too. It's part of the human condition.
It's why there's a fine line between being the parent that "just wants everyone to have fun" and they crazed "baseball parent" that treats every little league game like it's game seven of the World Series.
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here.
1) yes people have been overly passionate/emotional over sport for years
2) I don't think the reasons why are really any different today than they have ever been.
Btw, your comment about "guys that fought WWII, battle, life and death" - was the narrative of that "well if they saw this stuff they shouldn't really be affected by sports but are"???
You realize that the vast majority of people who fought in these wars and experienced massive and unfathomable trauma that have led to mental health conditions - maybe you should educate yourself on that. Terrible example for your rationale.
Point remains, guys breaking down in tears of misery because the stupid and holistically irrelevant NFL team lose a game is an example of much more at play than just "passion for sports". But you can tell yourself what you will and live in denial - that's as American as crying over a sports result.
I agree with the whole notion of investing so much of your being into a (any) sports team or individual as an adult is mind-boggling. I remember watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V. I loved the Cowboys and actually cried when they lost that game. I was 10. Never was that invested again.
Another thing that blows me away is all these guys buying NFL jerseys with some guy's name on the back. If you're not under the age of 16 wearing one of these you are suspect.
In 1992 NZ had been the dominant team in the cricket world cup and was playing the semi-final at Eden Park, Auckland. Crowe nearly scored another hundred, they had scored 260+ which was huge back then and Pakistan were reeling until Inzamam Ul-Haq came in and blasted 60 off 45 balls or something. We lost the game and I remember running from the living room of my house out onto the back yard and collapsing in tears.
I too was 10 years old. Last time I cried over a sporting event.
People have been fighting over sports for years. You think this something new? You had guys that fought in WWII, men that saw real battle, actual life and death situations, and THEY got emotional over sports too. It's part of the human condition.
It's why there's a fine line between being the parent that "just wants everyone to have fun" and they crazed "baseball parent" that treats every little league game like it's game seven of the World Series.
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here.
1) yes people have been overly passionate/emotional over sport for years
2) I don't think the reasons why are really any different today than they have ever been.
Btw, your comment about "guys that fought WWII, battle, life and death" - was the narrative of that "well if they saw this stuff they shouldn't really be affected by sports but are"???
You realize that the vast majority of people who fought in these wars and experienced massive and unfathomable trauma that have led to mental health conditions - maybe you should educate yourself on that. Terrible example for your rationale.
Point remains, guys breaking down in tears of misery because the stupid and holistically irrelevant NFL team lose a game is an example of much more at play than just "passion for sports". But you can tell yourself what you will and live in denial - that's as American as crying over a sports result.
People are making too big of a deal about a guy crying. Some people cry in movies. Some cry during sex. Crying is an emotional release.
So a guy cries for a minute and then goes home and puts his kids to bed and goes to work the next morning and moves on from the disappointment of the moment. It's not reallly a big deal. If he smashes his TV, hits his wife, gets in a fight in the parking lot, gets drunk and doesn't show up for work the next day then it's a big problem. It's not the crying that's the issue, it's about if the disappointment of your team losing a football games spills over into other areas of life.
People have been fighting over sports for years. You think this something new? You had guys that fought in WWII, men that saw real battle, actual life and death situations, and THEY got emotional over sports too. It's part of the human condition.
It's why there's a fine line between being the parent that "just wants everyone to have fun" and they crazed "baseball parent" that treats every little league game like it's game seven of the World Series.
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here.
1) yes people have been overly passionate/emotional over sport for years
2) I don't think the reasons why are really any different today than they have ever been.
Btw, your comment about "guys that fought WWII, battle, life and death" - was the narrative of that "well if they saw this stuff they shouldn't really be affected by sports but are"???
You realize that the vast majority of people who fought in these wars and experienced massive and unfathomable trauma that have led to mental health conditions - maybe you should educate yourself on that. Terrible example for your rationale.
Point remains, guys breaking down in tears of misery because the stupid and holistically irrelevant NFL team lose a game is an example of much more at play than just "passion for sports". But you can tell yourself what you will and live in denial - that's as American as crying over a sports result.
People in the UK fight over soccer, Im sure people in India fight over cricket.. Id bet people in Rome would get in fights over whatever event was in the coliseum.
Bobby Knight put it best after SMU's kicker defeated their opponent on a last-second field goal and praised God: "Does that mean God decided to screw the other team?"
Mickey Mantle? That's what you're upset about? Mantle makes $100,000 a year. How much does your father make? If your father can't pay the rent go ask Mickey Mantle and see what what he tells you. Mickey Mantle don't care about you. Why should you care about him? Nobody cares.
And I'll tell you what- if any one of those tortured fans lost their job the Buffalo Bills wouldn't care.
I get loving a sports team but losing it over their loss is juvenile at best.
Agree completely. I left western NY 25 years ago, after having the Bills as my home team for 12 years. I still root for them and that wide right really stung. But the pleasure of rooting for a team with great emotion comes from the knowledge that it really doesn't matter. It's like the emotion associated with watching an excellent movie--when it's all over, none of it was real and you go back to normal life.
Now if you had bet a bunch of money on the Bills, it might be a different story.
I'm a Cowboys fan, but I felt worse watching the Bills lose than watching the Cowboys lose. I felt bad for the Bills and the Bills' kicker. I was just disgusted with the Cowboys. It's so obvious that the game has passed McCarthy and that Dak can't read a decent defense.
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here.
1) yes people have been overly passionate/emotional over sport for years
2) I don't think the reasons why are really any different today than they have ever been.
Btw, your comment about "guys that fought WWII, battle, life and death" - was the narrative of that "well if they saw this stuff they shouldn't really be affected by sports but are"???
You realize that the vast majority of people who fought in these wars and experienced massive and unfathomable trauma that have led to mental health conditions - maybe you should educate yourself on that. Terrible example for your rationale.
Point remains, guys breaking down in tears of misery because the stupid and holistically irrelevant NFL team lose a game is an example of much more at play than just "passion for sports". But you can tell yourself what you will and live in denial - that's as American as crying over a sports result.
People in the UK fight over soccer, Im sure people in India fight over cricket.. Id bet people in Rome would get in fights over whatever event was in the coliseum.
And? what's your point? It's as ridiculous that people (men) in this country that do the same over NFL game results.
I honestly can't believe we are here in 2024 and anyone would not be concerned by this phenomena. And of course it's a spectrum - everything is. "Being emotional" is fine but how does that manifest? In a lot of peoples opinion here and purely with respect to Buffalo Guh who had his mug plastered all over national TV, that level of emotion probably points to over-investing in the result of a sports game that big picture shouldn't matter to anyones life except the guys in the game and on the sidelines.
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