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Same with NFL. I understand the sport is interesting, exciting, and has complex strategies. However, why do people care about which team wins? The players are t

Same with NFL. I understand the sport is interesting, exciting, and has complex strategies. However, why do people care about which team wins? The players are traded freely among teams, and all teams are owned by the same business. So for example the San Francisco 49ers have very little to do with San Francisco, except for the name. If the San Francisco 49ers win, it has very little to do with San Francisco. The Economist had an excellent article about the NFL's structure, and how it operates like a cartel, pressuring cities with varies financial threats and incentives. https://www.economist.com/business/2006/04/27/in-a-league-of-its-own https://www.economist.com/business/2006/04/27/in-a-league-of...

abdullahkhalids 6y ago
The ape part of the human brain cares intensely about joining a tribe, any tribe that it can identify with and be part of, and then blindly being loyal to it, while cheering the downfall of all other tribes. If you let yourself go into the fiction of sports teams, and don't think about it too much, you can have very strong (and hopefully positive) emotional experiences.
- Thlom 6y ago
  Born to love a mediocre soccer team. They were always playing in the second or third tier when I was growing up, but just as I turned 18 they took the step up to the top tier. There were some years going up and down before they kind of stabilized in the top tiers seven won two cup finals (best days of my life), but it’s been downhill since then. I would say 10% positive emotions, 30% neutral and 60% negative emotions all in all. But what can you do? It’s not like you can change teams.
pacamara619 6y ago
This is why football is so popular in Europe, every club has at least some players from the area in the most popular clubs. Every other club nearly only has players from the area. If you are from a town/city you very well might know a player's family, giving you the "connection" to cheer for that team.
aleksandrm 6y ago
And yet the fans would still burn the city down if they won, regardless of the actual relation.
bronxbomber92 6y ago
> The players are traded freely among teams Yes, this happens more often than in the past, but there are still many players and staff that stay with an organization for an extended period of time (e.g. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick). > all teams are owned by the same business What do you mean? Each team has a different owner. > So for example the San Francisco 49ers have very little to do with San Francisco, except for the name' In many geographical regions, you grow up watching the team that is closest in proximity. e.g. I grew up in rural western New York State and I grew up watching the Buffalo Bills because they were the closest franchise despite being 100 miles away. The name is just a semantic. Would you be happier if the 49ers were called the "Northern California 49ers"?
- JacobDotVI 6y ago
  There is an American baseball team that started their life as Florida Marlins. The thinking was that they would establish this tribe mentality for all of Florida. After years of not great results in that regard they changed their name to the Miami Marlins for the same reason - to better establish a tribe. They haven’t moved locations, they are just re-targeting their brand

abdullahkhalids 6y ago

The ape part of the human brain cares intensely about joining a tribe, any tribe that it can identify with and be part of, and then blindly being loyal to it, while cheering the downfall of all other tribes. If you let yourself go into the fiction of sports teams, and don't think about it too much, you can have very strong (and hopefully positive) emotional experiences.

Thlom 6y ago
Born to love a mediocre soccer team. They were always playing in the second or third tier when I was growing up, but just as I turned 18 they took the step up to the top tier. There were some years going up and down before they kind of stabilized in the top tiers seven won two cup finals (best days of my life), but it’s been downhill since then. I would say 10% positive emotions, 30% neutral and 60% negative emotions all in all. But what can you do? It’s not like you can change teams.

pacamara619 6y ago

This is why football is so popular in Europe, every club has at least some players from the area in the most popular clubs. Every other club nearly only has players from the area. If you are from a town/city you very well might know a player's family, giving you the "connection" to cheer for that team.

aleksandrm 6y ago

And yet the fans would still burn the city down if they won, regardless of the actual relation.

bronxbomber92 6y ago

> The players are traded freely among teams Yes, this happens more often than in the past, but there are still many players and staff that stay with an organization for an extended period of time (e.g. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick). > all teams are owned by the same business What do you mean? Each team has a different owner. > So for example the San Francisco 49ers have very little to do with San Francisco, except for the name' In many geographical regions, you grow up watching the team that is closest in proximity. e.g. I grew up in rural western New York State and I grew up watching the Buffalo Bills because they were the closest franchise despite being 100 miles away. The name is just a semantic. Would you be happier if the 49ers were called the "Northern California 49ers"?

JacobDotVI 6y ago
There is an American baseball team that started their life as Florida Marlins. The thinking was that they would establish this tribe mentality for all of Florida. After years of not great results in that regard they changed their name to the Miami Marlins for the same reason - to better establish a tribe. They haven’t moved locations, they are just re-targeting their brand