If someone wanted, they could argue that "absolutely nothing whatsoever" hinges on music or architecture either, and then apply your counter-arguments back to s

If someone wanted, they could argue that "absolutely nothing whatsoever" hinges on music or architecture either, and then apply your counter-arguments back to sports. edit: and look, cobrausn has while I was typing this. Some people like sports because of the athleticism it. A 100 mile per hour fastball is much more impressive when you've pushed your own limits trying to throw a ball. Some people like it because of the strategy on a macro- or micro-level. When you've played/watched the game enough, you learn more about the big picture and the small decisions that shape a game. In ice hockey, like in chess, you might not get punished for a mistake until a number of moves later. Someone who knows the game can tell you, "You see how #15 turned towards the boards instead of away there? That puts him out of position for..." Lots of people like sports for the social aspect of watching the game. Seeing the underdog Giants take on the undefeated Patriots for the Superbowl is a lot more exciting with a group of friends than it is sitting home alone. (Even moreso with a group of Giants fans in Boston, but I digress.) I can come up with other reasons, but these are the big 3 for me.