# Sports fans question: why be fanatical about a sport that you don't play? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486 "2009-09-01T15:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/1 "2009-09-01T15:12:45Z")
I see this all the time and it doesn’t make any sense: Some people are fanatic about a particular sport: They go to the stadium to watch live, they follow all news about it and they get in heated discussions with other fans, yet they have never ever played that particular sport, neither do they have any interest in actually playing in the future. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/2 "2009-09-01T15:31:18Z")
Hmm. I’ve never heard this question posed before. I’ll have to think about it… ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/3 "2009-09-01T15:35:11Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > I see this all the time and it doesn’t make any sense: Some people are fanatic about a particular sport: They go to the stadium to watch live, they follow all news about it and they get in heated discussions with other fans, yet they have never ever played that particular sport, neither do they have any interest in actually playing in the future. Well, I am 40 years old, out of shape, never had the opportunity to play American football or baseball growing up, and to do so now (other than the odd game of touch) would result in my pretty instant death or incapacitation. Yet I find the sports great to watch. I understand the rules and the tactics, and don’t have to have played (other than on the Xbox) to do that. Why wouldn’t I be fanatic about it? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/4 "2009-09-01T16:07:07Z")
I don’t fancy the idea of riding half a ton of horse flesh at 30 mph towards fences anything up to 5 feet high. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/5 "2009-09-01T16:12:42Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Hmm. I’ve never heard this question posed before. I’ll have to think about it… For the benefit of the OP, garygnu is being sarcastic. Your question has been posed and answered many times on this board. People follow sports that they cannot themselves play for the same reason that people read works of literature that they themselves cannot write and listen to music and watch plays, movies and TV that that themselves cannot perform. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/6 "2009-09-01T16:34:38Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > For the benefit of the OP, garygnu is being sarcastic. Your question has been posed and answered many times on this board. People follow sports that they cannot themselves play for the same reason that people read works of literature that they themselves cannot write and listen to music and watch plays, movies and TV that that themselves cannot perform. Yeah, it’s like that. Some people like the artistry of sports, some the physical nature or the passion. It can be exhilarating to watch someone do what most if any other can’t do. Take for example Lance Armstrong or Usain Bolt. Both are amazing, though I can’t even begin to replicate what they do. So is a wonderful soprano, fantastic guitarist or amazing author. There are a lot of people who don’t like or care about sports; that’s fine. I don’t really care much for most poetry, but I can understand why others do. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/7 "2009-09-01T17:09:01Z")
Why do I read books when I can’t write them? Or see plays but can’t act? Edit: Darn it, zamboni! I didn’t read your post before I posted mine! (Point still stands, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/8 "2009-09-01T17:41:29Z")
I’m female, so my opportunities to actually play pro or college football have been pretty limited. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-fans-question-why-be-fanatical-about-a-sport-that-you-dont-play/508486/9 "2009-09-01T18:32:50Z")
Uh, it’s fun to watch a sport performed at its best by the best players, whether I play that sport at all. Do you really not get it?