# Why do people watch sports?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-watch-sports/340236>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 16, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-watch-sports/340236 "2006-01-16T17:00:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-watch-sports/340236/41 "2006-01-17T18:27:20Z")

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> [@dwc1970](#):
>
> With Jeopardy! and other trivia game shows you can play along to see how much you know versus the contestants. There is no way to “play along” when watching sports.

I’m with **PeterWiggen** on this one. “Currie, you muppet…go wide!..don’t give it away again…_We’re supposed to be at home_…” (Well, that’s on current form, anyway)

Not to mention endless discussions of what the manager doesn’t do right.

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-watch-sports/340236/42 "2006-01-17T18:27:24Z")

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It is improvisational theatre.

You have heroes and villains and the outcome is not known. There can be dramatic comebacks, devastating losses, miracles, and redemption.  
I used to know a guy who was very dyslexic and he was told he was LD for much of his life and such and he liked Pro Wrestling. He once said to me, “I know it’s all fake and the outcome is set before the match starts, but then again, so is a book.”

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-watch-sports/340236/43 "2006-01-17T19:53:56Z")

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> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Professional wrestling? You’ve got to be kidding.

Well . . . yeah. But not entirely. Pro wrestling is not a genuine athletic competition. But it **is** a genuine athletic **performance** – not many people could do it. And there is a kind of artistic quality to all the silly rivalries and grudges they set up to be “settled” in the ring. That said, I hardly ever watch it. I remember once, many years ago, _Saturday Night Live_ was pre-empted by a pro wrestling match . . . and I watched for at least ten minutes before I figured out this was not, in fact, an _SNL_ parody of pro wrestling.

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