Throughout the world, the way people feel about sports spans a wide range. Let’s start with what we know about the non-sports side. To non-sports fans, caring about sports makes no sense.

If you’re a sports fan, here’s how non-sports fans view your love of your team:

A bunch of strangers in their 20s and 30s are paid to play games against each other that have no real world consequences, and you’ve decided that you care a ton about this. There are teams that must win and teams that must lose, and players that must play better than other players—and this is all critical.

Why do Americans love football? Part of the attraction can be explained by neuroscience.

“Your hormones are doing what the players hormones are doing,” says Eric Simons, author of “The Secret Lives of Sports Fans: The Science of Sports Obsession”. Simons says that your brain is actually mirroring the actions of the on-screen athletes, giving us a self-esteem boost. But it's not just a matter of self-esteem. A mixed-up sense of identity occurs between fans and their favorite football team. He says that when someone’s personal team wins a game it gives them an emotional high that carries on to the next week of a Sunday or Saturday for football fans. The key is that sports create an “us vs. them” structure, which allows people to be part of a collective “us,” where the “us” can triumph or fail altogether. In tribal times, the concept of “us vs. them” was highly noticeable. Today, especially in huge countries, it’s not.

Football also provides a sense of bonding for men – such as those who might not share social bonds once found in their community, workplace, church or bowling league. A lot of people get together with friends to watch sports, and sports are even a talking point with sons and their fathers. Sports conversation is not replacing other, more worthwhile topics of conversation between those sons and fathers; it’s just adding a level of closeness that would not be there without it.

Football also has an intellectual attraction that keeps fans interested. The game requires understanding a vast, complex series of rules. Players can move in many different and unexpected directions (unlike baseball, for example). There are big swings in momentum, and it can be satisfying to watch.

College football is also very popular. On game day, you will see cheerleaders, a marching band, coaches and of course the players. All these people work hard for weeks in advance to raise the spirits of those watching the game. In effect, a Saturday college football game requires many demands, including the concentrated efforts and participation of an entire community. The game yields profits, not just in terms of actual dollars, but far more importantly about the country’s direction. In finding the dozens of places where football is played every week we find the makings of unifying glue for a nation of varying political and religious interests. All politicians should pay close attention; there is much to be learned from watching football.

Discussion Questions:

1. 1. What do you find new or interesting about this article?

   2. For Americans, sports are considered perhaps the most popular form of entertainment. What forms of entertainment do you enjoy? Why?

   3. Have you ever been to watch any kind of sports played in a stadium or field? Describe your experience.

   4. The Super Bowl is the most watched football game every year. Many Americans host parties at their houses to watch it with their family and friends. Did you get to watch this year?

   5. What are some talking points that you use to connect with others？