The Science of Being a Sports Fan

I’m not much of an athlete… is an understatement. I’m not any kind of athlete at all. I played as a child and then puberty came too early and I decided to stay on the couch for the most part of my young life. That’s not to say I don’t like sports. I do… just the watching part though and not really participating. I’ve been a fan of several professional teams. I avidly tune in to the Olympics when it’s on. I’ve had huge crushes on athletes. I was also the kind of student who had a fair amount of school spirit. I suppose it’s safe to say that if I’m ever involved in a sporting event, my role would that be of a cheerer. Not the cheerleader kind of cheerer because that requires athleticism too, but the kind of cheerer that raids the concession stands, brings several trays of snacks back to her seat, and then happily shouts abuse at the rival team. I’ve, however, hung out with diehards who religiously follow the game of their choice whether in the high school division, the NCAA or the pros. They talk about rookies and recruits and handicaps. It’s pretty impressive actually, how much knowledge they have on matters of their sport. For instance, when the football buffs deliberate on their ncaa football picks , it’s a very erudite discussion involving math, history, general info, etc. It’s really very impressive. Calculating odds, assigning advantages, predicting stuff... It's a veritable science. You're pretty impressive too if you can keep up. :)