Roundtable Discussion: Five Fans Tell "Why I Love My Sport"

Adam Barr by Scribe Written on July 03, 2009
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01:  Fans support Lleyton Hewitt of Australia during his men's singles quarter final match against Andy Roddick of USA on Day Nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2009 in London, England.  (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images) (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

We all think our sport is the best. We may follow many sports, but there is always one that has a particular place in our hearts. Here, five different fans of five different sports provide their take on the sport that is their passion.

 

Kimberley NashFootball

I have struggled with this statement for days now because, well, what isn't great about football?

Let me lay it out there for you. I am not a fan of the sport. It's not a passing fancy or a seasonal attention-getter—uh—football is life for me.

I breathe it in during the season, and when it's no longer there, I no longer know how to fill the void.

Sure, there are ways to kill the time: NFL Draft talk, pre-season prognostications, Organized Team Activities (OTAs), mini-camps, etc.

All serve the purpose of giving me my dose, but none satisfy me like the actual season.

Bring me the big hits, the great runs, the playmakers, the pageantry, and the passion. The game can not be encapsulated in a word or a cliché.

It's Walter Payton. It's Reggie White. It's Sammy Baugh. It's Joe Greene. It's Tom Brady. It's Hines Ward. It's Vince Lombardi.

It's about the history and the hard-core nature of each team's fans.

It's about playing the game hard for 60+ minutes and leaving absolutely nothing on the field.

In short, football is about turning an inch into a yard. It's about making "the catch"—no matter how improbable. It's about playing hard for the other 10 guys on the field because there is no such thing as "saying die" as long as there is time left on the clock.

It's men playing hard for the glory—contracts be damned.

So, what's the best thing about football in one word?

Everything.

 

Joe BurgettWrestling

What I love about professional wrestling would have to be the entertainment it brings.

It is not a sport as we all know; however, it is sports entertainment. It brings a sport-like feel with the matches, and then they provide entertainment with storylines.
There is no ladder match or Hell in a Cell match in football or MMA.
Sure, since they are competitions, other sports are naturally entertaining.
But professional wrestling can make you feel as if you're watching a TV show similar to House, How I Met Your Mother, or Lie to Me. Despite knowing that the event is scripted, you become emotionally invested in seeing who will win, which is unknown to the spectator. That is entertaining to watch.
Then, you see athletic ability that you would see in a sport like basketball, football, or MMA.
When you watch a good wrestling match, you become engrossed in the potential outcome and the display of athleticism. So, it's the best of both worlds if you will.
It bring the sports aspect along with a TV-show feel. It's all entertainment, which is fun to watch.
 
Adam BarrSoccer
What is the thing about football that makes it so compelling?
It's one thing—the competitive nature of the sport. Each game is usually decided by one or two-goal margin, and often, games finish in a draw. This provides compelling action, as each game is fought to the end because there is almost always the opportunity to rescue a result from the game.
This competition provides frenetic action with players giving their all for their clubs—not playing for the money, but for their teammates, their fans, and their clubs.
One word applies to football—global. But "local" applies, too. The fans show just as much passion for their respective teams from Brazil to Bath City FC.
So, why do I follow football incessantly?
Is it the intrigue, the history, or the action? It's all of these things.
But, most of all, I follow football for basically every aspect of it—from the players to the fans, from the dedication to a club to the World Cup.
I love it all.
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written on July 03, 2009 Opinion

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