A Sports Obsession
There some people out there who take out their love of sports to a whole new level. It goes from being just a passion to becoming an obsession. There are several reasons why people get obsessed with sports and it particularly hits the men of our species. These sports obsessed men can ignore their families, their jobs and their friends all because of some sports contest that is on TV. What are the reasons for this and is there anything that can be done to ease the obsession level?
A program on the radio a few days ago was about sports. The DJ and his two presenters talked for an hour about sports and nothing else. They played maybe two songs during that entire hour. How can it be that something that essentially does not matter in the grand scheme of things of a person's life can have so many people obsessed by it? At the end of the day, sports are like a pastime or a hobby that people engage in. It seems as if since men are so interested in sports, there are certain amalgamations they do. Guys like to mix sports in with fate. They say statements like if a goal is scored in this game I will donate some money to the poor this month. Following a favourite sports team also gives people the opportunity to root for their home town or their country like nothing else non violent can. Finally watching a game on television is a male version of watching soap operas on TV. Women watch a lot of soap operas and men watch a lot of sports; it seems the different genders like to be entertained but in different ways.
A few interesting theories have been put forward as to why the typical man likes sports but there seems to be no definitive answer so far. One reason that has been suggested is that guys are insecure in their own masculinity and so they need to resort to doing and watching programs that make them look like 'real' men to others. It seems that we watch and enjoy sports for a reason that finds us desiring to fit into a prescribed social mould and want to be accepted by our peers.
Another couple of reasons given for the male obsession with sports are firstly that men are naturally aggressive creatures and they are more aggressive than women. Men it seems use sports as a way to release that aggression in their minds and lead healthy lives without resorting to violence. As the pattern is repeated and leads to a positive behaviour it becomes the norm. The other reason we find is that men use sports as a way of bonding with other men. This theory has origins in community living and a shared sense of society. If everyone you know lived in the same place and supported the same team, then you would feel closer to those people and would be more likely to bond with them. It becomes a competition against the outsiders of that community. The issue of why men love sports will never be resolved and people will always be giving ideas and opinions.
What can a person do if they find themselves totally obsessed with sports? Everyone needs a hobby and an escape from work, sports is a good distraction to have. Yet when it gets to a level of obsession then steps need to be taken to correct the situation. A few suggestions are to take up another hobby instead of watching sports all the time, maybe playing sports that could be a good alternative. Another solution might be to unplug the cable or disconnect the cable service. This might force a person to do something else with their life. Getting some exercise might also help a sports obsessed person kick the habit. By doing simple things a person can significantly reduce their sports addiction and do something meaningful with their lives. They can always check in to see the scores once in a while.
Sports have been around for centuries and men have been watching them for almost as long. There are many reasons why men love sports so much and also a few solutions if someone wants to stop watching so much of them. Be as it may people can just give men the space they need to watch their favourite sports and deal with the addiction after the game is over. After all if nothing else, it sure is entertaining.
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