Commercial spectator sports: what's the psychology behind the success?

[sear]

Commercial spectator sports: what's the psychology behind the success?

It's not just "March Madness", what some have dubbed basketball's competition toward "the final four".

There's also the NHL, leading to The Stanley Cup Finals (Wild Vs Redwings 12:30PM on NBC today).

The sums of $money involved here are by some standard astronomical.

A stadium can cost a $Billion.

An athlete can expect to earn $millions per year, with top talent like QB Tom Brady earning an order of magnitude more.

Why?

Is it really more entertaining than watching a movie? Or reading a classic?

How much sense does it make to go to the stadium and pay $17.oo for a frankfurter that you could buy at the store for half a $dollar?

Is it all evidence of the kind of decadence that foretells the onset of the end-times?

Or can we just reassuringly dismiss it as "progress"?

[jimnyc]

Commercial spectator sports: what's the psychology behind the success?

It's not just "March Madness", what some have dubbed basketball's competition toward "the final four".

There's also the NHL, leading to The Stanley Cup Finals (Wild Vs Redwings 12:30PM on NBC today).

The sums of $money involved here are by some standard astronomical.

A stadium can cost a $Billion.

An athlete can expect to earn $millions per year, with top talent like QB Tom Brady earning an order of magnitude more.

Why?

Is it really more entertaining than watching a movie? Or reading a classic?

How much sense does it make to go to the stadium and pay $17.oo for a frankfurter that you could buy at the store for half a $dollar?

Is it all evidence of the kind of decadence that foretells the onset of the end-times?

Or can we just reassuringly dismiss it as "progress"?

Goes all the way back to the start of the Olympics in Greece, maybe earlier? Folks have always had a fascination with competition, and sports. And it's just gotten bigger and better and stronger ever since, both the Olympics and other sports. And if their is a market for it, and people willing to pay...

And yup, my favorite WR just signed for a league leading $17 million per year. Kinda insane if you ask me. But then look at how much money these insane stadiums and owners make. They can afford to pay these athletes, and without those great athletes, they wouldn't have a chance of making that kind of $$.

Personally, I say "sometimes" it's better than a movie. SUNDAYS belong to the NFL. Some are going away for their own reasons, just as kids growing up will be taking on the sport as their new favorite. But for me, while I love a good movie, it has no competition against NFL on sundays.

And yeah, all the sports go this route, but I'm more an NFL fan than anything.

[sear]

It was quite a Superbowl. The first one to go to O.T.?

I enjoyed the SB where Eli Manning (Giants) beat Brady (Pats) several years back. I thought that was quite a David & Goliath victory.

It so flummoxed the Pats' coach he refused to shake the Giant's coach's hand after the victory.

jc,
May I confess a pet peeve of mine to you?
We KNOW head trauma can lead to mental degradation later in life.

It's not just Mohammed Ali.
There are lots of former NFL's that are losing their marble collection.

Yet players continue to congratulate one another by slapping helmets.
I can't help but believe a significant portion of that population will pay a severe, precious price for that in years / decades to come.

Couldn't they swat one another on the butt, or punch one another on the shoulder-pad?

Isn't it a dangerous enough sport on its own, without augmenting the harm that way?

[darin]

There's no psychology there that matters - let people spend their money paying multi-millionaire athletes to entertain them.

[sear]

"- let people spend their money paying multi-millionaire athletes to entertain them." d #4

We shall continue to do so.

"There's no psychology there that matters -"

To whom?

Ours is a competitive culture.

But there are cultures, both human and non-human that are less so.

Whether the per capita popularity of spectator sport would vary among these different human cultures I can't be certain.

But it wouldn't surprise me if there was significant variation.

The U.S. culture places an ENORMOUS premium on "winning".

"We will have so much winning if I get elected, that you may get bored with winning." Republican leading presidential candidate Donald Trump * - September, 2015
* Perhaps ironically, who lost his first legislative battle by being defeated by fellow Republicans in his attempt to replace Obamacare with Trumpcare.
Can we really consider a winner a guy whose gambling casino goes bankrupt?

[darin]

"There's no psychology there that matters -"

To whom?

Ours is a competitive culture.

But there are cultures, both human and non-human that are less so.

Whether the per capita popularity of spectator sport would vary among these different human cultures I can't be certain.

But it wouldn't surprise me if there was significant variation.

The U.S. culture places an ENORMOUS premium on "winning".

* Perhaps ironically, who lost his first legislative battle by being defeated by fellow Republicans in his attempt to replace Obamacare with Trumpcare.
Can we really consider a winner a guy whose gambling casino goes bankrupt?[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]


there are are no non-human cultures.

The us culture is absolutely based on winning. That's the only fair way to do it. And why are you talking about trump now? Wtf does that have to do with it?

Look - Every successful culture ever was/is based on winners and losers - AND AND AND the government ONLY removing roadblocks for the hardest workers and eliminating cradle-to-grave safety nets for the losers.

(shrug)

[Abbey Marie]

Football is kind of the perfect sport, imo. The pace of the game, and the variation of plays make it so. I find sports like hockey and bball too repetitive, for example. But best of all is spending the season competing in fantasy football. I don't gamble on it, and my husband and I both ge involved, so there's no harm done.

I do enjoy taking a big-picture look at cultural aspects. Unfortunately it often ends in feeling negatively about the thing examined. :cool:

[Elessar]

I like the on-field chess-matches between two football teams.

Some of them make you scratch your head wondering 'where the hell did they come up with that'?

I do think they are a bit over-paid.

Last Major League baseball strike, one of the strikers said that they could not live
their lifestyle with what they were paid. Considering the average salary in
the league was $2 million, that comment turned me off of MLB.

[sear]

"there are are no non-human cultures." d #6

There are many.
Bees have a queen. She provides her services to the hive.
Worker bees communicate by dance; not just that ONE can dance. But that the others can witness the dance, and then navigate according to it.
Wolves often live in packs, hunt in teams, and show definite Alpha / Beta social heirarchy.
Even barnyard chickens have a "pecking order".
And by the time we get to wild apes, the cultures can be complicated; Bonobos for obvious example.

"The us culture is absolutely based on winning. That's the only fair way to do it."

If there is a winner, there must also be a loser.
I did volunteer work in a kitchen for a Summer or two. You're claiming that was unfair?

"And why are you talking about trump now? Wtf does that have to do with it?"

It's called an "example". Perhaps you've heard of him. He's president of the United States of America.

"Look - Every successful culture ever was/is based on winners and losers - AND AND AND the government ONLY removing roadblocks for the hardest workers and eliminating cradle-to-grave safety nets for the losers."

I'm not sure North Korea meshes with your assertion.
If you'd like useful insight what an utter cesspool of human misery the totalitarian Hell-hole of North Korea is, investigate North Korean prison camp #14 escapee Shin Dong-hyuk.
It's a greater horror than anything Orwell ever published.

E #8
Blow-out scores might be fun for fans of the winning team.
I prefer closer matches where the lead turns over several times.

Go Sabres!!

[sear]

PS
"Last Major League baseball strike, one of the strikers said that they could not live
their lifestyle with what they were paid. Considering the average salary in
the league was $2 million, that comment turned me off of MLB." E #8

Several years ago a pitcher accomplished one of the most difficult feats in pro-sports.
He pitched a no-hitter.

But an official on the field made the wrong call.
And though the authorities all know it was the wrong call, including the official that made it,
they have deprived this great athlete the credit he earned for that remarkable achievement.

Until that pitcher is properly credited, I won't be watching any more MLB.

[Gunny]

Commercial spectator sports: what's the psychology behind the success?

It's not just "March Madness", what some have dubbed basketball's competition toward "the final four".

There's also the NHL, leading to The Stanley Cup Finals (Wild Vs Redwings 12:30PM on NBC today).

The sums of $money involved here are by some standard astronomical.

A stadium can cost a $Billion.

An athlete can expect to earn $millions per year, with top talent like QB Tom Brady earning an order of magnitude more.

Why?

Is it really more entertaining than watching a movie? Or reading a classic?

How much sense does it make to go to the stadium and pay $17.oo for a frankfurter that you could buy at the store for half a $dollar?

Is it all evidence of the kind of decadence that foretells the onset of the end-times?

Or can we just reassuringly dismiss it as "progress"?I agree. I PLAYED sports. I coached them for a few years. I rarely watch pro sports.

But you know what? It takes a LOT of dedication to get to even college level. For some, it's the only way out of the hood. If you're going to stand up and step, go for it. And no, I don't like the attitudes of these primadonnas. The fan(atics) created them. They pay for it.

[OAK]

PS
"Last Major League baseball strike, one of the strikers said that they could not live
their lifestyle with what they were paid. Considering the average salary in
the league was $2 million, that comment turned me off of MLB." E #8

Several years ago a pitcher accomplished one of the most difficult feats in pro-sports.
He pitched a no-hitter.

But an official on the field made the wrong call.
And though the authorities all know it was the wrong call, including the official that made it,
they have deprived this great athlete the credit he earned for that remarkable achievement.

Until that pitcher is properly credited, I won't be watching any more MLB.Well hell, if you aren't going to watch I bet they just cancel the season. :laugh:

[sear]

"I coached them for a few years." G #11

I admire and appreciate that very much. I've done a little tutoring, and got out of it as quickly as I got in.
Coaching requires a broad suite of skills:
- leadership
- human physical limits (don't want team members keeling over from heart-attacks on the field)
- psychology (how to talk to a player in a slump, or how to pep-talk the entire team before playing a superior team)
- and many etc.
Many of our most inspirational celebrities are athletes. And many of them credit their coaches for their achievement.

"I rarely watch pro sports." G #11

Perhaps you make more constructive use of your time.
When I watch a game on TV, I'm subtly aware that I'm a tool *, seduced to sit for hours in front of an electrical appliance, so they can sell me a better non-stick frying pan, or whatever.
But it's usually with the gnawing back-drop of guilt:

Sears!
- you should be painting the garage!
- you should be waxing the car!
- you should be cleaning the basement!
- etc.

* Advertising the American Dream, by Roland Marchand

Presents the idea that advertising is propaganda. In totalitarian North Korea, the propaganda promotes KJU, the "dear leader", the pudgy pin-head. But ours is capitalist. So our "propaganda" (we call it "advertising") encourages us to $spend $money.

[jimnyc]

Go Steelers!! :gs:

[Abbey Marie]

Dare I hope the Giants have a good season?

[sear]

Go Giants!

There's a rumor Eli's older brother Peyton, now retired from the NFL, may run for congress. That might be interesting.

[darin]

"there are are no non-human cultures." d #6

There are many.
Bees have a queen. She provides her services to the hive.
Worker bees communicate by dance; not just that ONE can dance. But that the others can witness the dance, and then navigate according to it.
Wolves often live in packs, hunt in teams, and show definite Alpha / Beta social heirarchy.
Even barnyard chickens have a "pecking order".
And by the time we get to wild apes, the cultures can be complicated; Bonobos for obvious example.

"The us culture is absolutely based on winning. That's the only fair way to do it."

If there is a winner, there must also be a loser.
I did volunteer work in a kitchen for a Summer or two. You're claiming that was unfair?

"And why are you talking about trump now? Wtf does that have to do with it?"

It's called an "example". Perhaps you've heard of him. He's president of the United States of America.

"Look - Every successful culture ever was/is based on winners and losers - AND AND AND the government ONLY removing roadblocks for the hardest workers and eliminating cradle-to-grave safety nets for the losers."

I'm not sure North Korea meshes with your assertion.
If you'd like useful insight what an utter cesspool of human misery the totalitarian Hell-hole of North Korea is, investigate North Korean prison camp #14 escapee Shin Dong-hyuk.
It's a greater horror than anything Orwell ever published.

E #8
Blow-out scores might be fun for fans of the winning team.
I prefer closer matches where the lead turns over several times.

Go Sabres!!

Why are you dumb? Will you use the 'quote' feature please? Impossible to hold a convo with you.

Everything meshes with what I say because I am almost never wrong. What do you want to know about North Korea - and how does NK relate to anything I've written? What the actual fuck does your volunteering have to do with winning or losing?

And no. There are only and have been only Human societies.

[sear]

"There are only and have been only Human societies." d #17

My comment to which you may be referring here was:

"Ours is a competitive culture.
But there are cultures, both human and non-human that are less so." s #5

I've already addressed examples of non-human cultures.

"there are are no non-human cultures." d #6

Animal culture - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_culture)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_culture
Animal culture describes the current theory of cultural learning in non-human animals through ... Therefore, cultures that are better able to involve their citizens towards a common goal have a much higher rate of effectiveness than those who ...



Non-human - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-human)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-human
Non-human (also spelled nonhuman) is any creature displaying some, but not enough, human ... There is increasing interest in the use of robots in nursing homes and to ... Jump up ^ Whatmore, Sarah (2006), 'Materialist Returns: Practising Cultural Geography In and For a More-Than-Human World', Cultural Geographies, ...



Cultural transmission in animals - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_transmission_in_animals)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_transmission_in_animals
Cultural transmission, also known as cultural learning, is the process and method of passing on ... Dawkins asserts that in order for cultural evolution to take place, there needs to be (1) variation within the ... Imitation is one of the most prevalent modes of cultural transmission in non-human animals, while teaching and ...



Nonhuman Cultures | Savage Minds (https://savageminds.org/2015/04/09/nonhuman-cultures/)
savageminds.org/2015/04/09/nonhuman-cultures
Apr 9, 2015 ... You know, they have it too. Not all species, certainly, but there are enough instances of nonhuman cultures to begin shifting how we think about ...



Culture -- Not Just a Human Thing - Seeker (http://www.seeker.com/culture-not-just-a-human-thing-1767458476.html)
www.seeker.com/culture-not-just-a-human-thing-1767458476.html
Apr 25, 2013 ... Many animals not only possess aspects of culture, but also pass it along. ... In this case, they changed their eating habits to conform to those of another ... Snowball, a cockatoo, was the first non-human found to be capable of ...



Strongest Evidence of Animal Culture Seen in Monkeys and Whales ... (http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/04/strongest-evidence-animal-culture-seen-monkeys-and-whales)
www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/04/strongest-evidence-animal-culture-seen-monkeys-and-whales
Apr 25, 2013 ... Humans' ability to create and transmit new cultural trends has helped our ... Indeed, 26 of the 27 infants ate only the corn preferred by their mothers, .... Non- believers cant hate a god, which they don't even think about existing.



Animal Welfare in Different Human Cultures, Traditions and ... (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4093044/)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4093044
Animal Welfare in Different Human Cultures, Traditions and Religious Faiths .... In their development Eastern religions (Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism) ... The doctrine of non-violence or non-killing is taken from Hindu, Buddhist and Jainist ...
Thus your contradiction, your quarrel as stated in d #17 & d #6, is not with sear, but with wiki, savageminds.org, seeker.com, sciencemag.org, & ncbi, and many other respected scientific sources.

[darin]

There are no non-human cultures. Humans are not merely animals. Except trump postesters.