• bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    I’ll never understand why fans are die hard loyal to franchises that screw them at every possible opportunity.

    Because for many people it is a core part of their identity, without which they wouldn’t have much outside of work and sleep

    • AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Seems crazy. I think professional sports would be so much cooler if the community had stake in the team and got something out of winning/profits.

      It’s just so weird to attach your identity to a team that you are in no way a part of, other than the location.

      • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        The Euro Leagues system

        Your local team gets good enough that you have a team then there are stakes

        NA leagues don’t do this because they are entertainment not competitive products

        • AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I’m not a huge football/soccer fan, but I love the concept of promotion/relegation. Around here if you have a losing team you get rewarded with a high draft pick. It’s a strategy to be terrible.

          I also would love having lower level teams to watch, but that’s pretty rare. If you have a pro team in your city, you probably don’t have a semi pro team with the exception of baseball.

          Maybe that’s why so many people enjoy watching college sports. Although I have my own issues with that scene, because of course I do.

      • dumpsterlid@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I mean I think most people are aware of how abusive the relationship is at some level (conscious or not) but ultimately the reason billionaires buy teams like this is if you truly love sports what are you by going to do?

        I think the only correct perspective to view this from is that it is a tragedy that something so incredibly important to people that it might as well be a religion, is utterly controlled by the billionaire class. I couldn’t care less for professional sports in most ways and find it annoying that stadiums get so much subsidies from cities but at the end of the day I have no interest in bashing people’s rabid love of a sport. I think it is great, go wild and be totally obsessed with your sports team, it is an utterly benign love at the heart of it.

    • hexual@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Nailed it. This is especially true with football in the UK. People are literally born and brought up with the expectation of supporting a certain team.