The Importance Of Sports In Sports

Every weekend hundreds of thousands of sports fans pack the stadiums of their favorite team and ruthlessly engage in fandom. Some fans tailgate before the game and casually support their team by sporting a jersey and team colors, while others may dress up in absurd outfits, like one Raiders fan who has dressed up in a gorilla suit for the last 16 years. From wicked costumes and body paint, to inappropriate jeers at opposing fans, Eric Simmons was determined to reach a conclusion as to why humans are so entrenched by sports. Simmons does not try to push the world in a certain direction, rather, he utilizes real-life examples, rhetorical questions, and studies and statistics to inform the reader on why fans have developed an intense love for

When Cal football was ranked the highest in school history-number two in the nation-Simmons was in the stands. He had also been in the stands when they were not a very good team, which happened to be the majority of the time. While witnessing a potential game-winning play that went wrong, ultimately ending in one of the most heartbreaking losses in Cal football history, Simmons exclaims, “I gasp. Seventy thousand people gasp” (9). Simmons informs the reader on what is occurring during the game to show how engaged the fans are, which is the overarching topic of the entire book. Later in the book Simmons attends his first away game for his favorite NHL team-the San Jose Sharks. He recalls feeling “A familiar rage building inside of (him)” while being jeered at by the opposing team 's fans. The only reason Simmons had been subject to name calling and taunting was because he was sporting a jersey for the away team. Simmons demonstrates the behavior of many sports fans through this example. These example show the reader first-hand how fans develop a love for the sport, weather in a positive or negative

Simmons poses the question: “What if the malignant force that possesses you during the game is actually your own endocrine system?” (20). Simmons used this question to allow the reader to start think to themselves that maybe this thought could be a solution to why sports fans behave the way they do. It also allows the reader to actively stay engaged with the book. The reader 's mind stays stimulated, making the book easier to absorb. Later in the book Simmons observes a possible reason to why fans unite as a group. “Is it love for our fellow fans, hate for opposing fans, or some mix of the two?” (244), asks Simmons. Simmons knows this is a commonly asked question, so he asks it in order to connect with the reader. The reader then pays close attention to the following statements because this is the same question the reader was wondering. Without studies and statistics the entire argument for Simmons would have no backbone. Simmons mentions over 30 studies throughout the entire book. While investigating to see