It’s no secret that sports fans are some of the most passionate humans on the planet. Die-hard fans will follow their favorite teams and players to the ends of the Earth and can experience the full spectrum of emotions over the course of a season. Sports allow us to experience sweet victory, bitter defeat, unbridled anger, and sometimes, just pure bewilderment. Many say it’s the human need to feel like we belong to something that fuels our passion for sport. We pick our favorite teams, spend our money on their merchandise, root for them unconditionally, and rail against rival teams. The importance of sports to Americans is undeniable. It is a phenomenon that perpetually permeates society when other things come and go. 

But what do sports really mean to us? Why do we get so invested in the teams we love? What are the psychological factors at work in the minds of sports fans? Is humanity’s ongoing love affair with sports evidence that the human need for a tribal connection is as strong as ever?

Guests:

Michael Malec, Ph.D, professor of sociology at Boston College specializing in the sociology of sport

Edward Hirt, Ph.D, professor of social psychology at Indiana University, has done studies and research on the psychology of sports fans