What is it about sports that get millions of people around the world to tune in and watch? Is it the game itself? The camaraderie? The atmosphere? The amazing feats performed by athletes?
While all that is mentioned above is important and definitely a part of the reason, I think one of the biggest reasons any sport is beloved and watched so diligently is the story... The story that plays out not only on the pitch but stretches out far further.
It's the story that creates the stakes, it's the story that connects with the fans, it's the story that makes the team and the player, but most importantly, it's the story that makes the game so beautiful.
For example, we can take the amazing story of a small football team named 'Leicester City' making it to one of the biggest football leagues in the world and winning that league a few years later without the same financial backing as the top teams, a feat that played out in front of the eyes of millions of people and showed that anything can happen in sports. It was the fact that we all got to see a team that no one even considered to be a part of even the top 6 spots out of 20 in the league actually win, with a group of players who had a never back down attitude is what made that win 'unforgettable'. A true underdog story.
The emotions and atmosphere throughout that season were electric within that stadium, the fans getting to realise a dream with their team was a moment none can forget, and it truly got the whole world talking and changed the way people perceived football.
Similarly, we can take an example from a different sport. This time let's look at basketball and talk about a player named Giannis Antetokoumpo. He was a kid whose parents had moved from Nigeria to Greece to make a life for themselves with their four kids in tow. This kid grew up selling watches and other paraphernalia on the streets as a way to help his parents bring some money into the home. His story of getting scouted from the streets of Athens to winning the NBA Championship in 2021 with the team that took him in is beautiful, especially when you consider the fact that the team he was in had not won a title in 50 years and when they did win, it involved Giannis scoring 50 points in the final game, a point for each year they had not won the championship!
Do you see what I mean? And these are just two stories from millions out there taking place right now, right in front of our very eyes.
This is why sports as a whole are beautiful. The fact that each game, each moment in this world is charged with history, emotion, stakes and so much more, it's truly breathtaking.
So if you Sheeples ever do get asked to watch a game with a friend or just decide to check any sport out on your own, don't just look at it through the screen in your homes, rather look into the stories and the history behind the players or teams playing in front of you.
Who knows, you might just get hooked... I know I am!
This is 100Minus7 signing out!