The Tragic Beauty of Loving Unpopular Sports
(Author’s Note: A quick disclaimer. I am fully aware that what is believed to be popular/unpopular in America is not necessarily true in other parts of the world. Even here, the popularity of certain sports fluctuates depending on where you live. I can only speak from personal experience.)
Almost nothing is more tribal than following sports. As a result, sports are also extremely personal. An avid football fan may love the sport because it reminds them of warm childhood memories. A baseball or basketball fan may love a team because they have deep roots in a particular city.
To their credit, sports can bring people together over shared interests. Even if tensions arise, as long as you’re “in on the joke,” it can make you feel like part of a community. Maybe even something larger than yourself.
In my own family, my dad loves to joke that he and my mother almost didn’t buy my childhood home. The previous owner was a Notre Dame fan and had a bunch of paraphernalia in the basement — which required my dad to perform an “exorcism” on it before they moved in. And as a baseball fan myself, one thing I appreciate is that it’s an incredibly regional sport. You’ll rarely find someone who’s a Red Sox fan in a place like D.C. or Kansas City, for example. That shared commonality of living in the same area and liking the same team makes it easy to converse with even random passersby on the street. Those conversations, in turn, make you feel part of a community.
But being a sports fan can feel like a double-edged sword. For all of the community and support it can give you, it can just as easily make you feel isolated and alone.
For example, baseball is both the source of my first and greatest love and the source of my greatest heartbreak. In 2019, Bryce Harper left the Washington Nationals to go to the Phillies. People did not take it well. Judging by the number of boo’s he got that year; you’d think the guy ran over everyone in the DMV’s puppies. This is despite the fact that he played a pivotal role in getting people in the city excited about baseball again in 2012; or that he was the only one who showed up to the playoffs in 2015. And taking into account that Jason Werth — a man who came from the Phillies — was like Bryce’s mentor or older brother during his formative years with the Nats. Of course, Bryce was going to seriously consider the Phillies.
Maybe this shouldn’t have hurt me as much as it did. But Bryce is the main reason I initially fell in love with baseball. I loved his reckless passion. Seeing everyone turn their back on him felt wrong. Especially since everyone has the right to reach for a comfortable life for their family in the future. It’s not like his paycheck came from people’s tax dollars. Baseball team owners are private citizens.
When you like a popular sport, opinions are like assholes — everybody’s got one.
The world is currently a cesspool of hatred and division. It’s also literally on fire from war and climate change. Why on earth would I want to spend my free time hating or resenting other people over something I can’t control? Especially with something that’s meant to provide levity and entertainment. I can’t do it. I’m sure that says something about me, but I don’t know what. Besides, I’m tired and burnt out.
I just want to like what I like without facing animosity over it from other people.
So, I’ve fallen back on enjoying less popular sports, like Track and Field and Formula 1. In all honesty, I liked Formula 1 even before I saw the Netflix series Drive to Survive. Still, I couldn’t really call myself a fan. I didn’t understand the rules, and I didn’t really know any of the teams. Four seasons of Drive to Survive later, and I’m hooked. (Boy, oh boy, am I hooked.) Having a background understanding of the drivers makes watching the races this season that much more interesting. While I obviously have my favorite drivers — and I want them to win — knowing all 20 drivers means I don’t want the other drivers to do poorly either. I’m invested in every battle, whether it’s for first place or tenth. The sport has become more exciting.
Sure, globally, I’m sure F1 fans have just as many strong opinions as anyone else. But the sport has only just started to catch on in the U.S. Which means that, for now, I can enjoy the “sporting” aspect of F1 without encountering bitter rivalries or animosity. The downside is that hardly anyone knows — or cares — about what I’m talking about when I bring it up.
And therein lies the rub.
As an example, Monaco happened recently. I desperately wanted Charles Leclerc, a Monaco native, to win in his hometown. He didn’t, and I was devastated for him. But I didn’t really have anyone to talk to who I felt understood why I was so devastated. Even my mom, who has also seen Drive to Survive, doesn’t seem as invested as I am. She likes it, but I can tell she doesn’t want to talk about it for hours on end like I do. It was worse when I went on vacation a few days later and brought it up to my friend, who’s never watched F1 in her life. It was like speaking another language.
It’s human nature to seek reassurance from the people around us. Historically, that’s how we determined if we were way off base and made sure we had the protection of the group. When you like a popular sport, for the most part, you have that. However, as soon as you step outside the general consensus, unless you know where to find a new group, it can feel like you’re adrift and speaking into the void.
So, I’m often left wondering what’s better: to be part of a community you disagree with? Or to live apart from and maybe even be isolated from your desired community?
The “amateur athlete” era of the 19th century is (largely) over. For all of its issues, the idea of sports for sports’ sake, instead of a stranglehold on winning or losing, holds a certain romantic appeal. At least, as it applies to the people watching those sports. Americans get pretty up-in-arms over the idea of everyone getting a participation trophy. But again, the world is already hateful enough. Watching sports is meant to be an escape. Besides, athletes will always be athletes. They’ll always want to compete and win. But we, as sports fans, can control how we react to watching them.
Let’s make watching sports fun again.
What about you? Are there any sports you wish more of your friends and family shared your passion for? If you liked this article, you might like some of my other work, which you can find here.
