Watching one’s favorite sports team play is often an enthralling experience. The excitement of close calls, the enthusiasm shared by fellow spectators, and the eventual win makes watching sports a valued experience. The world of sports is multi-faceted, extending beyond the parameters of only throwing a ball around. There is the game, there are its players and the coaches, and then there are the fans, who really make the game the exhilarating activity it is.
The fans, each supporting their favorite teams, buy the appropriate apparel, spending up to hundreds of dollars just to be able to adequately demonstrate their athletic patriotism. The average football jersey sold by the NFL costs up to $99.95, and people are more than willing to pay that exact amount if not more for it. Wearing this jersey to a game can make for an interesting image when the right number of people wears it in the stadium. Imagine looking into the stands and seeing nothing but a wave of blue in the team’s honor. That is enough to provide the ego boost necessary to motivate one to play at one’s full potential. It really is all about the feeling of the environment. The game would not be the same if a dreary mood pervaded the stadium.
In addition to the apparel, the fans’ attitude also plays a role in the continued enthusiasm shown for sports. It is usually the case that a sports enthusiast will without a doubt have an influence over the athletic interest in his or her children. One often sees commercials where a child is cheering on a sports team with his or her family, all wearing the same jerseys, at times even having his or her face painted. This child, as can be observed, will more often than not maintain this excitement for sports well into the years, eventually instilling in his or her own children the same if not a similar passion as was felt by the family.
Because the intrinsic eagerness to be involved cannot always be depended on, companies develop incentives in order to motivate the fans to give more and more into the game and the associated accessories, trinkets, and memorabilia. From people who are given the chance of a lifetime to make a basketball shot from the three-point line, to those are given the chance to win a meet and greet as the winner of a sweepstakes. These incentives are not just all for the fans. The companies know better than to just offer a million-dollar prize for the sake of rewarding a fan. Instead, the company will offer the prize or opportunity with the stipulation that the fan at least buy the ticket to a game, the price of tickets to sporting events varying in range, so the fan does not exactly get a “free” prize. Ultimately, however, the fan is motivated by the company’s incentive, which is offered as often as is believed to be appropriate, gaining more eager followers each time.
The betting aspect is another rather interesting aspect of sports that seems to keep fans entertained and “hooked.” It would be needless to say that gambling will never face a dearth of participants. People everywhere are betting for all kinds of events: fights; casino games; and sports. Websites such as collegefootballpicks2014.com make it possible for football fans to make these bets and collect money, offering a nearly foolproof system that guarantees a profit. Knowing this, how will anyone resist? Moreover, the wins will only incentivize greater participant, perpetuating if not increasing interest in the sport.
As one can see, it is really the fans that make the sport what it is. The players will play, and that will always be the case, but the fans buy the merchandise, attend the game, watch it on their TVs, and bet on the events.