Has Your Fandom in Sports Grown or Dropped as you Age???

I've narrowed my focus over the years (39). Now I just can't stomach watching a baseball game nor do I really care about the sport. I used to be a HUGE baseball fan and follow every at bat and every stat of as many players as I could remember. I could literally rattle off the starting lineup of just about every team in the league. I don't know if it was the steroid nonsense or just rich, entitled players and off the field bullshit (affected my NFL fandom for sure) but I just can't get myself to care, at all. It might be that the team I grew up with was the Mets and their complete lack of desire to win consistently and make smart organizational decisions have just taken their toll--I know it has with the Jets, I've completely abandoned them for my adopted home Broncos over the last few years (the Jets signing Tebow was the final straw for me). But I find that with Michigan relevant and exciting again I don't even worry much about the NFL whereas in the last decade or so I was getting way more into it than I ever had. I don't play fantasy, I think it's stupid as f#ck and don't care to waste that time on nonsense when I could be wasting it on this kind of nonsense. I still try to go to as many live events as I can and I feel like I've been much better about going to bigger events as I've increased my means and ability to do so. At the same time, I'm finding myself going for more quality than quantity in those experiences and I'm happy with that--bigger games, Dallas for Bama, NCAA MBB championship, hopefully a big bowl game this year or CFP, etc.

My fandom reduced quite a bit in the late 80 early 90s through the early 2000s due to a combination of grad school, then marriage, children, and moving to Oklahoma.  When my children got into high school, they became interested in going into games and started asking me about football rules, and that got me re-interested in following Michigan Football. I even have attended some college football games with one or more child, including the Sugar Bowl, two games at Nebraska (one UM, one MSU), Oklahoma State's win over Washington in the Cactus Bowl, and last year's MSU debacle against Alabama (that I tried to keep my Sparty daughter from realizing how much I was enjoying the beat down).

Great question and topic Carlos. I find that I'm less emotional about sports, but my diehard-ness for UM hasn't diminished. In fact, I'm more nostalgic about wanting to attend games and experience tailgating with my son than ever. I appreciate the finer nuances of the game more now than just winning and losing. For example, I really appreciate the Oline/Dline performances when watching a game instead of just following the ball. Or watching how the QB either looks off a safety or steps into the pocket and works through progressions.

Late to the party but definitely less. I can remember not being to sleep after Rose Bowls in the 70s I was so upset. Now we muff a punt against MSU and I'm upset for about an hour then it's on to something else.

I'm 49. My interest in all sports has plummeted - except for Michigan football.

In the 80's I could tell you how the Tigers acquired each player on their roster, who was in their farm system, who was leading the league in triples, etc. Today: no idea who was in the World Series last year.

I lived and died with the Bad Boy Pistons. Their playoff games with the Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls probably shaved a few years off my lifespan. Today: couldn't name more than two guys on their roster.

I still keep an eye on the NFL but rarely watch it. Sometimes the Super Bowl is the only NFL game I see in a year.

Michigan football is the one undying sports passion I expect to have until I die.

Why is that? I don't know. Maybe it makes me remember a time in my life when I was young, having fun, and had everything in front of me. Maybe it's the rivalries. Maybe it's an easy connector with people you don't know and an easy re-connector with people you haven't seen in a while. 

Whatever it is, I know that I still get a rush when Michigan wins, it still stings when they lose, and I still get nervous about the OSU game. The emotional highs and lows aren't as sharp as they used to be (thank goodness) but I still care more than I probably should.

I friend of mine at work last week told me Michigan football was like a cult. A cult! Can you believe that?

I have no idea why the outsiders say that sort of thing...

I knew a lot of varsity athletes and played intercollegiate rugby as a Michigan student. My interest at the time was extremely high. After I matriculated and left A^2 for the West Coast, adopting an unconventional lifestyle, my interest in any sport I personally was not engaging diminished over time because I was absorbing new activities like offshore yacht racing, aviation, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba and global trekking. Almost no folks I was sporting with were college fans let alone Michigan fans, and my only booster in terms of Wolverine athletics was my late dad - that's what we talked about together, Michigan the university and Michigan sports. I've never cared about professional sports, possibly an artifact from growing up in western Michigan with its poor tv reception back in the day. I became a fairweather Chicago sports fan once I moved here, but that's just for shared local community and networking. So it varies but my love for Meechigan and her aspects has remained pretty steady over time. We have an awesome community and I'm lucky to be a part of it.

fair-weather fan, I'll admit it....pro sports especially.  Gave up on the Lions when Barry left, briefly got excited with their D-line during the Ndamukong Suh days.  Pistons and Red Wings only get my attention nowadays in championship calibr years.  I was a die-hard Tigers fan my whole life, but something about this team has turned me off, I don't see the grit and passion there anymore.

Michigan football is another story, yea I became apathetic during the lost decade, but have read Mgoblog everyday for at least 7 years now.  Harbaugh returning was a great hope and vision I had since Lloyd was still here. Its the only sport that I'll plan my weekend around, thats for sure. Go Blue!

Since sports became my profession, it has dropped immensely. But it was dumb high to begin with, so that's not saying much.

Overall fandom has increased but the amount I follow recruiting is definitely on a decline.

For me. The professional team's I have nothing for them as far as enthusiasm goes anymore. Enjoy watching and that's it. Michigan football I say that I'm still fanatical. My highs and lows like yourself are short lived. I'm 58 and I love Michigan football.

Overall, dropped. Sadly. Just not enough time to follow it and become emotionally invested as I did when I was a teenager (and younger).

Michigan stuff, though - a bad loss will still color my week.

Same for USMNT and even the USWNT in games like the first Japan World Cup final.

To some extent the Pistons too. But Tigers, Red Wings, Arsenal, etc. I enjoy when they win, but I don't really get upset when they lose. And the Lions I honestly just laugh about now. Took me several decades, but yeah, nothing but laughter for them.

 

My interest in sports hasn't decreased as I've gotten older, with the exception of baseball. After getting married and having a kid, I just don't have the time nor interest to follow 162 games of my beloved Red Sox. It's a little sad as baseball was my first true love in sports.

Nothing compares to college football really. Michigan football is about the only thing I have as much, if not more, much passion for watching than I used to. Michigan basketball and hockey a bit, but not as much.

Nowadays, I hardly pay much attention to any pro sports until at least playoff time. Used to follow baseball all the time, but maybe being fans of teams (the Pirates, and secondarily, the Tigers) that are only really good a few years every couple of decades might have a bit to do with that.

Soccer will remain unwatchable for me at least until sugnificant rule changes are made. And for that matter, I can't understand why anyone would prefer it to hockey.

Certainly not looking for ways to kill time these days- too much to do.

Never had much interest in individual sports- they are for doing, rather than watching. I sure miss coaching though, quite a bit.

 

 

Who are all the guys in this thread that supposedly haven't had time to watch a full Michigan game since they had kids and yet they have time to not just read mgoblog but also participate in conversations on the board?

 

My interest in soccer and hockey is waning. Interest in the NFL is basically gone. Interest in MLB peaked in 2006 and I haven't liked the NBA since childhood. Michigan football means the most to me of any sport out there but honestly, I skipped a few games last year and the year before to travel. I went on my first date with my girlfriend during the Maryland game last year. I have season tickets this year, so games are a bigger part of my life than the past couple of years but I skipped the Hawaii game to go to a wedding and didn't feel bad in any way.