Has Your Fandom in Sports Grown or Dropped as you Age???
This is more for the older crowd here 35+. I have found in the last handful of years that while I love the hell out of my teams and cheer them on as vigerously as I always have that I just don't have the highs and lows of Fandom.
When we lost to MSU last year I was pissed as could be for an hour or so. Then I realized the outcome had nothing to do with my life. I didn't play the game. Sure OSU fans here in C-town would make a smart comment as they saw me in my M gear, but I just didn't care.
I recall as a younger man having losses effect my week or year. Does anyone else have this same feeling as they have gotten older?
Maybe this topic isn't board worthy, but I was curious to see how I slotted with my fellow MgoFamily on Fanaticism.
BYE weeks are a struggle!!!!
October 11th, 2016 at 5:26 PM ^
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.
October 11th, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^
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).
October 11th, 2016 at 5:44 PM ^
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October 11th, 2016 at 6:26 PM ^
October 11th, 2016 at 6:39 PM ^
October 11th, 2016 at 6:41 PM ^
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...
October 11th, 2016 at 7:23 PM ^
I am 48 and the only thing left that I care about is Michigan football but I no longer go crazy if we lose. I used to let losses ruin the weekend and that is frankly not worth it.
But I won't miss any of their games either.
I watched zero NFL this weekend and I still haven't got around to watching any playoff baseball. These are all things I would not have missed in my 20s and 30s.
October 11th, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^
October 12th, 2016 at 8:48 AM ^
I always said if I could erase an era of sports and rewatch it as if I never saw it I would do it with the late 80's - Mid 90's NBA. Such a great era of basketball. Before everyone became an over paid pussy.
October 11th, 2016 at 6:41 PM ^
I'm 33 so just on the cusp of 35+ crowd. I feel I relate more to that demographic then most of my peers and younger.
Family is all from the UP, moved just south of Indy and grew up there. Growing up it was M football, IU bball, Lions until Sanders retired and from the time Harbaugh was on the Colts to this day. Tigers fan in my heart but baseball just doesn't rate for me anymore. The steroid crap after the McGwire and Bonds HR chase ruined baseball for me.
The Pacers were solid in the 90s and early 00s, not championship caliber, but a force to be reckon with. The Brawl in 03 killed the NBA for me. Bobby Knight's firing waned my interest in college hoops.
Peyton Manning to the Colts ignited my passion for them, and Michigan was solid til Carr's departure. I had shed a few tears of joy when they won the Super Bowl in the 06 season. I was pissed when they released Peyton, but Luck is not a bad successor. I'd rather have him then 28 of the other NFL starters. The Colts carried my football spirits many times during our dark years of recent past. Jim Irsay is not much better then Jerry Jones imo, and Grigson is comparable to Brandon on a managerial level as far as competence. Pagano, nice guy, average coach, but no fire to him, to bland. Polar opposite of Coach Jim. Should have kept Arians, the non PC move would have only stung for a year or so.
The Rich Rod and Hoke was rough but still caught every game. Denard was fun to watch, but as we all know, one beast can't carry a team. My love of Michigan has never been stronger and it is very nostalgic seeing the direction of the program like it was growing up.
Summary:
Yes it has waned. I always catch MI games either on TV or radio if busy. Tune In radio is the shit. Colts games are less important, but try to catch them when I can.
The only other sporting events I may make time to watch is either the World Cup or the NCAA tourney.
October 11th, 2016 at 7:03 PM ^
October 11th, 2016 at 7:22 PM ^
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!
October 11th, 2016 at 7:55 PM ^
October 11th, 2016 at 8:15 PM ^
October 11th, 2016 at 8:24 PM ^
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.
October 11th, 2016 at 9:54 PM ^
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.
October 11th, 2016 at 11:08 PM ^
October 12th, 2016 at 2:06 AM ^
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.
October 12th, 2016 at 2:28 AM ^
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?
October 12th, 2016 at 10:14 AM ^