Voluntary Sadness

One of the things I don't understand is why I allow myself to become vested in the fortunes of sports teams. I know I'm not the only one and I know I'm not even among the most vested, but it's still curious.

I consider myself a rational person. I essentially have a humanist world view, although not held so deeply as to actually DO anything about it. (Are there any other non-practicing Humanists out there?) I believe in the scientific method, I've never had any supernatural experiences, and I can't think of any superstitions I hold "true." By that, I mean that I might deliberately avoid walking under a ladder, but it's out of casual habit rather than fear.

Given all this, why does it take days for my mood to recover on weekend when the Hawkeyes and Bears both lose? And can someone PLEASE explain what kind of glutton for punishment would follow the "anyone can have a bad century" Cubs? There is no rational reason that I should care what happens when a bunch of guys throw, hit, and chase a ball, knock each other down, throw a ball through a hoop, try to hit a disc shaped piece of vulcanized rubber into a net with sticks, etc...

Other forms of entertainment like music, assorted hobbies, and theater just don't have the same downside. Although actually, this reminds me of one of sports' entertainment advantages: you don't know what's going to happen. I've referred to sports generally as "The last drama." We've all seen the same story lines rehashed again and again over the course of civilization. Humans can be quite predictable. Sports can be quite unpredictable and I suppose I see value in that.

But anyway... When it comes down to it, as silly as it all is, I just can't help it. I'm in too deep. I'm doomed to a lifetime of caring about a sequence of manufactured dramas where the bad parts feel worse than the good parts feel good.