Sporting Spirit

There is a noise so loud, so distinct, so deafening. The cheer of a crowd. Thousands of humans jammed together, cheering in support of their favourite athletes. Fanatics don face paint, bang drums and wave flags that even viking ships would be proud of. Chants that have been handed down generations are sung as loud as lungs allow. The roar of a crowd before a sports match is like nothing else. There is nothing like it. Fans undergo an almost war-like pilgrimage from train stations, cars and planes before the game. There is a unique whisper around a stadium before the first siren. An unquenchable thirst for what’s about to begin.  Nothing can match that first vocal eruption of competitive spirit. 

I think he's fan, but it's hard to tell

Are sporting fanatics simply the product of expert marketing campaigns, or are they the product of human spirit? There is a very tribal feeling between rival spectators. War chants ring out as teams do battle in what is the evolution of the colosseum. Evolving from the Gladiators of Rome, to Gladiators of football or soccer, the screaming spectator remains unchanged over time.

Are you not entertained?

There is something that grips us as humans when we cheer for each other, with each other. Although you have no physical part to play in the game, you feel connected to what unfolds. You feel like you’ve cheered your team home. They couldn’t have done it without you. There is always a chance to win, until that final siren sounds. Sports manifests human hope. The underdog story, the victory against all odds. We long for it, and if our team gets knocked out, you know we’ll be cheering for the underdog in the final. I wonder if other products will learn to capture this raw energy. As we become more and more data-driven, I’m sure it will be the case. 

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Sports captures a sense of belonging. It creates a powerful sense of community. It grants an almost family-like status amongst complete strangers. Whether you are a fifth generation supporter (who never had a choice on who you support) or a new citizen from foreign lands who has had free choice of their team, you share a special bond. If you see someone walking down the street brandishing your team colours, it’s not uncommon to strike up a conversation or a well-meaning “Go Team!”.  The feeling of a sports team winning is the same across sports and across languages. There is something extremely special in the way that friendly competition unites humans. Cheering for your team is a universal language. So, who do you barrack for?