Some Broncos fan worked hard to carve that snow in the background
When I was a kid growing up in Dallas, Texas, there was a show on television called Bowling For Dollars. I rarely watched it as bowling was not super popular at my house. But somehow the name of the show stuck with me. I find it a handy metaphor for situations where people are trying to earn money, sports-related or otherwise. As time has passed, it has inadvertently circled back to a literal meaning when bowl season rolls around (see what I did there?).
When I watch a sporting event of any kind, my brain kicks into History Mode and I start thinking about its prehistoric precursors. Competition springs from our deepest survival instincts. We no longer have to run for our lives from saber-toothed tigers. But some of us still have incredible physical skills designed for survival. Technology has outrun evolution. The only hunting most of us do is digging through the sale bin at the local Piggly Wiggly. So instead of Usain Bolt chasing deer on foot, he chases world records. He runs fast for the same reason: to outrun whatever or whomever is chasing him. He probably still feels an incredible sense of relief and accomplishment when he succeeds. But today his prize is a paycheck. His prehistoric counterparts had to settle for not being eaten alive.
It's also human nature to want to watch. We want to see feats of greatness. Some part of our dinosaur brain wants to see the train wrecks, too, bless our hearts. We want to see the outcome, the drama. Sports is a world-wide, multi-billion dollar industry built on the most basic of human instincts. And long ago, someone figured out people will pay to watch. The Greeks had their Olympics. The Romans had their gladiators. Aztecs had their wacky, tongue-twisting soccer/basketball hybrid, ullamaliztli. Medieval knights jousted. Men sailed and jumped and ran and wrestled and swam and fought. And, sporting short-sleeved shirts and crew cuts on a small, snowy black and white TV screen, they bowled.
The TVs have changed (thank goodness). Some of the haircuts have changed. The 'bowling' has changed. The paydays certainly have changed. But it still all boils down to the same thing: some people wanting to prove they're better than the other people. And we still like to watch them prove it.
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As much as I try to distance myself from my competitive streak, I think you're absolutely right. We humans seem to like to prove ourselves, to "win," and, if we aren't doing so directly, at least identify ourselves with others who do so. I think the danger comes in the "proving [we're] better" than others rather than cultivating feelings of admiration or empathy. Having said that, go Pats! 😀
I must've been standing behind the door when they handed out the competitive gene. I really don't care much what other people are doing. I prefer to challenge my Future Self to be better than my Past Self. And when that doesn't go as planned, as a lifelong Cowboys fan, I've learned how to handle defeat 😭