“We read to know we’re not alone.” - C.S. Lewis
At Assist, we watch A LOT of sports. Which begs the question: why?
It boils down to three core things.
Unscripted Drama
Life is meaningless without stories. Stories provide entertainment. They also provide insight.
We could doomscroll on TikTok all day. But we watch structured stories because of the deeper meaning that comes with them whether it’s framed by a rookie debut, an epic underdog, a comeback campaign or a historic run.
We love drama. Despite the magic of the movies, no drama compares to drama that is unscripted. That leaves only sports.
Inspiration
Part of this drama is in how sports uniquely celebrates humanity and inspires.
Watching LeBron James do the unthinkable at 14, 18, 30 and 40 (and 50?) is a celebration of human achievement and virtue. The “Kid from Akron” who “came out of nowhere,” who refused to “shut up and dribble” and became a King.
We could watch robots his golf balls perfectly. But who cares? How will that make us feel anything?
Sports is life compressed. We’ve grown up with LeBron. The arc of his career is a sped up version of life. And, like a Super Hero, we get to look at his behavior during the wins, the losses and the preparation in between to inspire how we can attain pieces of the excellence or virtue that he shows us.
Sports is the last bastion of honor. As a society, we’re less religious than ever (and religious institutions often don’t give us reason to believe). Business leaders? The innovators are great but Corporate America doesn’t have a high NPS. Politicians? I don’t think we need to explain …
Athletes are some of our most virtuous citizens. They are truly self-made. They play within the rules. They show us how great we can be.
NOTE: This is why sports gambling is so dangerous. It might, to take a page out of the Corporate America playbook, help make an extra 1% profit. But it risks contaminating the virtue that underlies it all.
Belonging
Perhaps the greatest element of sports is the sense of belonging that it drives amongst fans.
This sense of belonging creates bonds within families, across generations, in cities (schools) and even nations.
Because sports are the world’s biggest hobbies, they have also become very affordable digital products. They are truly the lowest cost community you can find.
A great game or season is full of exciting moments. Ask most people and they will cite those moments as some of the best memories of their lives. Those stories are often as much about the people they watched the game with as the game itself
