>

My theory is if you like that much to spend so much time watching you might as well play yourself I love playing jazz music that's why I take lesson to play it myself
The entire concept of watching anything is dumb by this logic >

I don't think so.  Some things you can enter into a lot better during spectating than others.  Watching a chess match for example.  You can literally calculate every single thing that the players at the board can (leaving aside difference in skill). >

Chess is a sport though.... >

Board games aren't sports >

what constitutes a "sport" to you? >

An athletic activity with objective scoring. There's no physicality in chess. Therefore it's not a sport >

A chess game ends in a draw or a win for one of the players which is just like most sports if not all of them. Chess is physically demanding, with games often lasting for more than 8 hours. It also requires a certain amount of skill that can be improved and used competetively. It has an extensive set of rules that have to be followed at all times. >

How is chess physically demanding? Players sit still the entire time except to lift a piece which only weighs a few ounces. It's a mental game, not a sport >

You try doing anything for 9 hours then tell me how it is not physically demanding. >

I sit at my desk at work for nine hours a day. It's not physically demanding >


You cannot observe facial expressions

Why is that a problem?

or get a real feel for all the little nuances of the competition

If you can see the players and the ball, you can see the nuances >

If you can't cup the balls , what's the point?? >

I forget most people on this app are odd balls >

Very polite way of putting it. >

My initial reply had other words but I didn’t wanna be mean >

Then the entire concept of watching TV and movies is dumb, too. If you're not acting, what's the point? Ditto music. Everyone should sing. 
Let's not forget the armchair warriors who play war games like COD instead of actually joining the military and going to war. 
We're all spectators. >

tv shows and movies communicate messages and themes through their plots and characters, they can serve to highlight a lot of issues with society for example.
When are you going to see that in sports? Is ronaldo christiano just gonna stop mid dribble to stare straight at the camera and monologue about wealth inequality in todays society? 
I still agree with your point though >

Sports are entertainment is the thing, just like shows, movies, music, etc. so not all shows and movies have a message, some of them are just "Turn your brain off and sit back." >

"Sports are meant to be played, not watched."
Dumbest thing I've read all day.
"You cannot observe facial expressions"
Are they wearing masks in the NBA?
​
username checks out.  Devoid of reality. >

Note that he said in a comment that he think chess is interesting to watch lol dude is delusional >

Chess can be interesting to watch, especially if you get to a reasonablly high level and have grand masters as commentators because the way some of the top players think is legitimately surreal, but the reason it's interesting to watch is exactly the same as the reason sports are fun to watch, and thus, op is dumb  as hell >

This goes beyond Unpopular opinion to just dumb. >

Have you watched a movie?
What's the difference? >

(good) Movies have a plot.  They're just like reading a story, but with an extra dimension. >

why are you reading a story instead of living it? >

Are you asking why he is not living Lord of the Rings? Lol >

If he was, the homie definitely would have just rode an eagle to the mountain. >

Not a sport's fan but even I think this is a dumb post 😂 >

Reading anything or browsing anything on Reddit is pointless >

r/IHateSportsball >

This is great stuff.  Didn't know it existed. >

How much dumb you want to sound?
Him: yes >

You just want attention.  Go on....ask for it >

You can absolutely observe the nuances of the sport and competition. Wtf ate talking about?
Are facial expressions an indicator of competition? 
This is such a weird opinion. >

That’s why I spend all my time watching Kardashians. Much more productive. >

Yes, I'll just become an F1 driver this season instead of watching it. It's not like I'd have to be 20 years younger to even start, have rich parents and climb through many lower racing classes. That's not at all how it works. /s
I love karting, but it's not comparable, not even close. >

I love playing sports but never liked watching them. >

DaE lE sPoRtS aRe BaD
Guys it's my turn to complain about overwhelmingly popular entertainment options tomorrow ok
Jesus these posts are whiny as fuck. Just don't watch it, just close your eyes. I'm gonna start reporting these, there have to be like 3 a day of these edgelords crying that there are SpOrTsBaLl on the TV. Babies. >

This is dumb and flat out wrong. >

posts like these make me want to bash my head in >

I don't like watching sports but due to the amount of people who do there must be something about it that's entertaining that I don't get. >

Do you enjoy playing Sports? Normally people watch sports because they get to see people play their sport, but better than they will ever be able to play it, and that is, in some way, quite inspiring >

I like playing, just not watching >

I do get this, but don’t feel so strongly about it like you. Doesn’t make sense to me how people can be huge fans of a sport but not enjoy it themselves. Not going to judge them for it, but I personally don’t see the appeal and would rather watch something with a plot. >

I agree. I never understood how someone can watch sport and not get bored immediately. Myself I watched sports mostly when I wanted to become better at something. But it was mostly "how to" videos. >

Feel the same way about esports as I do sports. Either I'm playing it or I don't care. >

Given your original post and your comments thus far, it makes me assume several things such as that you do not understand the rules of popular US spectator sports (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL), that you have not attended these games, and that you do not watch these games on TV. 
Sports is the ultimate drama. They have an ever changing cast of characters that engage in the full range of human emotion. Physical talent will only carry you so far, and great strategy can be implemented to significantly change the course of game. Additional factors such as in game momentum, the energy from the crowd, injuries, and the weather, can also have significant and unpredictable impacts on a game.
This is one of the weakest unpopular opinions I have yet to see. >

I don't know about dumb, but I don't get the appeal and never have.  I know people who spend all day Sunday and all night Monday and Thursday nights in front of the TV because of Football.  I'd rather be doing anything else.  But I guess everyone's entitled to their own ideas about what's entertainment and what's a waste of time. >

A lot of people's obsession with sports involved sports betting. It's very meaningful to those who have some money on it. 
A lot of over 40 folks played those Sports themselves in the past. They developed an interest in the sports themselves for that reason. And some enjoy reliving their Glory Days >

I'd say most sports fans don't bet on games, you don't need a financial incentive to want to see people take something you enjoy doing to an extreme level of precision >

Yeah I don’t bet. I like watching the off-season lows of a team. The hype for the draft. I love seeing players get yo know all the young rookies that come in. The dinner stories of young players and old veterans at bars or listening to podcasts about pranks or how close all these guys and their families are. And then the season roles around and I love getting immersed week in and week out. The storylines, the underdogs, the players you used to hate but now love. All of it. >

Thank you finally someone says it ! >

Agreed, I'd rather watch paint dry >

One of the things that gets me about sports fans is... how do you feel pride for a team when you had absolutely nothing to do with how they performed? >

Probably a fundamental difference in thinking. You feel pride because they "represent" your group. In this case, that group is your country. This can go down to a smaller level. You can feel pride because your immediate family member has done something that heightens your family's reputation, which immediately affects you, even if you have nothing to do with it.
For some people, it's impossible to feel pride beyond one's own accomplishments. For these people, it's unlikely to fathom pride for an external party. In other words, pride exists in these cases because your identity isn't bound to just your literal own being, and it's possible to place a part of your identity into an external source/group >

PREEEEAAACHHHH >

Op, what’s something non sports related that you enjoy watching? >

Fuckin chess >

Hey what's your problem with chess it's cool >

My problem is that it's ridiculous to say everything he said about sports and then say "but chess is fun to watch" without any hint of self awareness. Yeah chess is cool, for the same reasons sports are cool. You're watching people who are good at something you enjoy be good at it, you can put yourself in their shoes and try to figure out what they're thinking, what they're gonna do, etc... but to say you should play sports instead of watching them and then say you think watching a board game is different, that's just stupid >

Yeah I agree I was just being silly because I saw several comments of yours complaining about him watching chess >

Damm wish I had saved my speech for someone who needed it lol >

I want to see people who are actually good at the sports I like. >

There is of course a lot of money bet on sports, always has been , back to Roman Colosseum days. But the bigger things are tribalism and personal identification. our team is better than them, though our team is just migrant workers currently under contract to the wealthy owner and have nothing to do with us. Though they pretend hard. And personal identification. Well, we’ve all seen the butterball in head to toe sports gear, pretending to be Gronkowski or whoever. And for lots of people ‘watching sports’ is just another party. >

Bread and circuses. That’s pretty much any form of entertainment now though >

I thought the same way until I started watching sports I enjoyed practicing myself. And it’s not just entertainment. I can glean insight from watching the greats, seeing their techniques, seeing what worked (and more importantly what didn’t) and I can take that, and maybe distill 1% of it into my own game >

yes exactly >

I agree on some degree. If i dont practice the sport myself then usually i dont watch it, because i dont care which team wins. Doesnt entertain me. 
As for me, practising combat sport, i like to watch them, because i can learn the techiques by watching and trying to replicate in gym. >

So you believe that you understand everyone’s brain better then their brain understands itself. >

I don't think anyone claims you get the full experience of playing football at a professional level from watching sports, there's something inherently captivating about watching someone who has pored 10s of thousands of hours int mastering a skill, just because you don't personally enjoy it doesn't make it dumb >

Too bad majority of people who would play a sport would suck. That is why there are professionals who play and are great to watch. If you are actually a fan, you can pick up the little nuances that a player does to make their team win. The little hesitation then explosiveness and randomness makes sports worth watching. Sports build city camaraderie where people unite in a positive way. I would chose live sports over our society’s other obsession with scripted reality tv shows. Nothing but narcissistic views and the community doesn’t benefit at all. Especially the ones that follow a family that few people can relate to. >

I think a more interesting topic then is asking whether it's interesting to watch someone that's NOT a professional (a beginner or intermediate player) play a game/sport. Would the consensus still be yes? >

Let's say that we kept sports but we restricted people from watching them. Whoever would do something like that would seem like a tyrant who doesn't want anybody to have any fun. There's clearly something wrong with prohibiting the watching of sports by everyone who wishes to do so.
Here's a general rule of thumb: if there are a substantial amount of people who take certain courses of action or ascribe to a certain set of beliefs, then there's probably an acceptable reason for it (in my opinion, but I'm still not sure if that's really an opinion). >

Have you watched sport? Or played sport Infront of a sizeable audience? >

“Sports is to war as pornography is to sex”
Jonathan Haidt >

How would taking snack breaks in the middle of playing a sport make you feel all the little nuances? I’ll eat my snacks in the stands thank you very much. >

An actual unpopular opinion >

Ok, unpopular >

Find the right sport to watch for you. Not everybody enjoys the same thing. Watching people do things that are impossible for most of us is quite thrilling for most >

"Open heart surgery is meant to be PERFORMED, not WATCHED! So turn off Grey's Anatomy and SCRUB IN, IDIOT. YOU'RE NEEDED IN OR #12 STAT." >

I happen to enjoy watching professional sports because they play the sports I like but better. >

Real life is supposed to lived not watched through TV. >

I mean I don’t watch sports or get the allure but I’m. It sure I would call it dumb. 
I think professional sports and the professionalization of college sports problematic. But that’s a systematic issue. >

I can’t believe all news programs dedicate a whole section about it. Surely there are more relevant updates that the time could be used for. >

Shut up dad! You just don’t get it! >


Sports are meant to be played, not watched.

Says who? There are have been people watching sports for as long as there have been people playing them. It's the same as anything else; for anything that is ever happening, there are plenty of people who want to watch without actually engaging with it directly.

The audience is way too removed from the action in general to participate in any meaningful way. You cannot observe facial expressions, or get a real feel for all the little nuances of the competition unless you actually snack in the middle of the action, on the field (or ice, or whatever the case may be).

Why should the audience want to  participate meaningfully? Why is just watching a bad thing?
Your opinion is certainly unpopular, but it's also very poorly reasoned (or at least, you haven't presented your reasoning coherently). >

I've never understood what the fasination in watching grown men play with a various assortment of sticks or a various assortment of balls was.  Especially for other grown men. >

Sports fandom is provably good for your mental health. >

Now try to convince a single guy watching porn. >

As we age it tends to get harder to do those athletic activities. Sometimes, we like to watch other people do the things we can't because we still get joy out of it. Also, it makes you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself. Maybe you like to watch how skillful those players are, doing something you physically can't. >

Wait until you find out about an industry that involves people watching other people play video games. >

won't the lack of fans reduce the motivation of athletes to achieve?  For many of them, there is no point in competing if their victories are not noticed by anyone other than the athletes themselves >

You said somewhere in the comments that chess is interesting to watch. For me it isn't, because I know nothing about it. If someone does an elite high level move that will end the game in 4 moves I have no idea and I think it's just any ordinary move. But to a pro, it's fun to watch this absolute genius play in ways you haven't even dreamed of. 
It's the same in any sport. If you know the ins and outs it really fun. Plus that's not the only reason to watch. People like watching 7 foot giants jump over each other in the NBA even if they've never played basketball. It's for entertainment for EVERYONE, not just those who can play.
Edit: I just realized what sub I'm in. Take my upvote you square. >

I’ll admit to finding it a little goofy when a guy who didn’t even bother to try out for his high school football team is obsessed with the nfl.
Hell, I was signing up for BJJ within a month of getting into UFC >

Yeah ill just go outside and race my friends in our f1 cars. Never thought of that >

It's entertainment.  Like watching a movie or a play. >

Eh, depends on the sport and how important the game.
I see watching sports the same as watching a let’s play. I got into baseball specific because of Jomboy Medias breakdowns giving me the nuance to appreciate what happened in the season. >

Yeah this is definitely an unpopular opinion. I think the majority of fans played the sports they watch as kids. Not all of us get to be pros. Watching is a way to stay connected to that part of our childhood. I loved American football. Why shouldn’t I enjoy watching a game at age 48 and out of shape? Its not like I can go play anywhere. On a side note. Who cares? Do you waste much time thinking about what other people enjoy? If you dont like sports dont watch. Putting down other people who do for enjoying themselves is just assholery. >

Now do porn. >

How is it any different from watching movies or TV? >

This sub should be called dumb opinions >

I prefer watching them in person, for the reasons you have mentioned.  Options for random adults to just up and play are limited. >

You’re aware a huge reason people watch sports is bc of gambling right? So if you have money on the game it only makes sense you’d wanna watch the outcome. >

I'll agree with the obsession of sports is weird/ unhealthy. But beyond that, it's a weird take. We all derive pleasure and entertainment in different ways. Watching something, whether it be sports, tv, or nature is fine. To each their own >

I don’t think watching sports is dumb. I don’t get why people put in so much more effort to watch sports over playing games. Like planning a day to watch the game could be spent planning a fun pick up game! That said, the people who seem to enjoy watching sports the most I have found to be the worst people to play sports with. Some people get so competitive and need to win they just make games not fun, and I believe they are the reason people watch sports over playing themselves more. >

Hurrr durrr sPoRtSbALL. Give me a break. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess you spend lots of hours playing video games? >

Sport is the most universal way humankind comes together. We're talking 3 - 4 billion people sharing the same moment. And craziest of all, it's through peaceful expression of our basest urges for tribalism and competition. Nothing but sport can claim that.
You don't have to engage with it, but I honestly regret the years I spent turning up my nose. There's something for everyone: statistics, drama, action, strategy, etc. And if you can find your way in, it's incredible to share in that same heart beat with millions or even billions of people.
For the analytical, it takes some effort to resist reductionism (i.e. "it's guys running around with a ball.") It's so much more than its parts. It represents the most physically capable among us choosing fair competition over violence. There's an incredible beauty to that, for me anyways.