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Fandom works like a religion
A nation of believers
A sociology paper on Pittsburgh Steelers fans lists the parallels. Fans have their rituals and their towels, they sing together, and they think of themselves as the Steeler Nation. They talk about godlike experiences on the field, and on freezing days they take off their clothes and cheer and cry together.
Steelers bars exist everywhere, and wherever the team plays, fans fill them. After a loss, an old fan tells the kids about losing in 1983 and how the team recovered, which stretches the young fans' sense of time.
Fandom worldwide
Stories of awe gathered from people in 26 countries show the same pull. People in Brazil and Argentina write about football, people in parts of the United States write about American football and baseball, and people in Boston write about the Red Sox.
The roots run deep. The Olympics are 3,000 years old, and the ball court games of the Maya were ways to gather a community.
Why do shared rituals bond fans so tightly?
In a 2011 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ivana Konvalinka and colleagues measured heart rates at a fire-walking ritual in San Pedro Manrique, Spain. The heart rates of fire-walkers and of related spectators synchronized during the ritual. Spectators with no personal tie to the walkers did not show the same synchrony. The result suggested that shared arousal tracks closeness.
How did the ancient Olympics work?
The ancient Games were held every four years at Olympia in honor of Zeus, with the traditional founding date set at 776 BCE. A sacred truce let athletes and spectators travel safely through warring city-states. The earliest event was a footrace the length of the stadium, about 190 meters. Winners were given wreaths of wild olive rather than money.
How did the Maya ball game work?
The Mesoamerican ball game used a solid rubber ball that players kept in play with their hips and forearms. Stone courts survive across Mexico and Central America, and the Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza measures about 168 meters long. The Popol Vuh, a K'iche' Maya text, tells of mythic ball games between the Hero Twins and the lords of the underworld. Some games carried ritual meaning that tied the match to cosmic events.
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