Jimmy Robson - Student Choice #1

I once heard comedian Lewis Black compare Super Bowl Sunday to a religious experience. He says "I think it's important to have a ritual, and the Super Bowl happens on a Sunday. So at least I'm trying." Certainly Black is not attempting to make any deep philosophical point with this bit, but rather simply attempting to make people laugh. However, after considering it, I realized the religious elements that are present in sports fan culture. It is not uncommon to hear someone say "I follow [insert favorite sport or favorite team] religiously." When considering religion, one usually thinks of rituals and practices. People who consider themselves religious will typically attend a religious service on a weekly basis. Similarly, especially in the case of football, fans tend to reserve a portion of their week to watch football games. Four about two hours each week, football fans can be found on their couch, wearing the jersey of their favorite player (comparable to the clothes people typically wear to religious ceremonies), often times with a computer nearby to track stats, much like carrying a religious text to reference during religious ceremonies. On special occasions, football fans actually get to attend a live game at the stadium of their favorite team. This can be compared to a pilgrimage to a religious landmark. Finally, every football season ends with the Super Bowl, the culmination of football for the year. The Super Bowl is much like Christmas or Easter in the Christian faith. For those who are avid followers of Christ, Christmas and Easter are special holidays to remember the Birth of Christ and the day he was resurrected. For others who consider themselves Christians, but do not practice their faith often, it is often the only time they go to church each year. Similarly, for avid football fans, the Super Bowl is the most special football game of the year, celebrating the triumphs of the two best teams of that season. However, for people who do not watch football, it is often the only game they will watch in the season, as it is a special game.