After the stunning Stanley Cup Final victory by the Chicago Blackhawks over the Boston Bruins, I was left with mixed emotions; I was gleeful that all the sports I pay attention to are over until the NFL season, and I was heartbroken about the game I just watched.
Then, I reassessed why I am attached to the sporting teams I root for. For those why don't know, most of "my teams" are based on my brother's selection; he chose the Red Sox and Patriots. As a result of their rivalries in our lifetime (and longer), I naturally supported the Yankees and Colts. As for the other sports, I don't really care about the Celtics but the past several years I have fallen for the Boston Bruins (Maybe it was the infamous Bobby Orr photo that hung on my barbershop's wall for the majority of my life). After attending UConn, it makes sense I still support UConn in all the collegiate sports.
I don't think my brother and I ever had much interest in baseball; it was more a sibling rivalry thing to do than liking baseball. The football rivalry is stronger than ever since I now live in Indiana and he lives in Massachusetts (Maybe... No more Manning/Brady).
After some thinking, I don't know why I (like millions of others) am so connected to the our sports teams. Unlike like national teams, these athletics go where they are drafted, traded, or sign based on lucrative contracts; majority of the time, they don't have any connection to the location of the team until they arrive to play. In some cases, the players support the community but that's bound to happen with any location. Unlike me, many others have chosen the teams their family has supported for generations; maybe it's the concept of being part of something bigger that make sporting fans who they are. I don't feel much connection to the professional teams I root for; it's just easier to "watch" sports with teams to root for. While I enjoy watching the athletic ability, it doesn't make sense for me to feel any emotions after a win or loss (even it is for a hour or so).