I think the problem that many geeks have with sports is the tribalism and the blind devotion. We have a lower tolerance for religious fanaticism, even barring the distro and editor wars. "Your" team won? Really? In what sense are they your team? Are you the coach? Are you a player? Or is it just because your parents were fans, or you grew up near them, or they won last year?
When programmers engage in these kind of religious wars about their languages or text editors (other than in a tongue-in-cheek way) they are considered rude and antisocial neckbeards. But somehow it's rude or antisocial to not get behind this massive time, energy, and money sink that makes a few people fabulously wealthy?
Exactly my problem with it. I can't understand truly serious fandom for a pro team, or even for college teams since they're recruited specifically for the sport much the same way pro teams are.
I could understand it if it were tongue-in-cheek, as you write, just for fun's sake, but it's usually not, as best I can tell. Many of these fans are quite serious. They'll get no-joking pissed off at people over this stuff. They'll really initially dislike anyone they meet from $rivalCity. It's crazy.
Being a fan of a truly local team makes sense to me. A pro team? Not in a "ha-ha we're all in on the joke isn't this fun" sort of way? Mind boggling.
When programmers engage in these kind of religious wars about their languages or text editors (other than in a tongue-in-cheek way) they are considered rude and antisocial neckbeards. But somehow it's rude or antisocial to not get behind this massive time, energy, and money sink that makes a few people fabulously wealthy?