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Every country has a sport that they consider a national pastime. Followingyour favorite sport or sport team is common in every country. Major sports likebasketball and soccer are million dollar industries. While I enjoy watchingsports, I believe that people in general spend too much time following sports,especially watching them on the television.

In general I don’t like watching sports on the television. I love sports, butI would much rather be watching a soccer match live than sitting inside andwatching. I don’t really enjoy professional sports, actually. I think theplayers are paid too much money and as a result, tickets to see them play aresold at astronomically high prices. I guess I can watch those games on TV forfree, but there is something about watching a game live that makes it so muchmore interesting. Watching the game in the stadium, with thousands cheeringalongside of you, is an experience that can’t be reproduced in your livingroom.

I also think people become too invested in rooting for a specific team. Forexample, during soccer matches, fans crowd pubs and bars to watch. During thesematches, fans get so into the game that they sometimes get out of control. Barfights between fans of rival teams frequently occur, and can sometimes spillinto the streets, causing riots and the destruction of property. I thinkinvesting that much emotion into a game on television is a bit extreme, andcreates an overall negative environment around sports.

Another negative effect of fans becoming too involved in following sports isgambling. In addition to the billions of dollars poured into the professionalsports industry, thousands if not millions of dollars are used in betting onsports teams. Major gambling on professional sports changes the entire spirit ofsport competition. Players and referees alike are paid off so the outcome of thegame is in favor of the bookkeepers. Rigging the game is contrary to the purposeof sports competitions. The winning team or player is the one with the bestskills and ability in that moment. Making it about money destroys that elementof the sport. When people invest too much time and money into sports, I thinkthe whole meaning of the game is changed for the worse.

The best way to enjoy a sport is to actively participate yourself. Whether itis playing in the game yourself, or watching on the sidelines, getting involvedin the sport directly is much more rewarding than watching on the television.Becoming obsessed with following a team or sport can be harmful to the overallpositive spirit of sports. (442 words, Anna)