The Science Of Why People Don’t Understand Fans Of Multiple Sports Teams

I am a weather nerd, a scholar, and a big sports fan if you read my essays frequently. The essay is inspired by my own experiences. I try to find science literacy during these times. The University of Georgia will play Texas Christian University in the College Football National Championship. I am a professor at the University of Georgia and a former student of Florida State University. My alma mater is the Georgia bulldogs. It's amazing how many people seem to struggle with that concept.

I've found that perspective is a powerful factor in shaping the response. The way people view the world is calledPerspective. It is shaped by life experiences, values, their current state of mind, the assumptions they bring into a situation, and many other things. This is often referred to as our "personal marinades." We soak for years in cultural, religious, political, and geographic marinades that shape who we are and how we view things.

I have degrees from Florida State University and value my experience there. It started a rewarding career in atmospheric sciences. I met my wife and developed lifelong friends at that school. I joined the faculty at the University of Georgia in 2006 and am now the Director of the atmospheric sciences program. I have an endowed professorship there as well. My 17th year at the University of Georgia will begin next week. I cheer for both of my alma maters in sports and have amarinade.

It's not uncommon for me to get light-hearted comments like the one above questioning if I am a Florida State or Georgia fan. I said that I am a fan of both. Perspective comes in this area. Many fans prefer to be on one team. They may have been a fan of a team or attended a university. I don't think that's the case. I have ties to many universities. Many of you have similar experiences with college and professional sports.

It's true that there is scholarly literature on sports fans. Anthropologists have found that intense experiences of crucial wins and losses shared with fellow fans bind them more tightly to one another and their club. This relates to me for a couple of college teams. It might only be one team for you. Strong fan loyalty, a need to belong, and a sense of embracing larger ideologies are linked in an article.

At the end of the day, my thoughts on sports fandom have more important implications. Climate change, vaccines, or even weather forecasts can be influenced by biases and marinades. People still anchor their opinions on climate change because of political, religious, or other perspectives despite the fact that there is consensus scientific evidence. It works for me to pull for the University of Georgia. It's possible that that won't work for you. It shouldn't make you want to diminish my fan loyalty. Now that I have written those words. They're wise counsel in other areas of life as well.

The Dawgs are going to win. GoNoles!