SPORTS - "This is Your Brain on Sports"

"The hidden psychology behind sports teams, coaches and their fans" PBS NewsHour 2/5/2016

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  With the nation tuning in for Super Bowl 50 this Sunday, many sports fans have football on the brain, especially Sports Illustrated editor Jon Wertheim.  He recently co-wrote the book “This is Your Brain on Sports,” a look at the psychology and behavior of sports teams and their fans.  Hari Sreenivasan sits down with him to learn more about how athletes think.

HARI SREENIVASAN (NewsHour):  A TV audience of well over 100 million is expected to tune in to see the Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton go head-to-head with sentimental favorite Peyton Manning leading the Denver Broncos.

Both teams spent this week in preparations.  The game caps a season of big rivalries, bigger setbacks and some surprise comebacks.

In a new book, “This Is Your Brain on Sports,” “Sports Illustrated” executive editor, Jon Wertheim, along with co-author Sam Sommers of Tufts University, explore the psychology and behavior of sports teams and their fans.

For a closer look, Jon Wertheim joins me now.

So, “This Is Your Brain on Sports,” why the book?

JON WERTHEIM, Co-Author, “This Is Your Brain on Sports”:  We all love sports.

There is so much that goes on in sports, it seems irrational or counterintuitive.  And we dismiss that these are just sort of — these are the rules of the road of sports.  And we wanted to dig a little and say, what really explains — what are the underpinnings, everything from the crazy T-shirt cannon that we go crazy about, to the fact that teams seem to elevate when there’s a rivalry?

What is really going on here?  What is the human behavior?  What is the psychology?  What is going on here?

HARI SREENIVASAN:  Let’s talk a little bit about rivalries.

The likelihood is that this might be one of Peyton Manning’s last days.  So, it’s not a Peyton vs. Cam rivalry.  But, sometimes, when two teams get together at the Super Bowl, it’s a much bigger deal for entire cities and fans.  Why is that?

JON WERTHEIM:  Rivalry is one of these essential elements of sports.

And what the research says is that there really is a difference in performance a run-of-the-mill game vs. a rivalry team.  Physiologically, athletes in a rivalry game, testosterone levels are different.  Saliva levels are different.  These scores tend to be closer.

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Hee, hee, the 'old man' showed the young upstart how it's done.