Just like the good majority of you, I spent my Saturday at the Penn State vs. Buffalo football game. I stood in the student section cheering, jumping, screaming, and throwing my blue and white pom-pom in the air every chance I got. And I loved it. Yes, it was cold and raining practically the entire day- but still, who doesn’t love to go to a Penn State football game- especially the home opener? (Yes, I know that’s a broad assumption and that there are numerous skeptics and people out in the world who would rather do anything then go to a Penn State football game…But all those aside- who?). So, after spending my Saturday at a football game and then a good chunk of today watching NFL football, it got me thinking… Why do Americans love football so much?
According to this article I found, “Part of the attraction can be explained by neuroscience” (Discovery). Apparently as we watch our favorite teams and athletes on the 
football field (or any sport for that matter) our brains mirror “…the actions of the on-screen athletes…” (Discovery). So when we see our teams get pumped up and their adrenaline going, as fans we also start to get hyped up. The same thing occurs when our teams start to lose, as fans we start getting down on our team and even ourselves.
Evidence of our mirroring brains has been studied since the early 1990s, when neurophysiologists at the University of Parma, Italy, discovered that “Some of the same motor neurons that fire when a monkey performs an action were also firing when he watched 
someone else perform that action” (Grantland Article). Now, these are called our mirror neurons, which hold the entirety of movements we have ever learned to do or will learn to do, and they will remain activated for however long the action were observing lasts. Our mirror-motor neurons allow us to comprehend what we are observing: the action, its goal, and the emotions associated with it.
Watching football or any of your favorite sports teams can also increase the testosterone levels in males and females (more so in males), imitating the testosterone rise in the athletes they are watching. Testosterone levels rise when you are looking forward to a favorite sporting event, and if your team is victorious. Testosterone levels decrease when you identify with a losing team. Additionally identifying with a winning football team (or other sports team) can greatly increase your sense of self-esteem. An individual being proud to be a fan of their favorite team acts as, “a buffer from feelings of depression and alienation, and at the same time, fosters feelings of belongingness and self worth” (Sage Journals) .
Overall being a fan of football or any sport for that matter has a great psychological, cognitive, and even physical effect on an individual. When your team wins you feel great, almost as successful as the actual players do. Watching as your team sweats, works hard, and stays aggressive just ads to your need to be aggressive as well, which in most cases results in the loss of your voice the next day from cheering, chanting, screaming, and overall going hard in all 
instances of being a BIG fan. Those emotions and effects have a great effect on your body- almost like its addicting, and it feels so good to win! Doesn’t it?! Which is probably why I and the rest of you continue to be as devoted a fan, as WE ARE.
For some more info on why being a fan is such an awesome thing, visit this site !
Thanks for reading!
Hi Alexandra,
I personally am not the type to get too emotionally invested while watching a football game, or any sporting event for that matter, so when I see other cry and scream about what’s going on on the field, I can’t relate. Nevertheless, I love going to Penn State football games and enjoy watching the game. I just don’t find myself getting lost in the emotional side of it. Your article really helped me understand mirror neurons and how they operate, which clearly explains the superfans of football. I found this article which can add a lot to your research. It explains why people obsess over sports and get so emotionally and personally connected. Thanks for a great article!
I genuinely enjoyed this blog- not just because of merely the interesting topic, but rather because it was a relatable topic. All of my life, I’ve been an avid, die-hard football fan. Regarding Penn State University, I’ve been brought to tears by both their losses and their wins on multiple occasions. I feel the adrenaline race through me as they return a kick and feel the sadness rip through me as another team’s defensive rips through our offensive line, and sometimes, I could almost guarantee that I feel more attached to a win or loss than the actual players. Very seldomely though, have I ever stopped to ask myself, “Why do I love this sport so much? Why does it have such an impact on my weekend life?”
I’d always thought it was because of my younger years in high school and middle school playing it. I’d always thought it was because I knew what it was like to be down on that field, I knew what it was like to experience the thrill of our team’s last second touchdown or a game ending sack. But your blog post shed a lot of light on aspects I’d never even considered.
The “monkey see, monkey do” brain mirroring theory definitely has a lot to do with it! After reading this, I realize I feel in unison with their feelings. And as you stated, it definitely is addicting to having our team win. The feeling is great, and awful when it’s the other way around. I completely think that football is the greatest sport on this earth, and here is some more elaborate reasoning to why.
Your post didn’t just shed light on the areas I wasn’t informed of, but it also was written well and organized very nicely. This allowed for easy reading and easy comprehension- something I definitely appreciate during these days in college.