Michael Jordan laid on the locker room floor in tears after the Chicago Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals. Serena Williams jumped for joy after her triumphant win against Victoria Azarenka in the 2013 US Open Final. The common theme in both of these contexts? Emotion. Sports entertainment is a mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing industry to be in, and the blood, sweat, and tears that go into it make it an incredibly difficult industry to succeed in. Most athletes succumb to the demands of professional sports and begin to crack under pressure when things begin to get tough—but it’s the true grit and emotion that make sports highly interesting as it serves as a reminder that athletes are people too.
It’s pretty often, actually, that athletes express genuine emotion on the court. While competition brings out the best in all professional athletes, its tense nature causes emotions to run high. The desire to win can cause some to step up in the eyes of adversity while causing others to crumble in defeat.
Many athletes have rough days, or days when they are playing far from their best. In some cases, they are able to problem-solve to get themselves through, but other times, they are forced to accept that they are not at the top of their level. In the heat of the moment, things happen—and athletes can find themselves in a brief scuffle or snapping on the sidelines at their team. Nonetheless, the raw emotion that these scenarios exhibit allow audiences to connect with them a lot more.
Several athletes find themselves tearful during their celebrations as they reflect on the hard work and dedication that they have invested in their careers. It’s not easy to become a professional champion, and being able to hold the trophy after a long and grueling season is probably one of the most rewarding experiences known to man.
And with moments of happiness come moments of disappointment. It’s not easy to face defeat after working so hard to pursue victory, but sometimes—defeat is inevitable. The toughest pill to swallow is defeat, and being forced to come to the realization that you weren’t good enough is always a tough blow to the ego. However, the lessons that come from losing are far more valuable than those that come from winning, and watching athletes let out all of their emotions on the court after a devastating loss is a sad but refreshing sight to see.
Sports are a reminder that we are human. No matter how many titles an athlete wins, competition brings out the best and worst aspects of everyone. The strive to achieve victory often causes pro athletes to wear their hearts on their sleeves, and in such a grueling competitive world, their feelings and actions are laid on a platter for fans to watch and often criticize. This level of engagement helps popularize sport and make it the entertaining product that it is today.
