Some pregame thoughts on Hampton
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bballbeadle
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That was very fun and funny! But it leads me to a question I have often pondered: why do we need anger (hate, rage, what have you) in competitive sports? What is it about rage that makes it be the go to emotion?
jekelish
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Well, "hate" may be strong. But in this context at least, it's about the killer instinct and being competitive. You can be friends with your opponent before and after the game, and you can and should respect them during the game, but in those 40 minutes I don't want our guys to like them. I want them to smell blood and go for the jugular.
bballbeadle
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Jordoo, I know you were being tongue in cheek (mostly)! But I am interested in the mechanism of psyching each other (and oneself) up for a game, and how people who play sports often use anger to drive them. Remember how Boeheim said Rakeem was "too nice" and not "angry enough?" Now the poor kid has a huge frown line between his eyes and he's not even 23 yet! I do believe anger is a legit emotion - it seems some things definitely call for anger. But if I were a player of sports (HA HA HA HA!) I believe I would want to substitute "focus" for "anger." I'm just not competitive at all. Luckily, I am a fan and not a player!
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