As a foreign visitor, I with soon understand that sports are fantastic because they mimic life, such as it being often unclear who won and who lost, who's good and who's bad, even when the contest stops and starts -- and the rules are only sometimes enforced. In sports, they have uniforms and referees and strict rules to tell us all that. It's just a small planned game of life, but more tidy.
Watching sports feels like war to many of us like sucking on a soother, feels like nursing to a baby. It's not at all the real thing, but often close enough to satisfy. I'm just scratching the surface, though, of what it is that makes so many of us love sports so deeply. Even a new fan like a foreign visitor.They have much to learn at first, but are soon obsessed with rules, fairness and limitations.