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Genetics and evolution may be the reason behind the psychology of sports fans. Competition along with the biological need to survive encourages athletes and fans alike to become passionate of sports.

“It’s about the competition. We want to see who’s the Alpha Male and who comes out on top,” Fresno State student David Aguilar said.

Fans also find a sense of belonging and accomplishment when their favorite team wins.

“Being a fan of a team describes your character. It’s your membership to your brand,” business marketing and sociology major Estevan Gutierrez said.

Psychology professor Dr. Martin Shapiro explained that physiologically there is a reaction in the male body when they see their team win.

The men get a surge of testosterone, which is similar to when they win a game they are competing in, Shapiro explained.

Group association and acceptance is essential for human survival, sports have provided this outlet for fans around the world.

“It’s a brotherhood, and where the coach is a father figure,” Fresno State student Jesus Rivera said. “We play sports to feel part of a group and to fit in. It’s a way to have something in common with others.”

Love for sports develops at an early age, “It’s a part of who you are. You grow up as sport fans,” University of Michigan professor David Potter said.

Sports are a way that fans, as social creatures, remain intact with one another. Men use it as their means of comradeship, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University, Ed Hirt told NPR. He also added that sports affect fans’ mood and self esteem.

Sports are also used to identify and categorized individuals.

“There are assumptions that you can make immediately depending on who you root for,” Hirt added.

Winning and losing is an important role in a society’s perspective of itself. Americans, for example, like sports such as football because there is a winner and a loser. Americans are not very attached to sports where ties are possible, such as soccer, Hirt said.

Aside from winning and losing, historically fans prefer sports that include instant gratification, Potter said.

Disillusionments of certain team or sports are led by disillusionment of the players, coaches or the sport industry in general. When fans begin to realize the business and abuse behind professional sports, many lose interest. Hirt added that happy and content players who enjoy the sport attract more fans.

The bondage fans have is a historical background. Traditionally, the human species have banded together to survive, to overcome their obstacles. Cavemen and other individuals such as gladiators are great examples of this phenomenon.

There are other forms of competitive entertainment, such as fantasy sports fall into the same category. It expresses the male need to compete against one another in other outlets besides physically.

Though solitary competitions don’t require physical interaction, or at least not as much as contact sports, they persist in the idea that men want to know who’s better.

Shapiro said, “competition increases testosterone,” which we all know is key to male physiology for reproductive services. It’s a link that men compete for mates like they compete in a sport, or in this case online poker.

He warns us against rigidly generalizing it, though, by adding, “It’s a really complex thing. It’s not just because men have more testosterone, but it’s a contributing factor.”

Although, he would agree that competition is crucial to understanding the draw sports have. But it’s not just aggression and testosterone, “there’s more going on like there’s bonding and connectedness and feeling part of a group” that make up the interest men have on sports, he said.