This school year I went to my first high school football game. Though it was freezing cold, and the smell of hotdogs was potent, I came to an eye-opening realization: No one cares.  

When I say no one cares I mean not many people come to the games for the exciting gameplay. Instead, most attend for the opportunity to socialize with friends. Though there is nothing wrong with this socialization, I thought it was very interesting and something to explore.  

What I noticed was that everyone was chatting about various things; however, rarely about the game itself. It was always said through various media, like high school dramas and movies, that going to sports games in high school are a staple in a teenager’s experience. However, there was a lack of explanation as to why. I assumed it was because hearing the crowd cheer loudly when a team makes a point on the scoreboard fills students with a sense of euphoria or pride for their school.  

Though the action of games rarely seems to matter to the students attending, the outcome definitely does. Whether or not a sports team at a school is talented is not necessarily the topic at hand but rather their ability to win. Around hallways or classrooms, the talk of football games revolves around the win or the loss. An amazing play or call of a teammate means little to the talk of the game. 

Though interesting I do not think it is with ill intent that students think this way, nor does it necessarily have much effect on anyone for that matter. I just wonder if this way of thinking is common among high school students and if it always has been.