In regards to the whole 'they win, we win' idea, I myself am a huge sports enthusist, but only when it's live.

With a roaring crowd, I really buy into the idea that the Dodgers somehow represent me, and every year I attend the main football game between the high school I work at and our main rivals and I feel the bloodlust and thrill of victory as strong as any facepainted maniac at a Packers game.

But for me, on television, that just doesn't work. TV sports are about the most boring thing I can think to watch, and consequently I don't 'follow' teams, becasue I can only manage a couple trips to Dodger stadium a year. I need the roar of 50,000 people (or 2,000 high school students) to make it matter. Otherwise I feel like i'm watching someone else play Nintendo.