Your Obsession Makes Them Billions

So, the Champions Trophy just started yesterday.

It's cricket, which is a game with a few sticks, a bat and ball, and 22 guys doing things.

Eight teams are playing in this competition—and if you're thinking why are they calling this the Champions Trophy with only eight teams? I would say the Americans call it the World Series (Baseball) when the world isn't playing, and they get away with it—with a prize money of $6.9 million.

OMG.

With a 53% increase from the previous edition held in 2017.

OMG.

The winners take home $2.24 million, while the poor runners-up only receive $1.12 million.

OMG.

You'll be watching all the games, all the sponsors and their ads, and what do you get?

ZERO. Congratulations.

And if your team loses? Devastation.

Just like when your favorite singer goes through another breakup. Or when that TV show kills off your beloved character. You feel like your world's cracked a bit.

Let me tell you a story.

I used to structure my entire day around sports in different time zones. Tennis in the morning, cricket after lunch, football at night, and the NBA in the early morning hours.

And as any avid sports watcher would know, sports watching comes with a bagful of superstitions. I wouldn't move from my 'lucky' position if my team was winning. Hell, I'd hold my pee if Federer was making a comeback, you know, just in case my flow affected his flow.

Looking back, it's wild how much of my life revolved around other people's games. Pre-game analysis. Game time. Post-game breakdown. Player interviews. Expert opinions. X (Twitter) reactions. Reddit threads. Round and round, a never-ending cycle of the next thing and the thing after that.

But after decades, and I'm not quite sure how, it slowly dawned on me that in this whole play-by-play, only one dude was getting affected: me.

Here's why, friends:

The team will play again next week. The singer will write another album. The show will introduce new characters.

They'll be fine.

You know who might not be?

Me—spending hours watching post-game analysis about that missed penalty. Me—deep-diving into celebrity relationship drama at 2 AM. Me—arguing with strangers online about plot decisions.

It's you and me who are reacting to their actions. Not good.

Now, understandably (and sadly), while we're emotionally invested in their story, they're not thinking about ours. Cristiano Ronaldo isn't losing sleep over our problems, and Scarlett Johanson isn't worried about our bills.

But look at what we do (oof):

• Obsessing over stats

• Skip workouts to watch games

• Stress eating through games

• Lose sleep (and sometimes money) over matches

• Let bad results ruin our whole week

• Making their problems our problems

• Spend money we don't have on merch

• Develop weird superstitions and rituals

• Structure our social life around game schedules

• Getting into X (Twitter) wars defending people who don't know we exist

But let's not forget the teams and celebrities need you, but not quite how you think about it. They need your emotions because there's economics behind this emotion:

• Teams sell $200 jerseys made for $5

• Streaming services charge you to watch ads

• Betting apps promise "easy money"

• Fantasy leagues eat your time and cash

And who participates in the above? Yes, the man in the mirror.

I don't want to sound like a sad sack. All of this is fun, and it's ensconced in the cultural DNA of the world. So, while avoidance is hard, perpetual attention and participation aren't mandatory.

And I won't tell you that none of this brings you closer to your goals. Or that none of this makes your life better. Because it isn't about that, it's about entertainment and people being part of the narrative.

I still catch the occasional game and follow some shows. But there's a difference between pleasure and emotional dependency. There is a difference between watching a game and letting it watch you (that sounds a bit weird, but I'm keeping it). There is a difference between following a story and losing your own plot.

By all means, enjoy the game. Appreciate the music. Watch the show. But remember, it doesn't have to be your life story.

These millionaire athletes will wake up tomorrow in their mansion. That celebrity will process their heartbreak in their villa. That show writer is already working on the next season.

They're doing just fine.