Games and Sports | Conversatori

How Sports Communities Are Built on Shared Obsession

Sports fandom builds community by transforming shared obsession into rituals, emotional bonding, and collective storytelling. Fans connect through synchronized joys and sorrows, creating identities and relationships anchored in passion, not logic. In an increasingly isolating world, sports communities provide one of the most powerful and joyful kinds of belonging. Sports fandom is one of the few places in the culture where obsession feels not only acceptable but celebrated—a socially sanctioned spiral into passion, ritual, and emotional chaos. What looks from the outside like irrational fixation is, on the inside, a deeply structured social glue. People don't just root for a team; they root themselves into a community. The shared obsession becomes a shorthand for belonging, a signal that says, You and I speak the same emotional language.

Amanda Hicok

Why "Playing Like a Girl" Became a Compliment

"Playing like a girl" has evolved from a playground insult to a celebration of skill, confidence, and resilience. Increased visibility of elite female athletes and cultural shifts around femininity transformed the phrase into empowering praise. Today, it signals not weakness but mastery-proof that girlhood, in all its grit and brilliance, reshapes the game. Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA, Morgan Pressel - Flickr - Keith Allison (12), CC BY-SA 2.0

Arthur Dent

The Metaphysics of Scorekeeping

This essay confronts the way in which scorekeeping, from sport to social media, turns numbers into metaphysical symbols that define meaning and value. It argues that quantification, even as it presents a world of clarity and order, often obscures the deeper, qualitative truths of experience. It calls, ultimately, for a reimagining of scorekeeping—not domination by numbers, but a more mindful measure of what truly counts. Kenneth C. Zirkel, Hobey Baker Rink scoreboard, CC BY 4.0

Arthur Dent

Meritocracy on the Field and Beyond

This essay dismantles the comforting illusion that sports and society operate as true meritocracies. It argues that access, privilege, and bias shape outcomes long before performance is measured, making "fair play" more myth than fact. True fairness, it concludes, requires not neutrality but active equity—an ongoing effort to balance opportunity and redefine what merit really means. We love to believe that sports are the great equalizer—that once you step onto the field, the scoreboard doesn't care about your background, your connections, or your bank account. Talent, grit, and discipline are what count. This story, so deeply woven into the fabric of sports culture, comforts us because it promises justice in an unjust world. Yet, the notion that athletic arenas function as pure meritocracies is less fact than fable. The playing field may appear level, but the structures framing it—from access to training to media representation—are anything but even.

Amanda Hicok

The Art and Psychology of Near-Victory

The article celebrates the idea that losing with grace can be just as powerful as winning. Through examples like Federer, Biles, and Kasparov, it shows how composure and self-awareness can turn defeat into something meaningful. In the end, it suggests that beauty often lies not in victory itself, but in how we handle the moments just shy of it. There's a strange kind of poetry in almost winning. The whistle blows, the scoreboard reads 2–1, and the second-place expression is a Rorschach test for human feeling—half heartbreak, half pride. Losing graciously isn't failure; it's grace under the intolerable glare of "almost." It's the ability of converting defeat into aesthetic, psychological alchemy transmuting sorrow into poise. And strangely enough, that's where the richest stories in sports—and life—are written.

Amanda Hicok

Chess and Cold Wars: Strategy, Power, and Politics on the Board

Chess during the Cold War became a symbolic battlefield where East and West projected ideological strength. Soviet dominance through state-supported chess schools clashed with Bobby Fischer’s individual genius, culminating in the iconic 1972 Reykjavik match against Boris Spassky. The game mirrored Cold War strategies of psychology, propaganda, and perception, showing how a board of 64 squares could become a microcosm of global power struggles. Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-76052-0335,_Schacholympiade,_Tal_(UdSSR)_gegen_Fischer_(USA).jpg: Kohls, Ulrich derivative work: Karpouzi, Bobby Fischer 1960 in Leipzig in color, CC BY-SA 3.0

Amanda Hicok

The Psychology of Play

Play is more than amusement—it is a universal human practice that reflects cultural values and psychological needs. Games create safe arenas for risk, teach problem-solving, and foster both competition and cooperation across societies. From ancient rituals to modern video games, the act of playing continues to shape identity and community worldwide. MIKI Yoshihito from Sapporo City,Hokkaido., JAPAN, SAKIKO - Arcade game machine. (40004108183), CC BY 2.0

Amanda Hicok

The Athlete as Living Myth

This article explores the enduring myth of the athlete, tracing its lineage from gladiators in ancient Rome to modern “GOATs” like Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, and LeBron James. It argues that athletes serve as vessels for cultural values, embodying ideals of resilience, transcendence, and even vulnerability. While myth can empower athletes with influence and reverence, it can also consume them, blurring the line between humanity and divinity. Ultimately, the athlete as myth is a mirror of society itself, reflecting our shifting obsessions with greatness, endurance, and identity. Since the earliest days of human civilization, sport has been a stage for mythmaking. Long before cameras and comment sections, gladiators stood in amphitheaters as the living embodiment of strength, courage, and mortality. Their contests were never just about who wielded a sharper sword or who fell first in the dust; they dramatized the eternal human struggle against fear, fate, and the finality of…

Amanda Hicok

The Rise of Rucking

Rucking, born from military training, has become a popular civilian workout thanks to its simplicity, functional benefits, and community spirit. It offers a unique blend of cardiovascular endurance, strength training, and mental clarity, all without the need for expensive gear or gym memberships. As more people seek practical, minimalistic approaches to fitness, rucking’s steady, weighted march is only gaining momentum. Rucking, once a niche military training method, has marched its way into the mainstream fitness world. Derived from the military term “ruck march,” it involves walking or hiking with a weighted backpack. What was once simply a soldier’s endurance test has become an accessible, full-body workout embraced by everyone from weekend warriors to suburban moms. Its appeal lies in its simplicity—no gym membership, no complicated equipment, just a sturdy pack, some weight, and the open road or trail. The barrier to entry is low, but the physical and mental rewards are

Amanda Hicok

How Crowded Stadiums Change the Game

The stadium effect describes how live audiences significantly influence sports through psychological and strategic pressures on players and referees. It can boost performance, break concentration, and subtly bias officials. Fans themselves undergo emotional transformations, contributing to a powerful communal energy. Though technology has tried to imitate it, the authentic stadium experience remains irreplaceable in shaping how games are played and remembered. There’s a reason athletes talk about “feeding off the crowd.” From roaring applause to collective gasps, spectators have a way of bending the mood, momentum, and sometimes even the outcome of a game. This phenomenon—dubbed the stadium effect—refers to the powerful psychological and strategic influence that a live audience exerts on both players and referees. It’s more than just background noise; it’s a dynamic force that can turn a routine play into a defining moment or a shaky performance into a legend.

Amanda Hicok

When Video Games Predict the Future: From Pandemic Sims to Political Thrillers

Video games, from SimCity to Deus Ex, have long served as speculative sandboxes where the future is quietly rehearsed. They’ve eerily prefigured real-world phenomena like pandemics, political surveillance, and even Dubai’s vertical megastructures. These games don't so much predict the future as offer provocative simulations of what could be. When escapism starts resembling reality, maybe it's time to look to the pixelated world for signs of what’s next. Video games are often dismissed as escapist fantasy, but some of the most imaginative titles have flirted with the prophetic. Whether predicting political uprisings, architectural marvels, or global health crises, games have increasingly mirrored the real world—sometimes eerily so. Pandemic simulations like Plague Inc. offered viral insight years before COVID-19, modeling the delicate, terrifying balance between global travel and public health. Meanwhile, open-world city builders like SimCity introduced…

Amanda Hicok

Soft Power and Competition in the Olympics

The Olympics are not just a contest of athletic skill but a global arena for soft power. Nations use the Games to shape international perceptions, assert cultural strength, and promote national identity. Through ceremonies, athletes, and media, countries strive to build global influence beyond the podium. However, failed execution or controversies can undermine these efforts, making the Olympics a high-stakes soft power gamble. When the Olympics come around every two years—summer and winter games alternating—the world turns its attention to athletic excellence. But behind the races, routines, and medal counts lies a deeper game being played: a competition of soft power. This term, coined by political scientist Joseph Nye, refers to a nation's ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction rather than coercion or payment. The Olympic Games, with their global audience and celebration of national pride, have become a powerful tool in this form of…

Amanda Hicok

Esports Aren't Just a Trend

Esports, or competitive video gaming, have transformed from a subculture into a global industry rivaling traditional sports. With massive audiences, big-brand sponsorships, and professional athletes, esports are redefining what it means to be a competitor in the 21st century. Their borderless, digital-first nature makes them especially appealing to younger, globally connected generations. As they continue to grow, esports are shaping the future of how we play, watch, and engage with sport itself. What began as basement LAN parties and caffeine-fueled marathons has evolved into a global phenomenon commanding stadiums, sponsorships, and international prestige. Esports, or competitive video gaming, are no longer a niche hobby—they're multi-billion-dollar events that rival the scale and intensity of traditional sports. With professional teams, full-time coaches, analysts, and millions of fans worldwide, esports are rewriting the rulebook on what it means to be an athlete…

Amanda Hicok

The Evolution of Fantasy Sports: Data, Dopamine, and Digital Obsession

Fantasy sports have evolved from a casual hobby into a data-driven, dopamine-fueled obsession for millions of fans. What began with paper drafts is now a digital experience powered by real-time stats, predictive algorithms, and constant engagement. These games tap into modern fandom, identity, and our desire for control—offering emotional highs, strategy, and bragging rights. Ultimately, fantasy sports gamify the act of watching sports itself, turning spectators into strategists and Sunday games into personal battlegrounds. Once a humble pastime among sports-nerd friends with spreadsheets and newspapers, fantasy sports have evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry powered by big data, real-time algorithms, and an alarming number of group chat arguments. What began as a quirky side-game for football fans has become a digital arms race of stats, strategy, and serotonin hits.

Amanda Hicok

Do You Even Lift, Bro? The Gym as a Social and Cultural Space

Modern gyms are more than just places to exercise—they’re social and cultural spaces where people shape identity, find community, and navigate body image and self-worth. From ancient traditions to today’s influencer-fueled fitness culture, gyms reflect evolving values around health, gender, and social connection. They serve as both performance spaces and personal sanctuaries, where mental resilience is built alongside physical strength. Whether you’re lifting weights or posting workout selfies, the gym is where we collectively sweat through the pressures and aspirations of modern life. Once just a place to grunt, sweat, and dodge eye contact with people doing questionable kettlebell swings, the modern gym has morphed into something far more complex. Today, it’s a stage, a community hub, a mirror of self-worth, and—let’s be honest—a very well-lit arena for Instagram selfies.

Amanda Hicok