There’s something mystical in the communion of a large crowd experiencing something together.
Concerts and sports games are some of my favourite things for this exact reason. You suddenly have thousands of people in one place, who all want the same thing – and, in general, will get that thing. Of course, sometimes your team loses a home game. But it’s still rare to not have a single moment of celebration, and even if you do, the disappointment and frustration is shared. You’re not seething alone.
Even when largely in the minority, this shared magical energy creates throwaway friendships.
I loved going to the Olympics and cheering for France when they were the absolute underdogs – France Czechia in men’s hockey had a ratio of about 1 French supporter for 99 Czech ones, and it was fun to get super excited when we got one nice shot in and feel the Czech energy for… well, the rest of the time. I will always remember fondly that the Czech supporters very kindly let us sing our weak and scattered Marseillaise once in a while, before destroying our ear with their own anthem.
And I recently signed up for an away game with my home team. They’re very clearly favorites, and it’s in a nearby city so there should be a lot of us Grenoble supporters (especially since hockey isn’t a big sport in the host city), and I’m really excited because we’ll probably get happy together and share a joy that, to me, feels sacred and absolute – mystical, even.