[Dan]

Let me start off by saying that I'm a pretty good, competitive bowler. This might just skew my view a bit, but I think that by being a serious competitor in a sport (ok, you can argue if bowling is a sport but I've won about $2000 in tournament and league prize money this year) it gives you a better perspective on ANY type of competition than by just being a fan.

For instance, by bowling enough tournaments you realize how each and every shot counts. Just like in baseball, where every pitch, every swing, every decision has an effect. Your goal is to make enough good decisions and be the most fundamentally, mechanically sound in your play that you can be. You learn to admire the little things that you know if they were messed up, would lead to the opposition getting the advantage. And you learn, most importantly, never to get too high or too low based on the results; as long as you've done your best to put yourself in the best spot to win, that's all that matters.

I guess what I'm getting at is this: your ego, whether a player or a fan, can never be wrapped up in the results. Sometimes you can do everything right and you're still going to lose out. The enjoyment is in the game itself, watching top athletes perform at their very best, or even watching them fail. Just being alive and sharing that will fellow fanatics, though, that's what is ultimately most important.