Hazards of Football Obsession By David Abraham

Soccer or Football obsession has proven beyond reasonable doubt to be more of a curse than a blessing. And like a plague it has spread all over the world, leaving an indelible mark on those afflicted by it.

According to worldatlas.com, Association football, or soccer, is the most popular sport in the world. It is estimated that more than half of the world's population consider themselves to be association football (soccer) fans. The sport enjoys an estimated 4.0 billion persons following, and a global sphere of influence.

With numerous viewers comes fans, with fans comes lovers and with lovers come fanatics. Honestly, I absolutely have nothing against lovers of soccer. I am one too.

During my university days, I had loads of friends who love the sport. In fact, it was so rampant that when we occasionally come across guys that have little or no interest in soccer, we almost immediately tag them as weird.


But I must warn, Once the thin line of infallibility is crossed, ordinary use becomes abuse.

I remember vividly a roommate of mine who would rather see a game than study for an exam due to hold the following day; knowing fully that he wasn't fully prepared for the paper. *At first, one might be forced to mistake it for loyalty. But take another look. It's stupidity and a clear sign of obsession.


Another mild symptom of obsession for soccer is  that pointless, endless, argument that escalates between fans of opposing clubs. I haven't found a more efficacious time waster than this - I'll keep searching. I have seen great friends become temporary foes as a result.  It's a distasteful sight.  Truly. Although I am not entirely innocent of this, I know when to stop. There's nothing wrong in supporting what you strongly believe in. But there's definitely a lot of things wrong in wasting your time trying to prove something that probably isn't true or worth anything. Its worse when you spend a huge chunk of time doing it.


Sports betting. The king in the kingdom of soccer obsession. One of the most addictive habit of all time. Some might even agree that its more addictive than alcohol.

Well, I'm glad to say that I'm one of the few people that enjoy watching soccer and still don't know as much as the simple A, B and C of sports betting. I don't even like the idea of it. Prediction to win?  I feel prediction takes all the fun out of it and causes unnecessary tension. It's often better to enjoy the thrill of the game instead.

While doing some research for this article, I stumbled on some mind bugging statistics. Some of which you will see in the course of reading. I must confess, the odds are bad.

As dangerous and destructive as it is, almost every youth out there is neck deep into it. According to REAP Sports Gambling Facts and Statistics, Sports betting is the most popular form of gambling among youth aged 14 - 22. Nearly a quarter of males bet on sports in an average month.

And you want to know the worst part? They are simply dashing money out to these betting companies. In an article published by Cristina Gough for Statista.com, Gross over the counter revenue at sports betting shops in the UK from 2009 to 2011 amounts to about £1301.7m. In words, that's one billion, three hundred and one million, seven hundred thousand. That's an absolutely outrageous sum.  And remember, that's just in the UK. How much more the whole world?

To conclude, here is a part of an article from the New York Times which puts into perspective how wasteful gambling is.

 "So even if a gambler wins 50 percent of his bets, he is still losing money, and the losses can mount quickly.

Say a gambler makes 10 bets at $10 a piece. If the gambler won half of her bets, she would win $50 and lose $55, because of the bookmaker's fee. If she won six and lost four, she would win $60 and lose $44, for a $16 profit. But if she won four and lost six, she would win $40 and lose $66, for a net loss of $26".


Let's do better. Let's stay best. Being a soccer fan shouldn't cost us anything more than having to pay for DSTV subscription, data, or fuel for the generator. At the end of the day it's just a game. And except you intend to pursue a profession in soccer, other things should be more worth while to you.
Here's to putting football in its rightful place.