Ehhh, I think it’s different, because whether it’s pixels or ink on paper, it’s an exploration of ideas, the representation of a situation in which you empathise with the characters and put yourself in their shoes, understanding why they reacted the way they did and going through their ups and downs together in your imagination. It has substance, something to actually feel about. Sports are more like betting, just circumstantial at its core, feeling the victories and losses strongly just for different reasons. Sports and having a favourite team and going to the stadium and feeling like you’re part of something bigger than yourself (even if it’s utterly meaningless, you’re not anti ICE vigilante patrols or socialist activists, lol) gives them more emotional value than betting though, ofc. And Persona 3 is one of those games, for instance 🥲. Play it if you haven’t!

And I’m not saying you should bully people for being simple and having passion for things that have no depth, of course not, let them be in peace. What I am saying is that the difference is obvious, and it is a meaningless thing one shouldn’t feel too strongly about (specially because I know they don’t feel strongly for things they should!).