There are not many things left in modern life that bring together people of every age, income level, religion, political persuasion, race, and background.

Sports is one of them.

Sit in THE iconic MSG for a Knicks game. Watch the World Cup in a crowded pub. Spend an afternoon at a Little League field. Sit in the bleachers at a Yankee game. Go to a sports bar and watch a NY Giants game.

For a few hours, nobody cares where you live, what you earn, which cable news channel you watch, or how many followers you have on social media.

The common language is suddenly simple.

Did they score?

Can they hold the lead?

And why, dear God, did the referee miss that call?

I love watching a crowd transform into a community.

Complete strangers high-five each other after a touchdown, home run or after sinking (all net) a three-point shot.

Grandparents and grandchildren argue passionately over lineups. Lifelong friendships are formed because two people happened to suffer through the same losing season.

Sports reminds us that human beings are wired for shared experiences.

I never would have had such a strong bond with my father if it wasn’t for our shared passion for the NY Giants, spending every football Sunday either attending the Giants home games or huddled around the family television. 

When the Knicks make a playoff run, New York becomes a little smaller and a little friendlier. The hedge fund manager and the subway conductor are suddenly united by equal parts hope, anxiety, and irrational confidence.

The World Cup does the same thing on a global scale. Entire countries hold their collective breath at the same moment. Millions celebrate together. Millions mourn together. And somehow we all understand exactly how the other side feels.

It is tribal, emotional, illogical, and occasionally heartbreaking.

Which is precisely why it matters.

In a world increasingly designed to divide us into smaller and smaller groups, sports gives us permission to become part of something larger than ourselves.

For a few hours, we stop being demographics, political parties, job titles, or social media profiles.

We become fans.

And while that may not solve the world’s problems, it is a useful reminder that we probably have more in common than we think.