Sports Fandom: Why do we care so much when the athletes clearly don't?

Talking about the core of fandom, why do we allow ourselves to get wrapped up in it all? Why do we expect for the athletes to do the same? That when we say kts life and death, its really not. We need to look at it more in the eyes of the players of the teams we root for.  Also talking womans college basketball and the dominance of Uconn.