No doubt those are a great deal of the involved dynamics.
Nevertheless, loving when things go right and hating when things go wrong is animalistic. Human beings are here to rise above that, no matter what their conditions are. Collectivism under any excuse (i.e. even “fans”) urges “devo” behavior. This kind of thinking is unpopular, rejected, and mocked. Nevertheless, spiritual challenges don’t have to light up the sky in neon - simply not hating someone you would have loved a moment before because their best wasn’t good enough for world mastery is, I think, a reasonable start.
Unless we’re talking about Stevie Ray Vaughn. He’s different, and I don’t want to hear anyone dissing him.
As I type this, Grant Balfour is pitching for the Rays against the Royals. Given the way he has blown opportunities to hold or save games for the Rays, it would be easy for a watches-every-game-they-play-Rays-fan (like me) to hate him. I confess I feel trepidation when he takes the mound, but hatred? There are worse things in life than losing a ball game--but you don't learn that lesson until you learn that there are far better things in eternity than winning a ball game.
P.S. Balfour just got out of the inning, leaving runners at the corners.