Growing up as a kid in the '90s, my every waking moment was occupied primarily by two things: sports and role-playing games (RPGs).
With superstars like Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Jerry Rice dominating the national media night after night, it's easy to see how a kid could get hooked watching sports on a regular basis.
The attraction to RPGs, on the other hand, came down to the allure of building something out of nothing. You started off with a low-level character and slowly, but surely, turned them into the hero of the story.