No matter how often we fans are burned by news of our favorite players falling far short of the reputations we have built up for them, we just can't quit caring about players for reasons beyond what they bring to the field.
We don't know these guys, but spin us a tale of childhood adversity or throw out a story about Seattle Children's visits and we will grasp on to it in an instant. We pull hardest for athletes that we feel like we know, even if the picture that is painted for us is incomplete. This emotional investment can, of course, have negative consequences.