At some point in our lives, many of us have gone out of our way to try and impress someone. Although telling fibs about our jobs and appearance appear to be commonplace, Golfsupport found that lying about sport makes the list too; with 83% admitting to doing so!
Interested in discovering which sport people have lied about the most in order to impress someone, Golfsupport surveyed 3,102 people.
| SPORTS | % THAT HAVE LIED ABOUT LIKING IT |
| Football | 74% |
| Golf | 67% |
| Rugby | 61% |
| Cricket | 56% |
| Boxing | 54% |
| Basketball | 48% |
| F1 | 43% |
| Boxing | 40% |
| Horse racing | 34% |
| Tennis | 29% |
At the top of the list is football (74%), the supposed national favourite!
With some teams being named after cities they are based in and players such as David Beckham and Wayne Rooney being household names, most of us already have a foundation of knowledge on football, making it an easy sport to lie about.
Following in second place is golf, with 62% of participants having lied about liking it. This is no surprise as golf is known for being favoured by those who hold high positions in their job.
Therefore, people who lie about this sport are likely hoping to tee up a lucrative job interview or possibly to get into their bosses’ good books.
In third place is rugby (61%), followed by cricket (56%) and boxing (54%).
Over the years, Royal Ascot has become more popular on social media and online, with the shift of its focus moved towards fashion spotted at the event.
So, it’s unsurprising that 26% admit to lying about their passion for horse racing. A day at the races comes with an array of fascinators, drinking and socialising – it has become a regal affair!
However, this doesn’t always work out as Golfsupport found that 59% of participants that lied have been caught out, whilst 12% ended up coming clean themselves.
Along with asking participants what sports they have lied about, Golfsupport surveyed participants to find out who they want to impress the most and can reveal the following:
| Who they have lied to: | % of people that have: |
| Love interest | 87% |
| In-laws | 63% |
| Boss | 55% |
| Social media | 51% |
| Schools | 46% |
Unsurprisingly, at the top of the list are love interests (87%). One of the easiest ways to improve your chances of scoring with someone is to find common interests to bond over – with one of them being sport!
Second on the list are in-laws (63%). When first meeting your prospective in-laws, it can be a very awkward encounter, but a great way to break the ice is finding common ground.
For many males that common ground is sport, especially when you support the same team.
Third on the list are bosses, with 55% of people admitting to trying to impress theirs. Everyone wants to be on the good side of their boss and sharing a bond can help.
Those who lied hoped it would lead to potential perks such as a promotion, a rise in pay and extra support within the office.
We are now in a digital age where how we come across online is of the utmost importance to many.
Golfsupport found that 1 in 2 (51%) admit to lying about liking sport in a bid to impress others on social media; from wanting to be liked, to being able to join conversations, there are many reasons why people would feel pressured to lie.
Last on the list are schools (47%). Wanting to come off as a well-rounded student with interests and hobbies is something many people have experienced.
Pretending to like a sport is one of the most common choices people tend to make when doing so.