There are so too many other ( excellent ) posts on this thread for me to agree with and as my own observations, as I have to suffer through benighted friends/family/co-workers: It's all been said.
But what it really comes down to is stupid tribalism/team-player bullshit. It really is a strange phenomenon because whatever sense of fellowship they think they get from their beliefs are so categorically against them in cold hard reality. It's not easy for some to admit that they played for the wrong team: the cognitive dissonance can rip their innards to shreds, so they tend not to rock the boat among their peers.
I live in the south ( as a 20+ year transplant ) as well and used to be a center-right republican. As I became more politically aware, and let empirical evidence guide my thought process, I had no problem whatever in not only quitting my team, but wanting to smoke them. I sense others making the connection but can't understand why they choose tribalism over reality.
Never been a sports fan or religious so I can't sense the need to belong somehow.
Oh: Major big welcome to DU. 
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