Not all sport games are so "realistic"...
For example, I love games where you play as a football manager: managing transfers, negotiating contracts, planning tactics, dealing with egos and long-term projects… those are situations I’ll realistically never experience in real life, and games let me step into that role.
So even if the setting is “realistic”, the experience itself is still impossible for me, and that’s the magic. It’s not about recreating something I can already do, but about living a perspective I’ll never have.
I think games can be amazing both when they’re pure fantasy and when they simulate real systems in a deep way ... they just scratch different itches.
Out of curiosity, what kind of games are your favorites?