Sports as Religion

Every year, the hype surrounding the Super Bowl increases. Hyping this major sports event is not enough. The half-time show must get hyped. Super Bowl commercials must get hyped and be assembled into TV shows prior to the Super Bowl. This is evidence of sports as religion. In the basketball realm, we’ve had the biggest sports celebrity of all time, Michael Jordan and now we have “King James”, LeBron James, who just topped Kareem Abdul Jabbar for the all-time scoring record. Prior to Michael Jordan, the all-time sports hero or god, was Babe Ruth, although Tiger Woods had a few years of mega-fame before tumbling down to earth in 2009 with his car crash and extramarital affairs and not being able to reach Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors championships.

Yes, I have participated in the worship of sports heroes, whether it’s Patrick “Houdini” Mahomes, or the great Kentucky basketball teams who won national championships in 1978, 1996, 1998, and 2012. I recall Queen’s “We are the Champions” being used as Kentucky’s theme song in 1978.

Bread and circuses were the formula of ancient Rome’s success. Rome actually grew lots of wheat in North Africa, made this into bread for the peasants and provided gladiator games to entertain all its citizens. Filling huge colosseums with fans worked 2000 years ago and continues to work now. Football, like gladiator games, is capable of fatal injuries and shortening lifespans for many NFL players whose bodies and brains are damaged by the violent sport.

When I watch sports commentators, I see their rabid devotion to various superstars, cherry-picked stats supporting their case. Commentators engage in heated debates, finding the flaws of their opponent’s superstar. A prime example is when Skip Bayless advocates Michael Jordan as GOAT over LeBron James when debating Shannon Sharpe. I would offer up alternative GOATS: Wilt Chamberlain’s career points-per-game average is the same as Jordan’s, 30.1 but Chamberlain’s 22.9 rebounds per game obliterates Jordan’s 6.2. I would say Bill Russell could be the GOAT considering he won 11 NBA titles, including 2 in which HE COACHED HIS TEAM. Russell played 13 seasons, won 11 NBA championships and is seldom mentioned in GOAT conversations. True, he had an iconic coach, Red Auerbach, but he was brilliant enough to be chosen by Auerbach to succeed him as coach. I think Russell deserves more worship, given his leadership skills, his unrivalled championship resume.

Sports (Britain uses the singular term “sport” where Americans say “sports”) is a very tribal phenomenon, where people refer to their favorite team as “we”, even when they are not on the roster. There is some psychotherapeutic effect where self-esteem is boosted by victories or championships. Sports provides great drama along with self-esteem enhancement. Many games are decided by quirky unpredictable plays or “bad” referee calls determining the outcome. The great Tom Brady can lose a Super Bowl, entering it with an undefeated record. All it takes is the miraculous “helmut catch” of David Tyree. Odd things can happen where Eli Manning wins both Super Bowls against Tom Brady. A “David” can beat a “Goliath”. A 1980 U.S. hockey team can beat the Soviet Union in the Olympics, “the miracle on ice”.

I think when people get into debates over religion vs science or religion vs atheism, we should count sports as religion. People engage in various sacraments, like tailgating, painting themselves in the team’s colors, showing insane adoration indicative of religious fervor when attending their team’s games. People descend into barbarism at games, their ids uncensored, hurling beer bottles onto the field, pouring brews upon the opposing team, getting into fights with opposing fans. The circus extends into fans vs fans, not just teams vs teams.

Sports allies itself with another great American tradition, er “religion”, drinking alcohol. I went to many a Kentucky football game, smelling whisky, as many fans snuck flasks of bourbon in their winter coats to booze it up at the game. Of course, beer is the fave sports beverage where friends gather together to drink while watching games. The various sacraments attached to sports are dressing up, boozing it up, attending tailgate parties, gluttony, acting like a lunatic (Dionysian pagan reveler), and identifying with your team in a paganistic fashion. Consider the now taboo Atlanta Braves fans tomahawk chops or that Kansas City Chiefs fans continue to do this. These are religious rites, not just overenthusiastic lunacy.

Yeah, Sports is the American religion.