Representation Of Rivalry In Sports Essay

A sports team is an expression of a fan’s sense of identity, pride and belonging. This reaches deeper into Noam Chomsky’s idea that “there exists a psychological phenomenon that occurs in sports, where fans have a sense of irrational loyalty to a meaningless community.” One can begin to speculate on his argument that spectator sports are just a distraction for the masses: “a form of propaganda designed to divert society’s attention from things that matter.” (Chomsky). “Friendly” sports can actually divide a nation instead of unifying it. “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play, it is bound up with hatred and jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all the rules and sadistic pleasure in unnecessary violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting’’ (Orwell). Sports is the ultimate representation of rivalry because there isn’t a stronger or more direct confrontation. One of sports’ most obvious truths - “that success breeds stability, which breeds further success” (James Young) - also plays a part in maintaining the balance of power.
Sports have a changing role in cities; interest groups, politicians, and owners play a critical role in the promotion of sports and its relationship to cities. There is an economic rationale for sport stadiums as a technique for economic development. A new stadium would generate the kind of excitement, spirit, and energy that a decaying city needed. Sports can become a cultural and political force, a shared social space that reflects and in turn shapes our often conflicting ideas and beliefs about who we are, how we view others, and how we see ourselves as a