Earlier today, I got into a conversation with a group of people about sports. Are you a football fan? Are you a rugby fan? Are you and Aussie rules fan? Why do you support the teams you support? You SHOULD support X. The team you support sucks. I hate them. Standard sports conversation, right?
It got me to thinking about why my interest in sports has waned a little bit in the last couple of years. I think its for the same reason that I am so anti-organized-religion. Sport--or rather, the tribalism inherent in sport has become a way to divide people rather than a way to unite them. People commit violence over sports. Look at the riots in Vancouver a few weeks back that were the result of their team losing the Stanley Cup. Look at the number of times that riots happen at football matches. Wars have started because of sports. Just as wars have started because of religion. People have died because they supported the "wrong" team. Remember the Beckham effigies in England in 1998? Why are we still discussing Maradonna's "hand of god" 20 plus years on? Why do Liverpool fans hate Manchester United? Why do Arsenal fans hate Spurs fans? Why is there so much hatred that some away fans produce a hissing sound when their team is playing Spurs to "mimic" the sounds of the gas chambers, thereby expressing seriously nasty sentiments against Spurs' Jewish connection.
Some people will tell me that they support a team because it gives them a sense of community, a sense of belonging. That may be true...but ultimately just like the major religions, sports supporters are tribal, and therefore exclusionary, just like Churches, Mosques and Synagogues are. If you don't support team X, you don't belong.
Lately, I find myself not answering the question "what team do you support?" the way people might expect. I don't wear my England, Wasps or Chelsea shirts that much anymore. Now, my response tends to be that "I don't really support anyone, I just love watching the sport." The skill, athleticism and artistry inherent in a Xavi-Iniesta-Messi interplay, in an All Blacks-length-of-the-field score, in a tight spiral from Brady or Rodgers (or god forbid, Manning), in a beautiful passing shot from Federer or Nadal, or in a perfect overtake by Alonso.
Oscar Wilde said it well when he wrote that "patriotism is the virtue of the vicious." He was right...but maybe we could include "tribalism" in there too....But Erich Fromm said it better:
"Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity. 'Patriotism' is its cult. It should hardly be necessary to say, that by 'patriotism' I mean that attitude which puts the own nation above humanity, above the principles of truth and justice; not the loving interest in one's own nation, which is the concern with the nation's spiritual as much as with its material welfare — never with its power over other nations. Just as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not love, love for one's country which is not part of one's love for humanity is not love, but idolatrous worship"
I reckon that could easily be applied to sports. So from now on, i'll be raising a glass to athletic genius and skill no matter who performs it, instead of ranting and raving and getting all upset if someone from the "wrong" team pulls something special out of the hat. After all, its all just a game, isn't it? And we're all just humans trying to make the world better aren't we?? Maybe that's a bit to "cumbayah, hold hands in a circle" for some of you...but, so be it.
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