Sports is Tribalism

Bill Longstaff: Sports—tribalism in full cry
Excerpt:
The now infamous Vancouver hockey riot has done a pretty good job of
smearing the city's reputation around the globe. Shocking as it was, it
wasn't entirely surprising. Rioting seems to be part and parcel of
professional team sports. The reason, of course, is that team sports are
a tribal phenomenon and tribalism has a close relationship to violence.



When people go to a music concert, a movie, the ballet, whatever, they
go principally to appreciate the performance—the art and the skill. But
when they go to a sports match they go principally to see our guys beat
their guys, to see our tribe triumph over theirs.



If you go to a concert and the performers sing out of tune or if at a
ballet the dancers trip over each other, you are unhappy. You may want
your money back. If, on the other hand, they sing or dance beautifully,
you are delighted, you got your money's worth. You don't much care one
way or the other whether the

performers are from your home town or from
Beijing. The performance is the thing.



But
if you go to a sports match and it's badly played but your team wins,
you are nonetheless ecstatic. On the other hand, if the game is
brilliantly played but your team loses, you are depressed. The tribe is
the thing.

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