Since the onset of the 20th century, sports have grown in the quality of competition and followership in a way that can be compared to religion only. Most people have at least one favorite sports team that they follow and support. Soccer fans are counting days to the start of the football extravaganza in Russia; the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The English Premier League and other top leagues in Europe have a cult following in all parts of the world. The Super Bowl has a huge viewership in the United States and the final is always one of the most eagerly anticipated events, and it would make people miss going to their places of worship. Sports fans always talk of their teams and their favorite stars in the same way to religious figures. The exploits of football player Diego Maradona are well documented and will be talked for ages. Napoli, the club he played for some part of his career even retired the number 10 Jersey that Maradona wore. Sports contain many salient features similar to those of religion, and may even be regarded as one.
Sports Stadia and Rituals
Sports stadia can be equated to cathedrals or other places of worship. Sports fan make it a habit to frequent their team's stadia every weekend, in a similar way that religious followers go to their places of worship each and every week. The main aim of going to the sports arena is to cheer their team. Similarly, people go to church to praise God. Events that take place in sports stadia may be taken as ritualistic. Fans wear their team jerseys and wave flags that have their team color and slogan in them. There is chanting of songs in praise of their team and also their team stars. This is similar to the church, where hymn songs are sung in praise of God. Sports fans have a calendar of the year events of their team just like Christians have a calendar of events of their yearly schedule. (Barber, 2009)
Meaning to life
A number of psychologists and sociologists argue that sports have a similar effect on fans in a similar way that religion is on people who go to churches. Football fans use sport as a form to stay away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The sport gives a break from their daily hustles and is a form of life fulfillment. Cheering for the favorite team functions as a way to relieve stress and a break from the disappointments and struggles in their lives. In a similar way, religious involvements help the faithful to leave their own personal thinking for the common good. (Miller and Richardson, 2018)
Effect of sport
In the argument to support that sport can be equated to religion, psychologists argue that the psychological effect of sport is similar to those that are got in church. There are similarities that are similar to those of the sport. There are sacred and mutual moments between sports spectators and the players during the game, in a similar way that there is a sacred moment between the religious faithful and God. Sports fan have passion, belief, and dedication that their team is going to win. On the other hand, in church, there is a belief and faith in a supreme being. In a sports arena, there is an intimate moment between the spectators and the fans characterized by ecstasy just like in places of worship, where the faithful praise and worship God. (Prebish, 1993).
Common goal
One of the most powerful tools that sport offers is the ability to bring people together. People who support one team identify themselves in the same way people of a certain age group identify with one another. It is common to find in bars, buses and other social gatherings that a conversation that turns to friendship starts when people find out that they support one team. Similarly, the church, Mosque or Temple bring together people that have similar beliefs. (Novak, 1976).
Sports stars comparison to gods
In the current world, sports stars are treated in a similar way to religious figures in the Holy Books. Fans appear to worship them and have images of them in their homes and in the sports arena. England soccer star, David Beckham has an image of himself, along with other deities in a Buddhist temple erected in Thailand. Argentinian soccer legend, Diego Maradona, is considered a god by a section of fans in the soccer-mad nation. A religious movement, “Iglesia Maradona” was even started. The church has been structured in a similar way to other religions and even has its own commandments, one of them calling the first born male, Diego. (Lees, 2018). The fact that sports stars have been put to the same status as gods and deities support the fact that sports may be counted as a religion.
Pursuit for perfection
Sports fans expect their teams to be the best in the competition. There is always a disappointment when their team loses. The stars that have a huge following are the ones that are exemplary in the sport. This is similar to religion, where there is a quest for religious purity among the faithful. (Barber, 2009)
Sports in the place of religion
Although sports fans can be categorized as fairly religious people, statistics illustrate that there has been a decrease in the rate of attendance in religious in churches and other religious institutions. On the hand, there has been an increased interest in sports events. Sports arenas of sporting at the highest level are always full. Moreover, stereotypes that had been previously linked to sports have since been debunked. It can be argued that sport has to some measure taken the place of religion in the society. The comparison between the rise in spectatorship of major sports and attendance of church, continue to raise doubt that sports fans have taken their support for their favorite teams to replace the role religion had in their lives. (Chryssides and Geaves, 2013)
References
Barber, N. (2009). Is Sport a Religion? Is football mania a religion?.. [online] Available at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/200911/is-sport-religion [Accessed 20 May 2018].
Chryssides, G. and Geaves, R. (2013). The study of religion. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Lees, W. (2018). How One Argentine Football Player Inspired a Religious Movement. [online] Culture Trip. Available at: https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/argentina/articles/one-argentine-football-player-inspired-religious-movement/ [Accessed 20 May 2018].
Miller, L. and Richardson, J. (2018). Global Sports Management News Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Sports Fitness Network. [online] Sports Fitness Network. Available at: https://sportsfitnessnetwork.com/category/sports-management/global-sport-management-news/page/2/ [Accessed 20 May 2018].
Novak, M. (1976). The Joy of Sports. New York: Basic Books.
Prebish, C. (1993). Religion and sport. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
