Sports Culture

Laderman define sports as a "ritual activity [that] inspires behaviors and motivations that express prevailing values and ideals as well as less ennobling, more notorious acts that subvert those very principles and demonstrates just what is at stake in play" (48). Similar to religion, rules in sports are reinforced and sometimes broken and changed to fit into modern ideologies. These rules in turn establishes a routine for both players and fans. Laderman stated how "every game is a ritual reminder and reaffirmation of rules and law, boundaries and prohibitions that will, of necessity, break down (52). Furthermore, sports offer a realm in which people get to lose themselves in a different world. Sporting events allow people to change their appearance for a couple of hours so they can be united with other people of the same interest. Thus, sports are a unification medium in which people who will usually have nothing in common can become best friends within a couple of hours by wearing the same symbols of uniforms and logos. That is why sports is a billon-dollar industry in establishing 'brands' in which "material value is given to athletes, owners, and corporations" (Laderman, 44). People are drawn to sports because "the game is predicted on familiar sights and sounds, movements and interactions" (53-54). They find comfort in knowing that they can expect certain aspects of sports (since it is structured), while there are also parts where they cannot predict, such as the outcome of the game. 

The analogous nature of sports culture and religion allows for the utilization of the sports in navigating theodicy. Sports games offer fans a guideline. Generally in every game, there will be a win and loss, good calls and bad calls. Sporting events offer a picture of the dynamic between good and evil but on a much smaller scale. As a result, sports fans are conditioned to accept injustices – from players who use steroids to referees who make the wrong call. They have a well-ingrained means of navigating perceived unfairness. Although the injustices fans face are far less severe than those in the real world, their experiences can still be applied to reality. Essentially, the dynamic between good, evil, and justice presents a guideline that can be utilized by the sports fan in both real world experiences and sporting events.