“Would you consider modern professional athletics to be a remnant of our historical tribal loyalties? That's the argument that I often hear used, but it just doesn't seem to ring true.”
-Ulric Kerensky
At this point, at the end of masculine time, on the brink of cultural night, the prospect that modern sports are the remnant of our traditional tribal loyalties rings shrilly untrue, yet it is so. The modern sports team is the place where the collective identity is most often deposited by modern people, for their proxy actors in military and government have become so distant, so faceless, so muted and interchangeable that they are no longer worthy of adulation. Why, if not for popular sports, humans might insist on following the activities of our astronauts…
Wrestling and boxing were a means to replace dueling with something sub-lethal.
Likewise, team sports—usually playing some version of football, originally with a head—were traditionally played between entire villages, sometimes including the young and the fitter women. This was a way to vent antagonistic localism among allied folk.
Now, some professional plays for us and we sit and channel our ego into his efforts. You might note—and I have often—that viewing a game with someone who plays or has played that game is a far more sedate and serene experience. My Uncle coached College football and I love watching football with him as he discusses the nuances of the game, which often come down to discerning personal qualities among the athletes.
As far back as the Solon’s Greeks men knew that they had to keep athletics unsullied and apart from the crowd mentality—and thus there were no team sports—in order to cultivate excellence of character and keep the athlete focused on real social concerns—like what to do about the Persians.
As far back as the Romans it was understood that races and fights staged for the mob could vent their actionist impulses and keep them docile.
A society either goes the sacral route or the mob route where its masculine rituals are concerned. This orientation does much to reveal the trajectory that society shall evolve along. A good example of a stable lifeway that was supported by an unsullied sport was the Amerindian warrior’s participation in the sport ritual that became the sport of Lacrosse. It was called “Little Brother of War.” There is an echo of this in modern sniping and firefighting competitions sometimes seen on cable.
So, in answer to your question, Ulric, I would say that this assertion that athletics are a remnant of our ancient tribal identities, rings untrue, because the instruments of this song [the athletes, officials and spectators] are all hollow shells of their ancient equivalents, with the resulting sporting events serving to obscure our pallid domestication rather than reveal the rotten heart of our slave nation.
I recommend viewing the original movie Rollerball, starring James Caan. There are numerous trailers on You Tube, with one linked below. The premise is that the ruling corporations have developed a savage team sport to demonstrate the futility of individual effort, a sport so savage that a Hero emerges...
A Well of Heroes
“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.” - George Orwell
I think a separation can be made between team activities, the modern version of which, as you mention, are hollow shells, and individual, which doesn't seem to attract fans, and therefore doesnt attract the advertising money.
With the notable exception of Boxing and later MMA, individual activities don't draw much advertising money, and I think the breakout of that advertsing money would be interesting. They can sell merchandise however, which is why Reebok has heavily moved into individual events. Donavan argues that those individual-type events, other than actual contact fighting, quickly turn to social events driven by the main purchasers of consumer goods.
Then there is golf, which really breaks those rules.
Jeremy,
That sounds right, and we need more palefaces who can defend themselves against wussy hoodrats who can't even hold their dick alone to urinate. If learning to make "sports war" helps the cause, I'm all for it.
From yours truly, who's fed up with Dindu aggression and with letting the BT-1000 criminals off lightly so that they can go spawn another for their protected army.
Come to think of it, we should have gladiatorial games using rabid liberals as bait, so that they can see what their adorable little Dindus are capable of.