Wednesday 10 August 2011

Viewpoint: Is professionalism bad for sport?

I'm not sure the question in the headline is the point in the article, but I have considerable sympathy with the viewpoint of the writer:

[...] Sport glorifies differences. It demonises opponents. And it erodes the moral character of its followers.
What Seneca wrote of a day at the games is as true today of an afternoon at a football match.

"Nothing," he wrote, "is so damaging to good character as the habit of lounging at the games, for then it is that vice steals subtly upon one through the avenue of pleasure.

"What do you think I mean? I mean that I come home more greedy, more ambitious, more voluptuous, and even more cruel and inhuman - because I have been among human beings." Read more

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1 comment:

  1. Let's add a quick qualification, shall we? Sport is almost the exclusive preserve of the male of the species. This article isn't talking about sport. It talking about men. It strikes me as an extended complaint against traditional masculinity. It reeks of feminism. "Must we be so dominant and aggressive and .. warlike?" Shouldn't we cooperate instead of compete? Must we have losers as well as winners?" It is the bleat of the man who would prefer his sons play with dolls instead of toy guns. Well, someday you might need those young men to stick a rifle in someone's face and pull the trigger.

    carl jacobs

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