do you think there is a right wing element with sports?

When I was in high school, I asked myself at one point: "Why do i care if my high school's team wins the football game? I don't know anybody on the team, they have nothing to do with me... why am I here and applaud? It does not make any sense."

But the point is, it does make sense: It's a way of building up irrational attitudes of submission to authority and group cohesion behind leadership elements. In fact it's training in irrational jingoism. That's also a feature of competitive sports.

And I suppose that's also one of the basic functions it serves society in general: it occupies the populations, and it keeps them from trying to get involved with things that really matter. In fact, I presume that's part of the reason why spectator sports are supported to the degree they are by the dominant institutions.

http://godsownparty.com/blog/2009/10/onward-christian-athletes-by-tom-krattenmaker/

“In this fascinating book, Krattenmaker maintains that spontaneous displays of faith on or off the playing field (including team prayer huddles) are not so spontaneous at all, that they’re part of a concerted effort on the part of a network of evangelical chaplains and sports ministry organizations to join Christianity—in particular the Christian Right—with pro sports.

The author makes a persuasive argument that athletes are encouraged, sometimes even cajoled or pressured, to make public statements of faith, and that being a pro athlete can mean committing to becoming a spokesman on behalf of Christianity (and, by extension, a supporter of the Christian Right’s political agenda). Yet this isn’t an attack on religion in sports; the book argues its case but does so in a largely balanced manner. Expect both book and author to attract criticism and controversy from many on the Right; Krattenmaker won’t mind; he’s all in favor of a spirited debate.”—October 2009, Booklist

“Tom Krattenmaker—in my opinion—is one of the most informed and relevant writers on the Evangelical movement today. His critique is fair and his knowledge is impressive.”—Kevin Palau, Executive Vice President, Luis Palau Association
Executive Vice President, Luis Palau Association

“Onward Christian Athletes is compelling, judicious, prophetic—and deeply disturbing. This is a superb book.”—Randall Balmer, professor of religious history at Barnard College, Columbia University

“I have been waiting for someone to write this book for years, and Krattenmaker does not disappoint, Onward Christian Athletes fills the gap in our understanding of the way religion and religious organization shapes the players and the teams we follow. Anyone serious about understanding 21st century sport needs to read this book.”—Dave Zirin, author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States