Institutionalized Sport as Quasi-Religion: Preliminary CONSiDerations

Abstract

This paper considers the phenomenon of institutionalized sport from a sociology of religion perspective, with the intention of providing a systematic basis for the frequent but often too-facile analogies drawn between sport and religion.

Sensitizing dimensions are drawn from sport in order to render this complex phenomenon more amenable to conceptual analysis. Several prominent sociological definitions of religion are introduced, and institutional sport is assessed for "goodness of fit" with these definitions.

The analytic emphasis is on symbols, but the utility of the sociology of religion foci of beliefs and practices is also detailed. Both participants and spectators are seen to sym bolize, to hold beliefs, and to engage in ritual practices pertaining to sport.

After finding considerable support for the general contention that sport is at least quasi-religious in nature, projections are offered for future research and for broader theoretical development.

1. The data presented here were not in any sense collected purposefully for use in this paper, but are rather of the nature to accrue to anyone ac tively engaged in everyday social life. As with any data utilized in social science, their reliability rests upon their congruence with observations made by others, whether lay or professional.

2. By "empirical generalizations" is meant the generalized descriptions, il lustrations, and assessments rendered from the data as described in note 1, above.

3. It should be realized at the outset that these sensitizing dimensions are in no way to be considered mutually exclusive or exhaustive. According ly, it will not always be possible to neatly categorize particular empirical examples within one of the three dimensions. The participants, spec tators, and organization of sport are highly interrelated. An attempt will be made to reach some degree of analytic clarity without resultantly destroying the natural character of these interrelations.

4. It should be mentioned here the sport may, for some spectators, be a direct enaction of ultimate problems of human life. Primarily, this is because, for some fans, seemingly nothing is more important than the outcome of a particular boxing match or a victory in the Super Bowl of their favorite team. More directly, for participants, it is sometimes the case that sport can involve virtual life and death situations, such as in various forms of mechanized racing.

5. This quote has been attributed both to George Allen and to Vince Lom bardi (football coaches, each). It has been repeated by enough coaches that its source is perhaps no longer an issue.