The dramaturgical perspective is appropriate for analyzing all types of human action. Therefore, this article proposes Turner's social drama theory is appropriate for analyzing sport dramas as they are presented to the public via the mass media. Specifically, this article argues that the 1991-1993 Montana-49er public conflict provides an opportunity to apply Turner's four-phase narrative approach to analyzing cultural tension in the form of public episodes. The article discusses the social significance of this sports drama, namely, the oppositional cultural values of loyalty and equality versus winning and money. The article concludes that the media coverage of the Montana-49er social drama reaffirmed the sport and social hierarchy by placing business success above human success, that is, profit over people.
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