While I'm certainly not the first anarchist to ask this question, I doubt many people question the morality of sitting to to watch their favourite team square off against the opposition.
As someone who has never been much of a sports fan, I've always found it strange. To quote Jerry Seinfeld:
Best read while listening to this.
"Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify. Because the players are always changing, the team could move to another city. You’re actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You’re standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team they’ll boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt. They hate him now! Boo! Different shirt! Boo…"
It's weird right?
As someone who's never been a part of sports culture, I'd like to offer the perspective of an observer. Through parents, siblings, friends, and coworkers, I've learned a lot about the mind of the sports fan. I've watched him in his natural habitat and witnessed his strange customs.
I've seen the way sports can bring out some of the worst parts of human nature.
Here's what I've learned:
Collectivist Language is Routine
When fans talk about their favourite team, it's always in terms of "we."
WE beat [insert team here] last night.
WE'RE definitely gonna win the cup this time.
WE shouldn't have traded [insert player here].
The collectivist language extends to other individuals, lumping them together with the "enemy" team.
We're going to crush YOU tonight.
In sports, people treat themselves and other individuals as members of groups, to be irrationally loyal to or against. Is this a natural tendency of humanity, or is it something that government and entertainment like sports have brought out in people?
Loyalty to Sports Teams is Unnervingly Similar to Patriotism
The team could fail a million times, but the fans are ever true to them. The players, coaches, management, uniforms all change over time, but the fans remain.
"Good citizens" have the same unflinching loyalty to their governments (or at least to their preferred political party.) The players change, as do the talking points and policies. Over time, the government will fail its people over and over, but still they remain faithful.
Conclusion
Make no mistake, there is nothing inherently evil about organized sports.
I'm not saying that liking sports is illogical or that it will lead to you becomming a foaming-at-the-mouth collectivist. But both government and sports appeal to the same human weaknesses. In sports it's (usually) just innocent fun, but with government it's dangerous.
As with everything in life, one should approach sports with an alert mind. People are easily manipulated and sports often bring out the human tendency toward militant collectivism.
Please leave your thoughts in the comments.