I mean in terms of spectator sport there is the obvious idolization, mass hysteria, mass emotional involvement, mass expression of hope, communal sense of achievement, transcendent bonding between diverse individuals.

It is easy to think of a sport without spectators but I was trying to think of one without a competative element… but thats just a preferential bias as indeed there are sports such as scuba diving that can ‘express’ themselves in ways that are non-competative.

I think it is harder to identify types of sport and types of belief, without analysing each sport in detail. For example I am fan of football, I have played football for fun and certainly despite wish-fulfilling delusions could certainly never play for a serious competative (money-oriented) team. Therefore when I watch football on television, or even in person, even though my skill levels are minute compared to the professionals, I can still relate to the emotional aspect of playing the game.
Watching the Tennis final was unusual, insofar as I have considerably less experience or joyful memories of playing tennis, yet found myself encapsulated in the game.

I didn’t want to draw a direct comparison between sport and religion, but I felt that sport could at times appeal to arbitrary belief systems, in ways perhaps concerned with escapism that draws the participant away from external reality into a dreamlike world.

I am now considering ideas of types of sport and types of belief. What is the difference between competitive sport with a large group of spectators and a sport with no competitive element and no spectators? Do they fulfill different purposes?

(Full disclosure for readers: I do scuba diving.)

AC1