People may think that religion has no place in the sports world but really, they are one in the same. Back before the world had cell phones and immediate communication people flocked to religious ceremonies for their entertainment since they couldn't afford many luxuries or attend a sporting event.
We all know that sports an inherently ritualistic, with baseball having the most of that world with individual player's walk-ups to Nomar Garciaparra's batters box routine. Fans also wear the team's colors, in Seattle they carry the 12th man flags, and we have mascots and retired icons. During the game we have the chanting and cheering. The singing of the national anthem can be compared to a hymn or song in church with its psychological effects (one just needs to ask Knowshon Moreno or Ray Lewis about that).
Now that we have the comparison between sports and religion we must ask if the fans connection to their preferred sport and team has the same effects that a religious experience has. Recent polls have shown that one, sports fans are fairly religious and two, as the years have gone on religious attendance has dropped and sports attendance has grown tremendously.
There has also been some research into that have debunked myths about the male fan. For instance most male fans are not lazy, they have decent marriages and are not likely to incite violence. Experts believe that people are very committed to their teams and favorite players because it gives them a sense of purpose and meaning to their lives.
Karl Marx once said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed and is the opium of the people." He meant in terms of religion, that religion gives people something to look forward too. We as fans use sports as a way to escape our stresses whether it be our work or just life in general, this is the same thing most religious followers do with their chosen religion.
When you look at sports from that perspective you can see the body painting, costumes in the form of jerseys and uniforms as fulfilling certain "religious goals" such as being accepted by a group of people and if your team is doing well escaping disappointments.
So the next time you're at a sporting event maybe you'll think of it a little differently. These men and women that we root for are in a way a deity that satisfies a need to be accepted into a group and have something to believe in.