Marvin Gandall
But saying that mass interest in sports is independent of politics is quite apart from asserting - as Jerry and I think you do - that it generally promotes reactionary politics.
^^^^^^^ CB: No, I'd say _rarely_ , not generally, that it promotes a bit of reactionary politics, patriotism as a metaphorical segue from the inter( not intra) mural competition.
Actually,it's not surprising that someone who would say mass interest in sports is independent of politics also would not think that it promotes reactionary politics. Those would be consistent positions.
But as I say , I explicitly think that most of the time sports don't promote reactionary politics. They are more a literal diversion from some
of the street culture and customs of mass political action in strikes , and demonstrations, marches, rallies ( "Comrades come rally") wherein large numbers of people, working class people, get together and enthusiastically cheer or boo a political issue or person. It sort of uses up some of the energy for that type of thing, and takes away the stage, the limelight, for this mass form to be used in predominantly political ways.
The real mob is not to be feared by the working class. We are the mob.