Do sports really matter?

July 24th, 2008 by Ray Martino

Among the many newsfeeds to which I subscribe, the fake news supplied by www.theonion.com consistently is the most enjoyable, if not the most informative. One needs a slightly off-beat view of the world to appreciate The Onion.

A recent story on The Onion’s sports page, entitled: Hard-Hitting Investigative Report Still Only About Sports not only made me laugh, but made me ponder why sports is so important to me as well. Playing golf and watching professional athletes on TV consume a lot of my time. Why are sports so important?

First of all, we can’t forget that participatory sports are recreation and watching pro sports is entertainment. But beyond that, there is much more to it. Many people care deeply about games they play and the teams they support.

I would contend that sports are a vital aspect of culture. They are a reflection of our values and our hopes. Sports provide an avenue for the disadvantaged to get an education and pursue a career. And the economic impact of sports at all levels is enormous.

The upcoming Olympics in Beijing is shining light on China’s economy, environment, and its people. The world will be watching not only the games closely, but the host as well. Vast sums of money will be spent by advertisers promoting their goods and services during the coverage.

Even presidential candidate Barack Obama will be advertising during the Olympics. According to www.adAge.com, the Obama campaign has taken a $5 million package of Olympics spots that includes network TV as well as cable ads. This is an unprecedented step for a presidential candidate and indicates that the campaign expects a sizable national audience.

As other sports such as professional golf and baseball move to becoming more international, it’s evident that sports is much more than entertainment: they are an economic engine and a means of bringing cultures together.

And, when the Yankees become World Champions again, all will be right with the world.

This entry was posted by Ray Martino on Thursday, July 24th, 2008 and is filed under Advertising, News, TV. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.