Baseball’s opening day came and went. The Olympics have been postponed. Football in the fall? Don’t count on it.
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With COVID-19 infections and deaths rising each day, the cancellation of live sporting events might seem like an afterthought. But in the coming weeks and months, their absence will undoubtedly be felt. This isn’t the first time sports have been put on hold. During previous crises and conflicts, sports have been stopped. But in the past, the reprieve was brief... Sports went on to act as a way to bring Americans together, persevere,
Sports are so important to so many of us that some have likened them to a modern religion, replete with rituals, saints, and shrines. noted, baseball “endured the trial of civil war remarkably well, persisting and even progression under trying circumstances.” Union soldiers brought the game to the battlefield, playing to stay fit and get some much-needed distraction. In the process, they exposed many of their fellow countrymen to the game for the first time. After the war, baseball’s popularity boomed. ENDURING AND EMERGING STRONGER For these reasons, sports, during times of crisis, often act as a salve. At the onset of the Civil War, baseball was less than two decades old, and the first two years of the war hit the young sport hard. As several players enlisted and others focused on civilian war efforts, many clubs folded or played reduced schedules. Still, as historian George Kirsch has
and, ultimately, heal. This time’s different...
Sports are so important to so many of us that some have likened them to a modern religion, replete with rituals, saints, and shrines. “Sports are more than games, meets, and matches,” sociologist Jay Coakley has observed. “They’re important aspects of social life that have meanings going far beyond scores and performance statistics.” Research suggests that watching sports can benefit physical well-being. The fandom can also be linked to psychological benefits such as an increased sense of belonging. When spectators experience social connectedness to other fans, it can reduce negative emotions, like depression and isolation.
American Consequences
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