“Is mayonnaise a sport?” - Patrick Starr (paraphrased)

What does that have to do with anything?

Oh, right,

The basic idea (We all love sports) is correct, but alas, certain sports are more equal than others. I know, I know, someone is already typing “Cmon man, quit complaining”, this isn’t a complaint, it’s only an observation.

I stipulate I love several sports obsessively but it’s not very crowded with either spectators or performers, mostly because ther is not a cent to be made unless one counts the benefits to the perfromers AND observers..

But that’s just me

If it’s a sport from which real solid bricks of cash money (in whatever the reserve currency is now), especially tax money, OK, everyone’s behind it. And I’m fine with citizens having what they want under the circumstances and yes it is a popularity contest, I understand. For some reason my mind always drifts back in time to when real solid bricks (cylinders actually) of thick, luxurious trashbags were aplenty as dandelions in June, they appeareth in Eastwood Hills out of nowhere to my 8yo eyes and they eventually put a stop to the joy of burning trash in the city. Whaat happened to my trash bags, sports fans? Wasn’t that a popularity contest of sorts that was reneged upon?

But I digress

If I’m doing a sport, I want some quick results, because that’s just the way I am. 90+ minutes for a 0-0 does not to me qualify as a real sport let’s put it that way. They should have to keep playing. But they don’t

And the other thing is, the best sports aren’t going to attract a lot of ATTENTION, the best ones are competition between one or more reasonably equivalent opponents not the entire universe. Like chess, against your nephew . which yeah is a game, not really a sport it isn’t a sport until the crying starts and the chessboard is frisbeeed and then you better believe it becomes a sport.

But let’s say a bike race between two people of about the same strengths and skills from one point to another on the same route, but no cams and no refreshment stands for the throngs of spectators. The key factors are not very difficult to identify and understand. Oh, also no rioting fans or stadium stampedes, those are not features anywhere to anyone. Enormous benefit to the public at large and society.

The benefit is in the doing, not in the watching. And when the watching becomes the primary activity, then something is not right with MY values and priorities, not saying anything about anyone else. YMMV