Better on the Field

The world needs more games.

World Cup. World Baseball Classic. Olympics. Ryder Cup. Rugby World Cup. Cricket World Cup. Invent a few more while we’re at it.

People are tribal. Always have been. We like flags, colors, songs, heroes, villains, grudges, revenge, glory, and the sweet pleasure of watching the other side lose.

That can go very badly.

Sport gives all that dangerous energy a place to go. A field. A clock. Rules. Referees. A final whistle.

It lets nations compete without killing each other. It lets young men and women become champions instead of soldiers. It lets crowds roar instead of riot. Mostly.

Yes, sports can be stupid, corrupt, overhyped, and commercialized to death. So can everything humans touch.

But the basic idea is still one of civilization’s better tricks: take conflict, dress it in uniforms, put it inside lines, and let the scoreboard decide.

Better a World Cup than a world war.

Bring on the games.