In centuries past communities put up churches as a centerpiece of their cities and towns.
In modern day America we put up extravagant temples to ball games and even more lavish Federal courthouses as our places of worship.
I listened to an interview on WRMJ (an FM station in my old neighborhood in NW IL) that was posted on their website. The station sports guy interviewed a man who coached a small town football team to a state title 40 yrs ago this fall.
The former coach really laid bare the reality of over emphasis on the game. He pointed out how some former players end up seeking the high of that state title for years after. He was disappointed that those guys couldn’t move on and look for other accomplishments in life.
If curious, here’s the link to the interview:
Yup. “Opiates, beer and football” is the religion of the people. Ask Karl Marx.