The case for sports: The rest is still unwritten

Sports, like democracy, gives us hope. But, with democracy, we can make a difference.

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Last night, millions of people watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in dominant fashion. As a Baltimore Ravens fan still bitter from the team’s AFC Championship loss last season, I was thrilled to watch the Eagles defense routinely get to Patrick Mahomes and to watch the Chiefs crack under the pressure of a three-peat. The Chiefs’s loss makes me feel like maybe there is a chance for other AFC teams in coming years after all. I was wowed by Kendrick Lamar’s jab-ridden halftime show. I was excited to root on Jalen Hurts on account of his all-female management team. And, of course, I watched closely for celebrity appearances that were cheered and booed alike.

But as I sat down with people who tune into the NFL only once a year, it got me thinking about why I love sports. Why do I watch hundreds of hours of people competing at the top of their fields instead of the latest season of “The Bachelor”? Why do I count down the days until the thrill of women's March Madness and the excitement of spring baseball (which, let's face it, isn't as exciting to most). It’s because sports have the potential to bring out the best in us — they foster community, build bonds across cities, and let us talk a little smack with our friends. Sports feel so consequential in the moment, but at the end of the day, people generally agree it’s just a game. As someone who is still reeling from the interceptions and the drops in this year’s Ravens playoff loss a few weeks ago, I recognize it’s too soon for Chiefs fans to feel that way.

But I realized I really love sports for the same reason I believe in democracy — to quote the great Natasha Bedingfield, it's the fact that “the rest is still unwritten.” Before I make the case that the great thing about sports and the reason I care so much is that they are unscripted, I want to to acknowledge the early pass interference call against the Eagles. Those who thought the NFL was scripting a Chiefs three-peat had reason to perk up and be wary. But I think we can all agree that, in the end, it was clear the game was not rigged.

When the Chiefs and Ravens game kicked off on their seasons on Sept. 5, no one knew how the season would end. Jayden Daniels was unproven, Rashee Rice was uninjured, and, yes, the inevitability of the Chiefs in the Super Bowl still didn’t feel written in stone. The great thing about sports is that when the season starts, we don’t know how everything will play out. We have to come back week after week to watch our favorite players closely, discover new ones, and find out what will happen on any given Sunday (or Thursday or Monday).

I realized that the same thing that fuels me as a sports fan is what appeals to my democratic spirit. The good news with democracy is that we actually have much more say. I couldn’t actually do anything about the outcome of the game while I ate wings on my couch. But we can make a difference for the other causes we care about. I urge the sports fans of my generation to channel that energy and competitive spirit to fight for what you believe in — and recognize that democracy is what we make of it.

So on Super Bowl Monday, I say we let sports propel us onto the next challenge, whether it be fighting against Elon Musk's overreach in the federal government or watching Caitlin Clark drain threes on the court! The good news is you can choose both.

Allison Rice is the research supervisor at State Democracy Defenders Action. She is an avid fan of the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles.

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