Do sports help promote world peace?

[tragula]

Do you guys think that major sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics help bring the world together, or just build barriers to world harmony?

It seems a short hop to jump from nationalistic frenzy to making racial inferences about people around the world, based on their performance in a sporting event. For example I was reading recently about a China Japan soccer match that caused some major friction...

[EternalCynic]

While I like the idea of bringing cultures together for some kind of convention or what have you, I dislike that it has to be about winning and who does which better. Then again I've never thought much on it before now, and I'll have to make a more thorough post sometime later on... who knows, a little healthy competition could be good, right? In any case I voted No.

[CoHo]

Yes and no,

I think it is a good first step to force people in the same room. India and Pakistan may not want to engage in constructive debate but they'll put on the green face paint for cricket faster then you can say nuclear proliferation.

It looses potential as a long term solution. If you want a government friend open up some trade routes. I mean, the US could never attack Japan now, we’ve been in bed with them financially for way to long. But it was only 60 years ago when the US dropped two a-bombs on them!

[Edmond Zedo]

"The Olympic Games, maybe?"

[mgb]

I think it was El Salvador and Honduras that had the Soccer War.

I would say that if anything, international sports fosters a mentality of nationalism that would be counterproductive to peace building.

I would say that professional sports with a multinational contigent of athletes probably does more to foster positive relations between countries.

[songbird36]

I'm not sure what you mean by "world harmony".

Assuming that it means something like increased cooperation between nations and less likelihood of war, I don't see what bringing a bunch of sportspeople of different nationalities together for a specific event, does for world harmony generally.

[mgb]

You could also site the Munich games as a complete disaster for world harmony and the Berlin games too (I'm sure Jesse Owens wasn't impressed at least).

[booyalab]

This is a dumb topic, but I took the poll anyways to balance out this negative post I knew I was going to make.

[Lee]

Who wants world peace....how boring :thumbdow:

[booyalab]

Who wants world peace....how boring :thumbdow:

agreed.

[songbird36]

I think I can see why Tragula posted this question. International sporting events are often "sold" to the country where they're being hostd (and indeed the world at large) partly on the basis that the event will somehow in some unspecified way, "bring nations together" or "promote harmony or unity" or some other such drivel.

Really this is just an excuse to spend lots of taxpayer money on an event which brings cachet and increased business to the nation hosting it.

[booyalab]

I just don't like when people get really mystical about non-mystical stuff...aka sports+world harmony, its a personal preference

[Lee]

I think the idea is that sport can represent conflict without death tolls being involved, everybody will have all that they want, pigs will breakdance in the streets, George Bush will die a horrible death and fields of flowers will replace landfills.

[booyalab]

I think the idea is that sport can represent conflict without death tolls being involved, everybody will have all that they want, pigs will breakdance in the streets, George Bush will die a horrible death and fields of flowers will replace landfills.
:lol:

[raincrow007]

Mmmmhmm! Let's bring lots of countries together in an event so that everyone's watching.... What an excellent setting for non-competitive ideas like peace and harmony. Having an audience turns most people into assholes. Having a bigger audience only increases this trend. Spectacle and vacuous competition do not make for a warm and fuzzy collective.

I'm with Booyalab on this one.

[n0mad]

I really don't like competitive sports. They make people look unatural and disgusting. The priginal concept of Olypmic Games by Greeks is, by far, superior to this new money-hoarding events today. You ever looked how those weight lifters or marathon runners look like? In the old greek version, you challenged every muscle and wits with practical, let's call them sports.
No, I don't think sports promote world peace. they promote nationalism (as opposed to globalism) in an unhealthy manner.

[coffeezombie]

No, I don't think sports promote world peace. they promote nationalism (as opposed to globalism) in an unhealthy manner.

But don't you think that sports might promote peace in the sense that many humans are inherently competitive and/or aggressive, and that sports provides an outlet for such natures that is much healthier than going to war? I think there would probably be a lot more true martial conflicts (more than there already are) if it weren't for the presence of competitive sports.

[waxwing]

I can think of a few instances in which sports have promoted peace,but when you look at sports at the professional level, money and status become far too important to ignore. An example: After 9-11, some parks started playing a patriotic song during 7th inning stretch. While I can see the point of doing such a thing, it almost became a joke in some cases. At the few stadiums where I saw this done, I felt almost a backlash against the stadium that played (or had it sung) for the longest amount of time..."they think they're so great," etc. "What the f...is this?" It seemed to be promoting more hostility if anything.

At an amateur level, it's probably more possible, although there is always that human instinct to win and to feel pride and to even do whatever it takes to crush your opponent. On a personal note, I do enjoy the competition of sports and the strategy involved, but an unhealthy, egocentric, competitive spirit (individual or team) really turns me off.

[Crazy]

Of course it would promote world harmony, just like the gladiatorial games did for Rome.

[n0mad]

Of course it would promote world harmony, just like the gladiatorial games did for Rome.
Just my point right there. 8O

But, generally, I'm very much in favor of recreational aspect of sport. Greeks did it very well, and some eastern cultures are still doing it excellent (aikido, jujitsu, etc.).