Digression

I have decided to dedicate one of this week’s blogs to an event that has been a predominant factor in my life for the last two weeks. The Pistons-Bulls match up in the second round of the NBA playoffs contains several of the themes that have been discussed over the course of this class. While some may be skeptical as to the relatedness of basketball and the thematic elements of religion, I would strongly argue otherwise.
The amount of fervor and dedication that is generated by die-hard fans contains some of the elements found in any religious belief. While clearly religious belief is much more deep and generally meaningful then the ‘belief’ of committed followers of basketball, some of the underlying methods of thought and reasoning are not necessarily unique to religious contemplation or attention.
Basketball fans attend games, make time to watch matches on TV, follow players, statistics, numbers, drafts, and their favorite teams. There is not a connection between basketball and ‘religion’ per say, but many themes that people affiliate with religious belief, such as the time commitment, passionate involvement, or personal association are clearly similar characteristics.
In addition, the vehemence and vigor with which fans defend their teams, particularly against other rivals, resembles the same defiance and loyalty believers feel toward their faith. The staunchness and allegiance a Pistons or Bulls fan feels while watching a game can also be found in many of the blogs or class discussions. Wherever people feel a deep commitment to any philosophical thought- even as ‘shallow’ as a sports allegiance, passions will fly and debate will be sparked. The land of sports is no different.