Triggered to Thinking

I recall many years ago my aunt told me, “Football in Texas is like religion.” Could football or fans’ devotion to football be considered like a religion in some ways? Could this be seen as cultic devotion similar to cults or other forms of organized religion in the world?

It is possible that devotion to football can be seen as a form of religion depending on the definition of “religion” that is being utilized. For this article, I will be applying Ninian Smart’s theory of religion and the concept of civil religion. Smart postulated that religion had seven dimensions: ritual/practical, experiential/emotional, narrative/mythic, doctrinal/philosophical, ethical/legal, social/institutional, and material (Smart, 1998).

In relation to ritual, football always involves a form of ritual. Whether it be buying food before the game, having certain friends over, or getting ready to watch the game, football is filled with ritualized behavior. Some fans have their own rallying chant or call they use to try to help their team win a game. For Packers fans, they shout, “Go Pack Go.” My favorite team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, sees its fans shouting “Duval” in reference to Duval County.

Football team helmets, jerseys, and fans painting their faces could be examples of the material dimension of religion. Fans often devote themselves to their team and purchase several jerseys related to their favorite players. This can also include signed jerseys and autographed photographs. For fans of these players, these objects become symbolically significant because they contain special value and meaning. Sometimes fans can sell these signed jerseys for exorbitant amounts of money depending on the player who signed the jersey.

In relation to myth and narrative, this can relate to different players in the league. Gardner Minshew, a quarterback for the Jaguars in 2019, was given a chance to start due to an injury. He instantly became a fan favorite due to his eccentric personality and similarity to Uncle Rico from the movie Napoleon Dynamite. He also had a unique look—sporting a mustache, jean shorts, and sleeveless shirts—which helped fuel his popularity (DiRocco, 2020). Marcel Mauss held that the body was a technique without an instrument. A technique was defined as “action which is effective and traditional” (Bowie, 2000, p. 56). While Minshew’s unique appearance was far from “traditional,” it became a symbol of the growing trend of Minshew Mania and contributed to the mythic nature of the fan movement surrounding him.

Tom Brady could be another player to whom the mythic/narrative dimension of religion applies. He is easily considered the greatest quarterback of all time. He has legendary, almost seemingly impossible victories. Brady has been known to follow a very strict diet and workout routine, and this has contributed to his success. Another aspect of his narrative is that he is viewed as a villain by many teams that he has defeated (Thorpe, 2022).

Football also contains social and emotional dimensions through the communities that form around teams and the intense feelings experienced by fans during games. I have found fan groups of Jaguars fans that gather in San Diego, California. Also, groups of fans can often travel to other cities to support their favorite team. The communal aspect of NFL fandom and group gatherings is another important aspect of the importance of football.

Football can also be seen as an expression of civil religion, which is a set of beliefs, rituals, and symbols that connect a nation to sacred meaning. Sociologist Robert Bellah developed the concept of American civil religion in 1967. Bellah described how the United States created its own history, values, symbols, heroes, and sacred texts such as the Declaration of Independence. Rebecca Alpert argues, “Given the power of sports in many cultures around the world to frame meaning through symbols, rituals, institutions, and beliefs, the notion of sports as a version of civil religion makes eminent sense” (Alpert, 2015, pp. 10–11).

Football creates meaning through symbols, rituals, and shared experiences. The Super Bowl is an example of a civil religious event. The Super Bowl functions as the ultimate championship game and cultural event. Watched by millions of Americans each year, the Super Bowl has become more than just a football game. It serves as a national event that brings together fans and non-fans alike through shared rituals, traditions, advertisements, and celebrations. In this sense, the Super Bowl can be viewed as a civil religious event that reinforces a shared American identity.

It’s painful for me to type this, but for many Jaguars fans, we hold a belief called “Myles Jack Wasn’t Down” (MJWD). In the 2017 AFC Championship Game, Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack forced a fumble and was ruled down on a play where he potentially could have scored a defensive touchdown. That score could have helped lead the Jaguars to their first Super Bowl, but instead they lost to Tom Brady and the Patriots. Years later, Jaguars fans still invoke “Myles Jack Wasn’t Down” as a way of remembering what might have been. Every NFL fan base has its own stories, symbols, beliefs, and rituals that connect in some way to America’s civil religion.

So, is football and all of the aspects that go with it a form of religion? Or is it merely a very popular sport that many people enjoy? I will let the readers make up their own minds on the subject.

References

Alpert, R. (2015). Religion and sports: An introduction and case studies. Columbia University Press.

Bowie, F. (2000). The anthropology of religion: An introduction. Blackwell Publishers.

DiRocco, M. (2020, September 24). The real Gardner Minshew? An “accountant” and “ultimate competitor” for Jaguars. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29954152/the-real-gardner-minshew-accountant-ultimate-competitor-jaguars

Smart, N. (1998). The world’s religions (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Thorpe, J. D. (2022, September 8). What is the Tom Brady diet and should you try it? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tom-brady-diet