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Beyond Bread and Games

Beyond Bread and Games


June 9, 2024


It is Sunday, and we are eagerly awaiting the start of the F1 race in Montreal, Canada. Yesterday, Curacao, led by Dick Advocaat, secured their second victory, this time against sister island Aruba, moving closer to World Cup qualification. Tonight, the second game of the NBA Finals will take place. This summer, Paris will host the Olympic Games. Today, Roland Garros will see its men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. With the Eurocup and Copa America just days away, getting swept up in the excitement and forgetting about events like the Eurovision Song Contest is easy. This is all reminiscent of the Roman concept of "bread and circuses" (panem et circenses), which has evolved into a billion-dollar industry.

Historically, the Olympics were a financial burden until the 1976 Games in Montreal, which changed the game by generating profit, a trend reversed by the losses in Greece and Rio, largely due to the advent of television. FIFA has emerged as one of the world's largest sports organizations, with its championships generating immense revenue, even weathering corruption scandals. These funds enable FIFA to promote soccer in regions where it wasn't traditionally popular, such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, a policy felt in Curacao as well. Local power struggles within the football federation often revolve around access to FIFA finances and privileges.

However, sports are more than just entertainment and revenue generators. They are also platforms for establishing and challenging societal norms. Historically, sports have played roles in combating racism and sexism. More recently, issues like gender diversity have come to the fore. Just yesterday, I saw the USA soccer team sporting uniforms with numbers in the colors of the LGBTQ+ community. A few weeks ago, during a marathon in Beijing, African runners slowed down to let a Chinese runner win, highlighting sportsmanship and solidarity.

Sports have thus transcended their traditional boundaries, becoming intertwined with politics. We used to say that politics should stay out of sports, but the reality is that sports have become a significant arena for political and social change. They are about more than just entertaining the masses and generating money; they are about influencing and reflecting societal values.

In this context, dissent and democracy are deeply connected. The ability to challenge the status quo, to express differing viewpoints, and to push for social change are all fundamental to a healthy democracy. Sports provide a unique platform for these democratic principles to play out on a global stage, reminding us that the games we watch are about more than just competition—they are about shaping our world.

Let us not be naive; capital shapes social norms because accessing the platform costs much money.


Miguel Goede

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