I’ve been thinking lately that sports are inherently conservative in the original sense of the word. The entire culture is built around preserving traditions, respecting rules, honoring records, and passing standards from one generation to the next. Fans celebrate history, teams protect their identities, and success is determined by performance within an established structure. Whatever someone’s politics are, sports themselves are fundamentally about conserving what came before.

I’m into NFL and ufc. Partial on basketball and baseball. Like soccer. I think it’s just human nature, been this way since before Roman gladiators.

The emperor blesses the chariot race

Yes it is. At the end of the day it's another facet of capitalism and consumerism.

Which sport hasn't changed dramatically over the years?

Obviously

oh brother

Do you mean by way of technology?

If they got rid of love deuce and the quarter increments in tennis I would stop watching

Sports being some kind of ‘distraction’ for the public so they don’t see ‘what’s truly going on’, might be the most midwit take oat

Not that op was saying that but

Corporations are inherently conservative.

Sports helped desegregate America, but as a business they are a profit seeking venture. That's their only actual value.

It’s seem a lot of collectives are

You would have to define conservativism. Profit seeking is reactionary as far as I'm concerned. It's nihilistic at the absolute least.

No like changing rules over the years.

Also go ask one of those soccer players that flop on the ground in pain if somebodys jersey brushes against them now much they respect the rules.

For sure. The sports to right wing pipeline should def be studied if it hasn’t already

Sports is so inherently neutral that it's easy for conservatism have a strong presence in general. Women are more typically progressive and do sports. So it's not like you can say only conservatives or capitalism care about strength or power.

Roller derby is a tough and gnarly sport that has a lot of lgbtq folks playing it. Skating has a mixed bag.

But conservatism is about gradual, organic reform

Tennis’ OpenEra of the 60s or adding tiebreaks in the 70s is still rooted in its 19th century values

No it's very neutral / centrist, there is plenty of change in it's standards or rules quite regularly and it's pro immigration and pro globalisation.

There's a mix of both sides so you can't say inherently conservative.

Also all the money, corporations, sponsorships etc are not a requirement for a sport to exist.

a bunch of dead white niggas made these leagues and went through extreme measures to ensure one way or another that they kept em

I don’t think your conservative definition isn’t inherently negative. Not sure if that’s your intention or not. On a macro level sports is a net positive for society imo at least. Obviously a lot of politics both figurative and literal involved and negative aspects (don’t get me started on AAU and programs as such) but that’s more about capitalism than sports

They are, in a sense, chauvinist.

It’s not necessarily conservative but it is a facet of conservatism