# The Limited Sporting Platform of Progress By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-08-04 Sports are a human oddity. At some points, they are perfect reflections of who we are and our struggles. At other points, they are entirely meaningless and inconsequential. For example, winning or losing a game rarely matters meaningfully. The world continues regardless of who wins the gold medal, World Cup, or Superbowl. If the outcome of these world events barely matters, what does that say about the kids playing soccer in their backyard? Hence we say things like, "It doesn't matter who wins or loses; it's how you play the game." People getting tied up and emotionally invested in the outcome of sporting events that do not matter say something about our humanity and state of self-actualization. We seek meaning in works, we want to be a member of the tribe, and we want to invest our time in something meaningful - even if it is fleeting. The fact that many people turn to sports for these things is informative for those who seek cultural progress. This is why sports often becomes a battleground for liberal vs. conservative ideals and things like equality and inclusion. If everyone is emotionally invested in the outcomes of baseball, wouldn't it be a good platform for racial integration? The same goes for gender rights, disabilities, etc. Yet, the sporting platform of progress has significant limitations that are paradoxically the same reason it is initially effective. Because the outcomes do not matter, people are willing to consider and accept progressive changes as long as the game is considered fair. Remember, it's about how the game is played, not the outcome. We will not tolerate real or perceived unfairness for long in games. But, the direction of post-modern ideals of fairness is an outright rejection of how games should be played. This desire to reject the game creates progressively challenging steps that make the cultural views of sports decidedly unfair. For example, should a person who identifies as a 10-year-old but is measured to be 26 years old be allowed to compete against 10-year-olds? This is an extreme example, but it speaks to the limits of sport as a means of progress. What this line of thinking brings is the end of sports. This is intolerable for humanity. We need games for many reasons, even if the outcomes do not matter. The next step is something new: sports are acknowledged for what they are and aren't. The focus should not be on integrating or rejecting sports but changing how the games are played and observed in solidarity with others. Through this lens, we can figure out how to change the games that are part of systems where the outcomes do matter. #### Related Items [[Sports]] [[Games]] [[Systems Thinking]] [[Progress]] [[Conservative]] [[Liberal]] [[Post-modern]] [[Metamodernism]] [[Culture]]