Foul Play: What's Wrong with SportCommon wisdom decrees that sport has an overwhelmingly positive influence on our civilisation. It's good for your health, builds character, unites nations and generates peace and love and understanding across the globe...Or so we are told by sporting evangelists who spread the word on the back - and now increasingly the front - pages of our newspapers. But are we being sold a lie? "Foul Play" shows how our belief in the value of sport is misplaced.Tracing the history of organised game-playing, it argues that sport is a last refuge for sexism, racism, homophobia and animal cruelty. It cites neglected research in psychology, showing how playing sport tends to impinge negatively on your morals. And it asks why sports fans are so judgemental about what is, after all, only a game."Foul Play" is for anyone who believes that their head is not just for keepie-uppies. |
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2006 Fifa World abuse AC Milan argue asked athletes ball Barça behaviour believe Blatter called Canio champion cheating cited claims club coaches competitive cricket crime Cristiano Ronaldo doping dream drugs England event example fact Fair Play Fifa World Cup fixtures Foer football fans former geek goal golf golfers Guardian hate Hitler Hornby injuries Irish journalist Keane Kevin Keegan London Manchester United match medal million moral Muscular Christianity never Nick Hornby Olympic Games once organisations Orwell Paolo Di Canio perhaps players political politicians Premier League professional question race referee Rod Liddle role Ronaldo Rugby World Cup score Sepp Blatter soccer South Africa spectators sporting evangelists sports fan stadium Sunday tchoukball tennis tested positive thing tion tournament truth victory Wada watching West Ham world of sport Zidane Zinedine Zidane