Ohio State Football as a Religion Essay - 2320 Words

As the sunrises over the crisp fall horizon, followers begin to surround the sacred space in anticipation for what is about to take place. The sacred space is soon surrounded by people who are dressed in the sacred colors, some wearing necklaces of their totem, while others wear headdresses that adorn with their sacred symbol. People begin to drink, play music, and prepare a banquet feast for each other, creating a festival atmosphere in hope that today’s ritual will be a success. As the ritual gets set to begin followers begin to crowd into the sacred space, surrounded with pictures and names of those who have reached greatness. As the ritual begins, music is played in order to bring everyone together and prepare for the events that†¦show more content†¦Through its use of myths, rituals, devotion of the fans, and use of space as well as time, Ohio State Football seems to be more then just a sport to many people, it seems to be a religion. In this paper I will aim to show that, as the world seems to become more secular through modernity there also seems to be a â€Å"resacralization† of the world. Looking specifically at the resacralization of the world, I hope to show that sports can function as a religion; particularly within the context of Ohio State Football. I will aim to find clear patterns and themes between traditional and/or primal religions and the Ohio State Football Culture. These patterns allow the culture to act as a new form of religion, blurring the line between the sacred and profane. Ohio State Football Functioning as Religion? In his book, Authentic Fates: Religion and American Popular Culture, David Chidester looks at number of different themes in pop culture and the religious dimensions that surround them. Specifically, one chapter focuses on baseball, Coca-Cola, and rock ’n’ roll in which he argues that these, â€Å"Seem to encompass a wildly diverse but somehow representative range of possibilities for what might count as religion. They evoke familiar metaphors – the religious institution of the church, the religious desires attached to the fetish, and the religious exchanges surround the sacred gift – that resonate with other discourses, practices, experiences, and social formationsShow MoreRelatedFree Speech Freedom Of Speech1180 Words   |  5 Pagescountry. The First Amendment prevents the government from infringing upon our freedom of assembly and speech. â€Å"The disability is so complete that Congress is expressly forbidden to enact laws respecting an establishm ent of religion, or laws abridging the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech and press, and the right to petition the government† (Bybee). 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