Description

The importance of sport in society is illustrated with market research conducted by Plunkett Research, Ltd., which indicates that spectator sports (e.g. racetracks, sport teams and other spectator sport) brought $31.4 billion in sports revenue in 2011. NASCAR alone generated a remarkable $645.4 million in 2010 (Introduction to Sports Industry, n.d.). Those two figures, although substantial on their own, are only a small amount of the total dollars that spectator sport produces. 1 Thus, the prominent role of commercial sport is seen from local to international competitions. In a similar vein, sport has the capacity to bring people, communities, and even nations together. For example, South Africa while under Apartheid, found its way of protesting through sport. Nelson Mandela assisted in healing South Africa's divided racewar through rugby.2 Following Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana was brought encouragement through their professional football team's (New Orleans Saints) decision to remain in the wreckage and rebuild the Superdome. Both examples suggest that sport has a highly significant role in society.