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One can argue that the popularity of professional sports in the US serves as a form of "bread and circuses” a reference to the Roman practice of using free food and entertainment to distract the public from their problems. The obsession with sports can be used by politicians and other elites to keep the public distracted from more pressing issues such as political corruption and social injustice. Sports events and news coverage can dominate the media cycle, particularly during major events such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl, and can therefore make it difficult for other issues to receive attention. The obsession of sports and one’s fan base can lead to tribalism or a narrow focus on one's own team and a lack of empathy or understanding for fans of other teams. This can create an us-vs-them mentality that can spill over into other areas of life, leading to conflict and division.

On the other hand, it can be argued that professional sports are simply a form of entertainment that people enjoy, and that they do not have a significant impact on political or social issues. After all, people are capable of enjoying sports and engaging in political and social activism at the same time, and that the two may not be mutually exclusive. It is also possible that sports can serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for people to become more engaged in their communities and in social and political activism.