As I'm sure we all know, Football is a popular competitive sport most-often endorsed by the most masculine, peak-performing males. Masses of Normies and the general population fawn over watching these men wrestle and chase after the ball, sitting on the edge of the seat in anticipation over who is going to win the match. Sure, a lot of people won't put a second's thought into this, or some might think "What's so bad about that"? Well, one of the most overlooked aspects of Football and competitive sports in general, are that they represent an epitome of masculinity in today's society, one that not every single male can perpetually uphold.
Football is so deeply integrated into today's society that it is practically impossible to remain oblivious to it's existence. From a very early age, many youth in schools are encouraged to engage in this sport, typically in physical education classes. The nature of football in itself; being a rough, aggressive, and physically demanding competitive sport, gives youth an impressionable expectation to fight, to be assertive, to "man up" and be the toughest of the group in order to ensure victory of the game. Those who are far out of the victor's league, are ostracised, bullied, and ultimately shunned. This, in a way, is a form of social segregation that is solidified at an early age. Weaker, more timid youth become further isolated and despondent, while the big players continue to rise show great improvement in their social behaviour (ie joining social groups in school, becoming popular and well-liked, being invited to parties, scoring with girls, and, depending on the individual, possibly making a career out of the very thing that perpetuated said successes; Football.)
As for those who are the opposite, and fall short and lack the willingness to participate, I'll quote a paragraph from Dr. Brian Gilmartin in his book Shyness & Love: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment (P. 254) -
The bottom-line is, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Boys who play rough, fight and wrestle for the ball and kick it into the goal become exceedingly confident adults who get what they want, when they want. Boys who are pushed and shoved aside, excluded, and end up being the last one picked for the team, become adults who are socially-inept, rejected by their peers, and forced into isolation. It is a very brutal and cruel expectation that the world at large forces upon us, starting at an extremely early age. Sadly, Football today is such a massive, commercialized entity (especially with apps that allow you to actively gamble and place bets on players now), that I doubt anyone would even dare protest against it's impact on those less-fortunate, at least, not publicly, without the fear of facing backlash or harsh criticism.
Football is so deeply integrated into today's society that it is practically impossible to remain oblivious to it's existence. From a very early age, many youth in schools are encouraged to engage in this sport, typically in physical education classes. The nature of football in itself; being a rough, aggressive, and physically demanding competitive sport, gives youth an impressionable expectation to fight, to be assertive, to "man up" and be the toughest of the group in order to ensure victory of the game. Those who are far out of the victor's league, are ostracised, bullied, and ultimately shunned. This, in a way, is a form of social segregation that is solidified at an early age. Weaker, more timid youth become further isolated and despondent, while the big players continue to rise show great improvement in their social behaviour (ie joining social groups in school, becoming popular and well-liked, being invited to parties, scoring with girls, and, depending on the individual, possibly making a career out of the very thing that perpetuated said successes; Football.)
As for those who are the opposite, and fall short and lack the willingness to participate, I'll quote a paragraph from Dr. Brian Gilmartin in his book Shyness & Love: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment (P. 254) -
The bottom-line is, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Boys who play rough, fight and wrestle for the ball and kick it into the goal become exceedingly confident adults who get what they want, when they want. Boys who are pushed and shoved aside, excluded, and end up being the last one picked for the team, become adults who are socially-inept, rejected by their peers, and forced into isolation. It is a very brutal and cruel expectation that the world at large forces upon us, starting at an extremely early age. Sadly, Football today is such a massive, commercialized entity (especially with apps that allow you to actively gamble and place bets on players now), that I doubt anyone would even dare protest against it's impact on those less-fortunate, at least, not publicly, without the fear of facing backlash or harsh criticism.
