Why are sports an institution in American Society.?
485468
I think they are a reflection of the American economic system. Trying to gain an edge over your opponent by any means possible. Through use of superior technique,teamwork, leadership and making the best of ones natural gifts the opponent is outmaneuvered and defeated. \n\nIt's a healthy outlet for ones energy in a society where there are so many unhealthy choices.\n\nOver the years popularity grew and expanded until these days sports are a big, money earning form of entertainment.
462559
It IS one of America's favorite sports.\n\nPlease note that America, as the proper name of a country, needs to be capitalized.  Also note that "favorite" has a preferred spelling, and that questions always end in a question mark, even though you ended yours with a period (Y!A supplied the question mark).
1080846
Signal of freindship and fellowship. Sports and competions are for unify people, to make tehm have good relationships, also a fair play
342546
the main reason is, get ready..........\n\nthey need instant gratification.  not enough scoring, the most commonly used excuse.  look at all the other sports.  i am american and love the sport.  i played it all my life.  one day, americans will get it.  it's the best sport in the world.  you need to be athletic, passionate, hard-working, and most of all, smart.
402078
Huge. It's probably the most dominate part of sports outside of the players. The media broadcast games, write about games, go into detail about games. Without the media, how could one be interested in sports. You wouldn't know the scores of any games. And to go to every game to see what happens, is way too time consuming. The media and sports work hand in hand. Both need each other to make money.
177313
I'm definitely not an expert but, I think it is the advancement of sports, in general, technologically. For example, the difference in today's safety equipment in football and yesterdays equipment. Past to present, the changes that has led up to what see in sports today. All dealing with technology.
26105
They bring fans together, are a form of entertainment, much like a TV show or shopping, and are so organized (standings, statistics, final scores) - people subconsciously seek this organization within their hectic lives. It sounds cheesy but its true. I HIGHLY recommend the book "The Meaning of Sports" by Michael Mandelbaum. Sports are a form of diversion from the burdens of daily life. It is like an unscripted drama - the outcome of each game and each season is unknown by all. Some say "it's only a game", but is the Grand Canyon "only a hole?" Absolutely not
895445
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), voluntary association devoted to the administration of college athletics. The organization was founded in 1906 as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States and took its present name in 1910.\n\nThe NCAA is composed of more than 1,200 colleges, universities, conferences, affiliated organizations, and corresponding members. The NCAA enforces the detailed code of regulations written and voted upon by member colleges and universities, assists member schools in complying with NCAA regulations, administers more than 80 annual championship sporting events for men and women, produces the collegiate rules of play for 13 sports, compiles and distributes statistics in football and basketball, and publishes a weekly newspaper. The NCAA also annually awards more than 150 postgraduate scholarships to outstanding student athletes, provides a summer-activity program for disadvantaged youth, and offers athletics instruction to young people in its Youth Education Through Sports program. Its headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana.
245080
Phys. Ed. and Sports build up character, team work, leaders and so on. It is also good, because many students do not get exercise at home. This will give them some kind of introduction to it. Also, many student that play on teams in school, enjoy it and follow up on it in future careers.
358736
Because people have differnt interests in sports.Football isn't the only sport most people play.Somedon't like it and some do.
873060
In your question there is, in fact, an embedded answer. The way I see it, you´re expressing your indignation at the way Californians set their priorities and, at the same time, you´re expressing yourself in plain English. \n\nFrom your point of view (and I guess most people agree with you on that; at least I do), education is much, much more important than football (actually, it´s much, much more important than sports, period). If you think of it, college football is what it is because of "college", right? So, which comes first?
538893
The US has great campuses from one end of the country to the other.  There are wide fields of studies offered with clubs, intramural activities, social groups and all types of sports.  Needless to say our campus life is busy!   Nothing matches a packed house at one of our college basketball games with the band playing and the support of the student body and alumni dressed in the school colors chanting their team on to victory!!!
370061
I believe that it is the nature of America.  We like movies with explosions and quick action.  We love sports that have a lot of scoring like basketball.  Soccer is boring to us, we don’t appreciate 0-0 ties.  Also, our athletes here tend to be better suited for stop and go sports.  Like sprinting rather than marathon running, football and baseball, where the action stops constantly and we can have commercials.  Having said that, I could see soccer becoming bigger, as young kids here are playing it more and more so we’ll see.  Plus the last world cup brought together a great deal of people in America b/c we actually won something for once.
399399
because most people don't consider it a main stream sport? or a sport at all for that matter!
139424
Athletics provide an outlet for America's Youth.  As I've always said, "Kids do stupid things when they're bored."  Athletics provides young people something to do, so they don't get in trouble and is especially important this day in age when most children are growing up in families where their parents are working jobs when they come home from school.  As mentioned, athletics does teach teamwork and discipline.  What has hurt athletics is that it has become less about the game and more about an investment.  If a young high school basketball player is great, he is looked at as an investment because he may have the potential to make millions in the NBA.  \nAlso young people are put under a tremendous amount of pressure because the potential to make millions of dollars.  The game is no longer played for fun, but is an opportunity to secure one's future.
63433
If they had a new show on tv about amateur wrestling, maybe it would get some people interested. Americans are mostly interested in professional sports. The school football or basketball team is included because these guys can be recruited into the pros. Other than that, people aren't really interested in amateur sports.\n\nI've watched it sometimes, but I don't know all the rules and  so it gets confusing and then boring for me after a while. Maybe other folks feel the same way.
677878
Sports in the U.S. are very established so when our cities win the World Series or the Super Bowl they ARE the best team in the world at baseball or football. Same goes for Basketball. We have the nerve to think those sports are equivalent to a world title at sports like cricket or..soccer. I KNOW though, that if you compared the combined titles for each sport in America for FOUR years, it still would not bring the meaning it will to the country that wins this summer. We can have all the Super Bowls and World Series forever, but the poor, smelly, dirty Brasilians will still be our kings.