Yesterday I collected my kids (9,11 and 12 years old) from the airport; they had spent a week with grandparents. My wife sent me early as they were unaccompanied minors and she wanted me there when they landed. I did not get waylaid and hence was there with plenty of time to spare. I love sitting at airports and watching people meeting family and friends. “Au revoir-ing” (sorry French friends) or welcoming loved ones. Airports are where people show emotions. Every Christmas Eve my wife and I watch the movie “Love Actually” (her and now my favorite movie), it starts and finishes at an airport and shows us that the most powerful emotion of all, love, is all around. It’s mainly for this reason why I love stadiums. Quite often we find it hard to express our feelings and being inside a stadium allows us to do just that.
Stadiums court controversy, they are expensive to build, they house mainly professional sports teams and generally cost the city ratepayer funds. The city will be shown economic impact reports that show a great deal of economic benefit and naysayers will present research that shows no economic benefit at all. Developers will argue urban regeneration and those opposed will argue that it just takes regeneration from one area to another.
I seldom see the same arguments when a new library is proposed or a museum is being built. I suppose there are there, but they’re not as controversial – maybe because of the cost associated with stadiums. The moment a stadium is proposed we are bound to upset those opposed to everything to unite with those who are concerned with city debt, with those who want the old stadium kept, to those who feel professional sport should pay for itself, to those that feel cities should spend money on basic infrastructure only. All have very good and valid arguments. I hear people say the city is being held to ransom by franchises threatening to leave the city if they do not get what they want, and perhaps this does happen.
I recently read an article in “The Atlantic (on line)” about Glendale Arizona spending $324 million to build a new stadium for the Phoenix Coyotes (Ice Hockey team). The article laid out the bad economic argument behind the stadium and rolled out an expert who said stadiums don’t make sense. The Staples Centre of course proves the benefit of both urban regeneration and economic benefit but it has very few dark days.
I want to offer a different perspective, one based purely on the purpose of life and my love of airports.
Showcase to the world
India was a darkly mysterious nation full of people, slums, deli-belly, and the occasional Bollywood film. Along came 20/20 cricket and all of a sudden with more glitz than US sport, with Bollywood actors owning franchises, and music, dance and fireworks finding a place into once sullen, formal and stayed cricket grounds. With TV deals on the billion-dollar mark, 20/20 cricket has bought India a reputation as a vibrant exciting nation with a real passion for cricket and the country has became a world-recognized super-nation overnight. India is now on the world map because of cricket played in stadiums around the country. Indian people are all of a sudden supporting their cities instead of just their country. They are proud of their cities and this can only be a positive thing for a country once shrouded in mystery. I love the vibrant and exciting atmosphere and passion generated from these games and cannot wait to visit India.
Social Capital
Jonathan Haidt, a former professor at New York’s Stern School of Business, did a great deal of research into what he calls the Moral Foundation Theory, and believes that in-group behavior is one of the natural cornerstones of our being. Stadiums play an essential role where we can come together, bond into groups and fulfill a natural in-built instinct. We are transformed from individuals with singular purpose into a group cheering on our team, bonded in our colors and goals.
In my experience, during a major event at my stadium I can feel the city buzz, it fills up (some economic benefit), there’s excitement and people are in their colors or dress. You can almost taste the anticipation.
During games at the stadium I get to high five my mates, exchange the odd hug and I am filled with emotion. We shed the odd tear, our team wins or it loses and afterwards we either celebrate or commiserate. We jibe the opposition and they jibe us and afterwards we laugh and share a beverage. It creates a bond that is hard to be broken and friendships for life.
If one reads about the purpose of life, it supposedly comes down to being happy; its about connection and engagement with our fellow beings. Sport offers all of that, and it happens in stadiums. In the city where I live, our stadium costs half as much as public libraries per annum. I am happy to pay both despite the fact that I seldom (if ever) visit a public library. Stadiums offer people joy. Maybe I am a silly romantic who likes watching chick flicks? Maybe I am way too in touch with my feelings, but week after week I see the expression of emotions and joy at the stadium and it is just so much fun and I am in love with it.