May 21st, 2016 2:50am

Throughout history, the powers that be would placate the masses by holding grand sporting events. From the ancient Greek ideals of perfection, human achievements, peace during conflicts, etc, we have the original Olympic Games. This allowed the people a respite to take their collective breaths and enjoy the athletic spectacle. From this model of large sporting events placating crowds, thus keeping the "mob" happy, the Romans took this and twisted it to serve the Roman political agenda. When times were tough the Roman Emperors would put on more gladiatorial games, thus calming down the mob by feeding its blood-lust. The mob is only powerful when angered into action therefore, “keep the mob happy.”

We can see the same thing in modern times. Hitler held the Olympics and allowed African Americans to participate to prove the supremacy of the Aryan race. He tried to use the sporting event as a propaganda vehicle but that backfired.

Is this happening today? You bet it is. If you look at any major team sport in the western world and you will find a rapidly growing community of “Fantasy Sports” fans. I was one for years, I even used to play pre-internet in the 90’s via mail for English Premier League, until one day I just let it all go. My Friday nights are free from the stress of researching the best team, which players to trade and getting my selections in on time. When you get sucked into this world you become more and more engrossed in the sport, including other teams therefore tending to watch more games to see how your players are fairing. This in turn leads to consuming more advertising like beer ads, betting apps with live betting and constantly promoting the odds for gambling purposes. Before long you are hooked, not that that is necessarily a bad thing as it is a non-destructive addiction and is not that what the powers that be want? Sport get more exciting at the expense of the players’ long term health, like the impact of concussions in football and other contact sports.

The herders don’t want the sheep to realise that they are more powerful than the herders. Sports get more exciting therefore what are they hiding?

When the sheep get angry at the game and therefore blow off all that negative energy yelling at the TV, arguing with friends, calling into talk-back radio etc, there is no energy left to question the status quo and fight for what they believe in. We are kept in a constant state of perpetual contemptment. The food we are told to eat keeps us constantly satiated and puts us in a food coma where your body crashes after meals to cope with the digestion. Our species evolved in tough and dangerous environments. Do you really think people would pass out after eating something when there are large predatory animals everywhere? Our ancestors were always in a state of heightened awareness. After you eat a big meal and pass out on the couch, your cat is looking at you wishing it was big enough to eat you. If this was the wild, the larger cat would eat you while you slept on a rock.

If you find your entire week is being consumed by sport, understand it is by design and make the conscious choice to consume or not. Knowing how sport is used for propaganda purposes will make it ineffective in controlling your life. Enjoy your sports but if you get in too deep, like I did with anxiety attacks and hyper stress levels, then take a step back and ask if you need to consume every bit of news in this 24/7 (fake) news cycle. The powers that be want you to be engrossed in the sporting spectacle that you lose interest in the real game… politics. Your freedom, your rights, your health, your happiness and your future are worth fighting for. Don’t be sheep, people.