Some theorists have put forth the argument that sports in the contemporary United States now fill many of the same functions that religion once did. Apply this logic to the sport or a sporting event of your choosing, being certain to include beliefs (or sentiments), rituals, totems, the sacred, and the profane in your answer.

-Fans tend to come together because of their shared sentiments in a team (The Super bowl might be the only time the majority of the U.S. population is doing the same thing, at the same time)
-Sporting events are highly scripted, and thus ritualistic-especially given how these events are designed to allow people to experience the collective conscious
-Team logos, colors, and even mascots can serve as totems
-Game time is a special time at a special place that is largely set aside from the everyday or profane