**The distortions of economy are obvious in this. $3 billion for a circus act,**
Exactly, I enjoyed playing sports as a teen, but by age 7 had driven farm tractors unsupervised, and in pre-teen years had become the ‘autopilot’ as Dad would catnap on deadhead legs (no passengers) of air charter trips in a twin Cessna. At 13 built my first mini-bike (the welds were embarrassingly ugly), but the second one at 15 was much better.
I watched my sons do well in hs football. I tried to encourage them to learn craftsmen skills, even built a 14’ tall x 39’ long steel T-Rex skeleton. But the (WAY overhyped) glamor of sports was what they followed. But they managed to find non sport careers in the post school years.
I rode a bull in a rodeo... once. It was a very short ride. 18 and stupid. Dad warned, “Bull riding is gladiator stuff. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with ranching or horsemanship.” He was right, and though passed on, his words are still true.
But people pay to be entertained.
Some good friends of mine’s son decided he wanted to play football when he was nine. His mom was worried about him getting hurt and tried to talk him into playing soccer or something else instead.
A couple of weeks later, the kid decided he wanted to learn bull riding. (The Houston Rodeo was in town.) His mom decided that playing football wouldn’t be so bad after all and they signed him up. 😏
“But people pay to be entertained.”
There are so many things to do in the woodshop or garage. I never watch sporting events anymore or movies.