Jacob Wrestled the Angel, and the Angel Was Overcome

Congratulations to Mr. Greg Grubb for correctly naming "Sequestered in Memphis" by The Hold Steady as the Friday Song of the Day.

Part XXIII (Luke's Response)

Makes sense. Now I'm wondering about the trend of this phenomenon. Historically, have we always been this way, or are we more so now? That is, in the early days of baseball, for example, was people's devotion as intense as it is now? It seems we've grown more attached to sports of late. There are probably a large number of factors that contribute to a culture's devotion to sports. An obvious one might be average income. If I have to work four jobs just to survive, I'm going to have less time and energy to devote to a sports team. But if I have a job that affords me some free time, I'm more likely to invest in my team.

I also wonder what the zenith of this phenomenon is. At what point (and because of what factors?) will our devotion wane? We'll always have some interest in sports, but when will it be at a trough?