The role of sports is changing. Decades ago, sports used to be popular free time activities. People did not only visit events but they also wanted to participate because they found pleasure in playing basketball or football. However, this is not what we experience today. The main difference is that most sportsmen are not sportsmen anymore; they became celebrities, very talented celebrities. Fans usually go to football matches because they want to see their favorites or because they would like to express their opinions somehow. To mention an example, many women who call themselves fans are not keen on the particular sport but they admire one person who happens to be handsome and successful. Thus, big companies, who are aware of this fact, usually try to take advantage of this. Accordingly, David Beckham sells various products with the purpose of making money. The problem is that not everybody realizes this. As a result, sports and the events connected to them (such as world championships) are about consumption. The next difference is that sportsmen and sportswomen are not individuals anymore. Many of them, who became celebrities, have personalities, of course, but these are mainly created by big companies. In addition, sportsmen and sportswomen themselves are goods, so they take a backseat. Isn’t it strange?
