Itisperhapstruer，oratleastmoreevident，asregardssportsthanasregardstheotherexpressionsofpredatoryemulationalreadyspokenof，thatthetemperamentwhichinclinesmentothemisessentiallyaboyishtemperament。Theaddictiontosports，therefore，inapeculiardegreemarksanarresteddevelopmentoftheman’smoralnature。Thispeculiarboyishnessoftemperamentinsportingmenimmediatelybecomesapparentwhenattentionisdirectedtothelargeelementofmake-believethatispresentinallsportingactivity。Sportssharethischaracterofmake-believewiththegamesandexploitstowhichchildren，especiallyboys，arehabituallyinclined。Make-believedoesnotenterinthesameproportionintoallsports，butitispresentinaveryappreciabledegreeinall。Itisapparentlypresentinalargermeasureinsportsmanshipproperandinathleticconteststhaninsetgamesofskillofamoresedentarycharacter；
althoughthisrulemaynotbefoundtoapplywithanygreatuniformity。Itisnoticeable，forinstance，thatevenverymild-manneredandmatter-of-factmenwhogooutshootingareapttocarryanexcessofarmsandaccoutrementsinordertoimpressupontheirownimaginationtheseriousnessoftheirundertaking。
Thesehuntsmenarealsopronetoahistrionic，prancinggaitandtoanelaborateexaggerationofthemotions，whetherofstealthorofonslaught，involvedintheirdeedsofexploit。Similarlyinathleticsportsthereisalmostinvariablypresentagoodshareofrantandswaggerandostensiblemystification——featureswhichmarkthehistrionicnatureoftheseemployments。Inallthis，ofcourse，thereminderofboyishmake-believeisplainenough。Theslangofathletics，bytheway，isingreatpartmadeupofextremelysanguinarylocutionsborrowedfromtheterminologyofwarfare。Exceptwhereitisadoptedasanecessarymeansofsecretcommunication，theuseofaspecialslanginanyemploymentisprobablytobeacceptedasevidencethattheoccupationinquestionissubstantiallymake-believe。
Afurtherfeatureinwhichsportsdifferfromtheduelandsimilardisturbancesofthepeaceisthepeculiaritythattheyadmitofothermotivesbeingassignedforthembesidestheimpulsesofexploitandferocity。Thereisprobablylittleifanyothermotivepresentinanygivencase，butthefactthatotherreasonsforindulginginsportsarefrequentlyassignedgoestosaythatothergroundsaresometimespresentinasubsidiaryway。
Sportsmen——huntersandanglers——aremoreorlessinthehabitofassigningaloveofnature，theneedofrecreation，andthelike，astheincentivestotheirfavoritepastime。Thesemotivesarenodoubtfrequentlypresentandmakeupapartoftheattractivenessofthesportsman’slife；butthesecannotbethechiefincentives。Theseostensibleneedscouldbemorereadilyandfullysatisfiedwithouttheaccompanimentofasystematicefforttotakethelifeofthosecreaturesthatmakeupanessentialfeatureofthat“nature“thatisbelovedbythesportsman。Itis，indeed，themostnoticeableeffectofthesportsman’sactivitytokeepnatureinastateofchronicdesolationbykillingoffalllivingthingwhosedestructionhecancompass。
Still，thereisgroundforthesportsman’sclaimthatundertheexistingconventionalitieshisneedofrecreationandofcontactwithnaturecanbestbesatisfiedbythecoursewhichhetakes。Certaincanonsofgoodbreedinghavebeenimposedbytheprescriptiveexampleofapredatoryleisureclassinthepastandhavebeensomewhatpainstakinglyconservedbytheusageofthelatter-dayrepresentativesofthatclass；andthesecanonswillnotpermithim，withoutblame，toseekcontactwithnatureonotherterms。Frombeinganhonorableemploymenthandeddownfromthepredatorycultureasthehighestformofeverydayleisure，sportshavecometobetheonlyformofoutdooractivitythathasthefullsanctionofdecorum。Amongtheproximateincentivestoshootingandangling，then，maybetheneedofrecreationandoutdoorlife。Theremotercausewhichimposesthenecessityofseekingtheseobjectsunderthecoverofsystematicslaughterisaprescriptionthatcannotbeviolatedexceptattheriskofdisreputeandconsequentlesiontoone’sself-respect。
Thecaseofotherkindsofsportissomewhatsimilar。Ofthese，athleticgamesarethebestexample。Prescriptiveusagewithrespecttowhatformsofactivity，exercise，andrecreationarepermissibleunderthecodeofreputablelivingisofcoursepresentherealso。Thosewhoareaddictedtoathleticsports，orwhoadmirethem，setuptheclaimthattheseaffordthebestavailablemeansofrecreationandof“physicalculture。“Andprescriptiveusagegivescountenancetotheclaim。Thecanonsofreputablelivingexcludefromtheschemeoflifeoftheleisureclassallactivitythatcannotbeclassedasconspicuousleisure。Andconsequentlytheytendbyprescriptiontoexcludeitalsofromtheschemeoflifeofthecommunitygenerally。Atthesametimepurposelessphysicalexertionistediousanddistastefulbeyondtolerance。Ashasbeennoticedinanotherconnection，recourseisinsuchacasehadtosomeformofactivitywhichshallatleastaffordacolorablepretenseofpurpose，eveniftheobjectassignedbeonlyamake-believe。
Sportssatisfytheserequirementsofsubstantialfutilitytogetherwithacolorablemake-believeofpurpose。Inadditiontothistheyaffordscopeforemulation，andareattractivealsoonthataccount。Inordertobedecorous，anemploymentmustconformtotheleisure-classcanonofreputablewaste；atthesametimeallactivity，inordertobepersistedinasanhabitual，evenifonlypartial，expressionoflife，mustconformtothegenericallyhumancanonofefficiencyforsomeserviceableobjectiveend。Theleisure-classcanondemandsstrictandcomprehensivefutility，theinstinctofworkmanshipdemandspurposefulaction。Theleisure-classcanonofdecorumactsslowlyandpervasively，byaselectiveeliminationofallsubstantiallyusefulorpurposefulmodesofactionfromtheaccreditedschemeoflife；theinstinctofworkmanshipactsimpulsivelyandmaybesatisfied，provisionally，withaproximatepurpose。Itisonlyastheapprehendedulteriorfutilityofagivenlineofactionentersthereflectivecomplexofconsciousnessasanelementessentiallyalientothenormallypurposefultrendofthelifeprocessthatitsdisquietinganddeterrenteffectontheconsciousnessoftheagentiswrought。
Theindividual’shabitsofthoughtmakeanorganiccomplex，thetrendofwhichisnecessarilyinthedirectionofserviceabilitytothelifeprocess。Whenitisattemptedtoassimilatesystematicwasteorfutility，asanendinlife，intothisorganiccomplex，therepresentlysupervenesarevulsion。Butthisrevulsionoftheorganismmaybeavoidediftheattentioncanbeconfinedtotheproximate，unreflectedpurposeofdexterousoremulativeexertion。Sports——hunting，angling，athleticgames，andthelike——affordanexercisefordexterityandfortheemulativeferocityandastutenesscharacteristicofpredatorylife。Solongastheindividualisbutslightlygiftedwithreflectionorwithasenseoftheulteriortrendofhisactionssolongashislifeissubstantiallyalifeofnaiveimpulsiveaction——solongtheimmediateandunreflectedpurposefulnessofsports，inthewayofanexpressionofdominance，willmeasurablysatisfyhisinstinctofworkmanship。
Thisisespeciallytrueifhisdominantimpulsesaretheunreflectingemulativepropensitiesofthepredaceoustemperament。Atthesametimethecanonsofdecorumwillcommendsportstohimasexpressionsofapecuniarilyblamelesslife。Itisbymeetingthesetworequirements，ofulteriorwastefulnessandproximatepurposefulness，thatanygivenemploymentholdsitsplaceasatraditionalandhabitualmodeofdecorousrecreation。
Inthesensethatotherformsofrecreationandexercisearemorallyimpossibletopersonsofgoodbreedinganddelicatesensibilities，then，sportsarethebestavailablemeansofrecreationunderexistingcircumstances。
Butthosemembersofrespectablesocietywhoadvocateathleticgamescommonlyjustifytheirattitudeonthisheadtothemselvesandtotheirneighborsonthegroundthatthesegamesserveasaninvaluablemeansofdevelopment。Theynotonlyimprovethecontestant’sphysique，butitiscommonlyaddedthattheyalsofosteramanlyspirit，bothintheparticipantsandinthespectators。Footballistheparticulargamewhichwillprobablyfirstoccurtoanyoneinthiscommunitywhenthequestionoftheserviceabilityofathleticgamesisraised，asthisformofathleticcontestisatpresentuppermostinthemindofthosewhopleadfororagainstgamesasameansofphysicalormoralsalvation。Thistypicalathleticsportmay，therefore，servetoillustratethebearingofathleticsuponthedevelopmentofthecontestant’scharacterandphysique。Ithasbeensaid，notinaptly，thattherelationoffootballtophysicalcultureismuchthesameasthatofthebull-fighttoagriculture。
Serviceabilityfortheselusoryinstitutionsrequiresseduloustrainingorbreeding。Thematerialused，whetherbruteorhuman，issubjectedtocarefulselectionanddiscipline，inordertosecureandaccentuatecertainaptitudesandpropensitieswhicharecharacteristicoftheferinestate，andwhichtendtoobsolescenceunderdomestication。Thisdoesnotmeanthattheresultineithercaseisanallaroundandconsistentrehabilitationoftheferineorbarbarianhabitofmindandbody。
Theresultisratheraone-sidedreturntobarbarismortotheferoenatura——arehabilitationandaccentuationofthoseferinetraitswhichmakefordamageanddesolation，withoutacorrespondingdevelopmentofthetraitswhichwouldservetheindividual’sself-preservationandfullnessoflifeinaferineenvironment。Theculturebestowedinfootballgivesaproductofexoticferocityandcunning。Itisarehabilitationoftheearlybarbariantemperament，togetherwithasuppressionofthosedetailsoftemperament，which，asseenfromthestandpointofthesocialandeconomicexigencies，aretheredeemingfeaturesofthesavagecharacter。
Thephysicalvigoracquiredinthetrainingforathleticgames——sofarasthetrainingmaybesaidtohavethiseffect——isofadvantagebothtotheindividualandtothecollectivity，inthat，otherthingsbeingequal，itconducestoeconomicserviceability。Thespiritualtraitswhichgowithathleticsportsarelikewiseeconomicallyadvantageoustotheindividual，ascontradistinguishedfromtheinterestsofthecollectivity。Thisholdstrueinanycommunitywherethesetraitsarepresentinsomedegreeinthepopulation。Moderncompetitionisinlargepartaprocessofself-assertiononthebasisofthesetraitsofpredatoryhumannature。Inthesophisticatedforminwhichtheyenterintothemodern，peaceableemulation，thepossessionofthesetraitsinsomemeasureisalmostanecessaryoflifetothecivilizedman。Butwhiletheyareindispensabletothecompetitiveindividual，theyarenotdirectlyserviceabletothecommunity。Sofarasregardstheserviceabilityoftheindividualforthepurposesofthecollectivelife，emulativeefficiencyisofuseonlyindirectlyifatall。Ferocityandcunningareofnousetothecommunityexceptinitshostiledealingswithothercommunities；andtheyareusefultotheindividualonlybecausethereissolargeaproportionofthesametraitsactivelypresentinthehumanenvironmenttowhichheisexposed。Anyindividualwhoentersthecompetitivestrugglewithoutthedueendowmentofthesetraitsisatadisadvantage，somewhatasahornlesssteerwouldfindhimselfatadisadvantageinadroveofhornedcattle。
Thepossessionandthecultivationofthepredatorytraitsofcharactermay，ofcourse，bedesirableonotherthaneconomicgrounds。Thereisaprevalentaestheticorethicalpredilectionforthebarbarianaptitudes，andthetraitsinquestionministersoeffectivelytothispredilectionthattheirserviceabilityintheaestheticorethicalrespectprobablyoffsetsanyeconomicunserviceabilitywhichtheymaygive。Butforthepresentpurposethatisbesidethepoint。Thereforenothingissaidhereastothedesirabilityoradvisabilityofsportsonthewhole，orastotheirvalueonotherthaneconomicgrounds。
Inpopularapprehensionthereismuchthatisadmirableinthetypeofmanhoodwhichthelifeofsportfosters。Thereisself-relianceandgood-fellowship，sotermedinthesomewhatloosecolloquialuseofthewords。Fromadifferentpointofviewthequalitiescurrentlysocharacterizedmightbedescribedastruculenceandclannishness。Thereasonforthecurrentapprovalandadmirationofthesemanlyqualities，aswellasfortheirbeingcalledmanly，isthesameasthereasonfortheirusefulnesstotheindividual。Themembersofthecommunity，andespeciallythatclassofthecommunitywhichsetsthepaceincanonsoftaste，areendowedwiththisrangeofpropensitiesinsufficientmeasuretomaketheirabsenceinothersfeltasashortcoming，andtomaketheirpossessioninanexceptionaldegreeappreciatedasanattributeofsuperiormerit。