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Let's start with some observations about ancient Olympia:

• Olympia was a religious site sacred to Zeus (and Hera) before it was a sporting site.
• There was a stadium at the primary religious site (Delphi) and temples at the primary sporting site (Olympia).
• Games (in other contexts) were held in honor of someone who'd died, as part of a funeral.
• Cities fought for control of Olympia and invested significant resources to claim the games.
• An athlete could win immortal glory by great success. There was no 'sport for sports sake'.

Then let's make some observations about the relaunching of the Olympics in the late 1800s:

• The cult of amateurism had little parallel in the ancient games.
• The concept of "amateurism" It had more to do with preserving roles for wealthy competitors who therefore didn't have to train as hard as someone more needy who devoted their entire life to it.
• The notion of an 'Olympic spirit' and that 'the important thing is to take part' were invented for the modern Olympics

Some observations about us:

• We joke about sports, especially American football, being our religion with the liturgy of the tailgate, players as gods and coaches as high priests.
• Winning at sports holds great value for the status of our cities and university communities.
• Winning at sports is a way for some from disadvantaged communities to seek a better life.
• Does the value of 'a healthy mind in a healthy body' still mean anything to us?

To compare:

• Modern and ancient sporting culture are alike and are different.
• Sports have never been just entertainment or exercise but have always carried significant cultural and symbolic meaning.
• The value of winning has always tempted people to spend lavishly and to cheat.

Now we can approach ultimate questions:

• Why do we invest sport with such deep symbolic meaning and value compared to other human activities?
• Can sport culture be for more than the top 1% of competitors?