It's a close call, though. This afternoon I watched a group of
educators (who certainly have enough on their plate already) bring their
discussion to an abrupt halt as it became obvious that their
overwhelming concern was not the educational process but finishing up
before "the game". A lot of energy gets dissipated in sportsbot
activities, so it seems inherently wasteful.
However, the truly creative people I know are not sportsbot types. And
the few sportsbot types I know are aggressive sorts that, frankly, need
some kind of outlet.
So, I score the whole sports thing as a marginal plus for society as a
whole.
Which doesn't keep me from being sick of it.
-mike tilford