Team games involving physical skills are probably the most successful invention of mankind to bring about civilization and to prevent wars. Much more successful than art and religion, still not entirely successful. In some societies, a man's game must (or had to) involve the risk of spilling blood, and in "soccer" this risk was considered too small.

Still, those of us who rightly criticize the moral and cultural "degeneration" of sports games nowadays, should compare it to the wars of youth gangs, and have some respect.