Modern sport is a multi-billion dollar industry. The growing clout of TV enables the advertising industry to churn out an unbelievable amount of money for themselves and the sportspersons. In such a scenario, it is amazing to find a few symbolic prizes holding more appeal for players and the public that even a million dollars cannot overshadow. One such prize held sway last Sunday at Augusta, Georgia, in the US. Just why is a piece of clothing worth no more than a few hundred dollars more important than the $1.98 million Sergio Garcia won that day? Ever since the Greeks held sporting competitions in an organised way, the winner assumed the status of a hero. Watching champions in sports fulfilled people vicariously as they got to experience moments of excitement leaving behind the boredom of ordinary life.
Soon every society needed champions or heroes of their own to provide inspiration, motivation, direction and meaning to the lives of ordinary people. These very reasons inspired some 19th century noblemen led by Pierre de Coubertin to resurrect the Greek spirit of Olympics worldwide. Following the Greeks who used to place a simple wreath of olive known as kotinos on the heads of the champions, the modern Olympic movement gave the winners flowers and a medallion of gold, silver or bronze whose intrinsic value is minuscule compared to its symbolic value.
The gradual transformation of sporting events into a global spectacle of competition between trained athletes and the need to make a living out of one’s chosen sport led to the phenomenon of sport as profession. The inevitable commercialisation brought immense riches to the table. Skilled marketers now help champions optimise their value. However, even in this world of blatant commercialisation, certain symbols, much like the olive wreaths of the ancient Greeks, have a permanent value. Something that clings to your body gives you a super identity.
In team sports, it is the jersey that one craves. The famous green and yellow of Brazil, the black of the Kiwi All Blacks, the three lions of England, they are all symbols of pride for the wearer. And there are attires everyone aspires to wear but which are available only to the winners. The most famous of those are the yellow jersey worn by the winner of the epic Tour de France cycle race and the green jacket worn by the winner of the Augusta Masters Golf. These are the holy grails of sport. No amount of money can match their symbolic impact. The Kotinos of the modern world have a special and continuing charm.