Nick Gillespie on Why the Super Bowl (and Other Sports) Shouldn't Become Political Footballs

As a teenage, mostly non-practicing heterosexual libertarian regularly accused of being gay and communist simply for playing soccer in the 1970s, Nick Gillespie gets annoyed when some dumb game is larded up with ideological meaning. Over the years, characters as distinct as Ethel Rosenberg and Peggy Noonan have done just that and, with the Super Bowl just days away, the conservative National Review is even making the case that mixed-martial arts is "the true conservative sport"—even more than NASCAR.

Seeing your favorite sport through political filters is no way to while away your weekends, Gillespie writes, and it is a real buzz kill when it comes to enjoying athletics.