Arguably, sports and life are inextricably intertwined in the United States—maybe more so than in any other country. For example, as quoted in Sports Illustrated, longtime sports commenter Frank Deford observes, “Surely the NCAA basketball tournament has such special appeal because it is, of all our great championships, so quintessentially illustrative of our national contradictions. It manages to be the perfect mix of illusion and reality alike, of democracy and privilege side by side.” On another note, some would argue that due to the recent steroid scandals plaguing major league baseball, “America’s greatest pastime” is now America’s greatest scam—or at least, one big yawn. However, the thousands of Boston Red Sox fans who witnessed the Sox claim yet another World Series title last week at Fenway Park would, quite literally, shout down such an argument. Suggestion for focusing this topic: Choose a specific sport or sporting event and analyze its cultural and historical significance.