[F]or the most part football these days is the opium of the people, not to speak of their crack cocaine. Its icon is the impeccably Tory, slavishly conformist Beckham. The Reds are no longer the Bolsheviks. Nobody serious about political change can shirk the fact that the game has to be abolished. And any political outfit that tried it on would have about as much chance of power as the chief executive of BP has in taking over from Oprah Winfrey.
Interpretation
The quote criticizes football as a distraction from important political issues, equating its popularity to that of drugs.
In this quote, Terry Eagleton expresses a strong critical perspective on football, suggesting that it serves as a numbing agent for the masses, similar to addictive substances like opium or crack cocaine. He implies that the obsession with football diverts attention from necessary political change and reinforces a status quo that benefits those in power, highlighting the conformity represented by iconic figures like David Beckham. Eagleton ultimately argues that any serious political movements that seek to challenge this dynamic would struggle to gain traction in a world so captivated by the sport.
In practice
In a discussion about how sports can sometimes distract from political activism.
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