This American Prospect piece, written by a Browns fan, speaks eloquently to the role that sports has played in our civil life. In decrying ESPN’s hiring of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Tomasky points out that one more facet of American community life is at risk.

“One fundamentally healthy thing about sports fandom is that, if I’m sitting in a bar cheering for my Browns and they score a touchdown, I can high-five the guy next to me without a thought of how he voted even crossing my mind.”