When I started graduate school in Boston almost two decades ago, I knew almost no one. I was nowhere near my family, had little community, and only a handful of acquaintances. What helped quickly change that was Boston sports; specifically, the Red Sox and Patriots. Within days of being in the region, it was clear that Boston sports were a passion that united many—even if it were in disdain for the Sox’s bullpen. Nonetheless, talking about Nomar or Big Papi opened the door for me to connect with others and create meaningful relationships that have now lasted decades.

Although there are many debates around the nation from Oakland to Tampa about public financing of sports stadiums, sports teams create real value and communal social capital in the regions in which they are embedded. My AEI colleague Arthur Brooks recently wrote about how the Chicago Cubs brought him closer to his father and local events like sports can and do foster relationships that are far deeper than purely transactional interactions; local events help foster shared experiences and generate a sense of real communal identity.