Thorstein Veblen on the cultural and economic significance of modern sports.

This article examines the persistent popularity of sports in the USA through an evolutionary institutionalist lens, drawing primarily on Thorstein Veblen's analysis in *Theory of the Leisure Class*. It highlights two main cultural and economic functions of sports: as a form of conspicuous waste demonstrating leisure class status, and as an institution preserving and cultivating leisure class values, particularly what Veblen terms "predatory prowess." The paper discusses how contemporary collegiate and professional sports, especially football, exemplify Veblenian traits such as aggression, competitiveness, and conspicuous consumption, reinforcing social hierarchies and legitimizing exploitative behaviors. Additionally, the article situates Veblen's insights within broader evolutionary institutionalist literature, noting that sports also serve as enabling myths for income distribution and as a mechanism for surplus absorption in the economy.