Very Much so in High School and College. Professional Sports has turned into a drug fueled weekend circus hosted by tail gate parties, riots, fights and overpaid participants who end up being bad role models for the youth of our country or any other for that matter.

Love football. Love sports. Provides opportunity for commeraderie, team spirit and careers for athletes.

It helps with teamwork (working together) and division (us vs. them).

Health and entertainment. Can the other activities produce these benefits more efficiently? I don’t know, the answer seems highly subjective.

It CAN be useful. It can be a form of exercise, both mental and physical. The competition aspect can be a motivator, as long as it is not emphasized to the point of "win at all cost," especially in young kids.

It's entertainment.

I dunno if it's useful but I love basketball.

No. It promotes tribalism and stupid differences over a flag or some such. Blow it off.

Personally, it's very important to me I really enjoy playing and watching....I really don't understand the reproduced efficiently part of your question.

For many it has entertainment value. For others it's a means of exercise. It can also be rehersal for combat, and it has commercial value. You knew all of this, though. Right?

Team sports are simulated warfare. That is possibly the appeal to men. Somthing like womens basketball, (I heard that there is such a thing) it is more likely the social activity of paticipation.