Is sport a waste of time, money and labor? Does it have a place in society?
While I have zero interest in the sportsball, I don't begrudge anyone who does.
I would never pay money to go sit in a stadium of loud and drunk people who are shouting just to watch a bunch of men run around and flop all over each other, but if someone enjoys it, then more power to them.
It's certainly as valid a way to spend time or money as any other entertainment, like movies or video games.
That said, I did have some issues with high school sports back when I was in high school due to budgetary concerns. A very substantial portion of the school's budget went toward funding the football team (this is in the US), to the point of building a massive new gym and sports facilities. For a few years, the school had so little money to give to its academic team that the principle had to pay for gas for the bus to shuttle the team to matches out of her pocket. The academic team had a budget of around $50 for the year. At a school. A place for academics. But the football team got what I can only assume was several hundred thousand dollars. Sure, the sports team did make some money from ticket sales, but I'm skeptical they made a profit...