My recollection is the book Friday Night Lights lays out the racism and classism at the core of high school football and that's just in Texas and James Michener

My recollection is the book Friday Night Lights lays out the racism and classism at the core of high school football and that's just in Texas and James Michener brought up these sorts of issues of societal opportunity cost/health cost/monetary benefit of the worship of football/basketball (from childhood to the 99% that don't make in pro or even college sports) in "Sports in America" decades ago.