ABSTRACT
Some objects in sports rise to the level of relics. But because material instruments are part and parcel of sports, there is less of a stigma attached to sports relics than to those found in religion. Sports memorabilia constitute, perhaps, the most profound examples of relics to be found in the sports world. And in certain relics such as the Bartman Ball, one find it more and more difficult to figure out where religion ends and where the value that fans and players place on sports relics begins. Part of the justification for the use of icons and relics in some Christian churches has to do with the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Both religion and sports are embedded in a capitalistic culture, after all. Therefore, it is the expectation that relics from religion and sports will be radically different that is rarely met in today’s society.
