That escapism into sports cuts across all economic strata. Here in MN the legislature hasn't accomplished a GD thing in 15 years because pro sports stadia debating consumes all their time and energy.
You can look at any number of online media- from newspapers for example- and if there's a "most popular" or "most commented on" or "most read" section, 9 out of 10 of the entries will be about sports.