Needless to say, Elias and Dunning set forth a far more complex account of the civilizing process as it applies to sports. The first pair of reprinted essays, "The Quest for Excitement in Leisure" and "Leisure in the Sparetime Spectrum," argue for an Aristotelian conception of leisure as an activity rather than as simple rest and relaxation. In a world characterized by routinization and relative lack of risk, i.e., in a civilized society, men and women need excitement, and sports are among the "mimetic" activities that provide "a social enclave where excitement can be enjoyed without its socially and personally dangerous implications" (p. 90). Aristotle’s term "mimetic" is appropriate because the emotions aroused by sports spectatorship, like those experienced by theater-goers, are related to those of ordinary life "transposed in a different key" (p. 80). Adapting Aristotle’s discussion of tragedy, Elias and Dunning argue that sports provide the opportunity for catharsis. The ebb and flow of excitement in the course of a soccer match is not unlike what one experiences in the theater. At the final whistle, the sports spectator feels a sense of relief and fulfillment.

source: http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1987/JSH1402/jsh1402i.pdf