Sport?

A ball game was popular throughout mesoamerica. The ball court was in the shape of a capital letter I. The rules and objectives seemed to vary over time and in different cultures/regions but they almost all seem to have had it. The pictures show one at Monte Alban, one at Palenque and one (the largest discovered) at Chichen Itza. In Chitzen Itza there were seven players to a side. They could hit the ball (hard rubber) with just about anything accept hands and the objective was to knock the ball through the ring on the wall. Looks impossible to me.

The game was important ceremonially and at various times was used to settle disputes rather than fight. That sounds good, but in some cultures they sacrificed the loosers and sometimes the winners (offering the strongest and best to the gods)
Maybe this is why Mexico will never win the world cup?