The flip side of the welfare state is to provide entertainment too, thus the 'bread and circuses' phrase from Imperial Rome. So while the entertainment equation usually delivers things like sports venues for already rich football clubs, or another tedious car racing circuit, if your city is really lucky it will get the Olympics.

Typically governments justify this economically in the usual Keynesian fashion, and argue that it will 'put the city on the map', and tourists will flock from everywhere to pay a visit. The reality is somewhat different though, as has been questioned here:
No medals for economic benefits of the Games

All sport must be abolished. Instead, bogans could have a huge fight club at the footy ovals, this would be more effective at providing an outlet for their primal hunter gatherer brains.

After seeing the English film "The Football Factory" about English yobs bashing each other at football games, and how the police were always trying to crack down on it, a similar idea occurred to me. It would be much better to let them go at each other, in a law free zone where even murder would not be punished, and soon enough they would either have learned their lesson or suffer the consequences.

....how the Australian population is so fixated on sports. I find it boring. I cannot see any excitement in it. Grant it..there is the shouting.....and the furore...but it seems like every sport is played in "gridlock"...same pattern..in running..in swimming..in playing golf etc. For example.... in Rugby League..every player is a hero. So there are hundreds of heros in Rugby League as there are in swimming. This trivilaises heroism...as it is supposed to be unique. How is it unique...when hundreds are in this category