bread and circuses

Sport has a long tradition of being used by politicians as a way to keep their population happy:
Jay Doubleyou: winning or losing?
Jay Doubleyou: sport as poetry in motion... ?
Jay Doubleyou: If
Jay Doubleyou: the media

This is what we call 'bread and circuses' - invented by the Romans:
Capitolium.org - Imperial Fora Official Website - Rome, Italy

For a definition from Wikipedia:
Bread and circuses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some were very critical of how the Olympics in London were manipulated:
Bread and Circuses | Spectacle in the time of austerity

There has been heavy criticism of the military government in Thailand:

Thai junta: Let them watch football

FT | Jun 12 07:11 | 1 comment | Share

By Michael Peel in Bangkok

Thailand’s three-week-old military junta is showering the people with bread, circuses – and now World Cup football.

The generals have ordered the country’s television regulator to cut through an epic legal dispute over broadcast rights and ensure coverage of all 64 matches from Brazil is on free-to-air stations.

It’s the latest prong in a populist campaign to “return happiness to the people”, through free medical check-ups, cinema ticket handouts and performances by female dancers minimally clad in military chic.

The generals launched their pitch invasion after a court on Wednesday ruled RS International Broadcasting and Sport Management, which holds the rights to show World Cup games in Thailand, could restrict more than half the matches to pay TV.

Thai junta: Let them watch football | The World


Here's a reference to the 'last dictatorship in Europe' hosting the World Ice-Hockey Championship:
Don’t Play With Dictators. | Belarus Free Theatre
Lots of circuses, not enough bread: EM’s failure to reform and invest – beyondbrics - Blogs - FT.com

And then there's the Football World Cup:

Brazil World Cup's home side mired in apathy, anger

Activists have decried the building of sparkling new stadiums when, according to the NGO Moradores do Rua, an estimated 1.8 million Brazilians (one per cent of the population) are forced to sleep on the streets.

"I don't like the way FIFA operates because they are very abusive," said Paulo Ito, a Sao Paulo street artist whose graffiti mural depicting an emaciated child about to dine on a soccer ball illustrated the "bread, not circuses" sentiment of so many of his countrymen.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter continues to fend off allegations of secret deals and bribes related to the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Brazil World Cup's home side mired in apathy, anger - World - CBC News
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