I think that the Mesoamerican ball game was both a sport and a ritual. Infact, the players had the opportunity to compete with sport rules and, in case of defeat, they may even have been sacrified. The spectators, if their team won, could have hoped in some natural effects like the sun shining, the rain coming and abundant crops.
But, I don't think that the losing team should be sacrified because in my opionion the sport and religious must be separated. In this way, it is possible to give the shance to all the people to practice sport, without bad consequence. In the same way, I think that the bullfighting should be banned, because it is unacceptable to see injured or dead people and abused animals.