> An hour spent watching a football game is an hour less committing crime or doing other unsavory acts.

Not for the vast, vast majority of people watching football. Most people aren't engaging in crime or "unsavory acts" whenever they have to entertain themselves.

I think mass entertainment is definitely for the greater good, but not because it reduces crime in any appreciable fashion.

Maybe not crime, but also stops people from doing any other bad things.

Not to mention the good social bits of being a fan of something and being able to bond with strangers over fandom.

Also stops some people from doing good things - they'd be bored, so they'd either go after politics (yup, either big or local), actual art (ok), maybe make something as in crafts (probably best outcome).