>I refuse to have anything more to do with professional sports.
Genuine question, what exactly have you stopped doing? I guess not watching FIFA 2014 world cup is on the list?
Genuine question, what exactly have you stopped doing? I guess not watching FIFA 2014 world cup is on the list?
Although I was never a sports nut, I no longer watch games on TV, at all. Recently, I told one friend I would not be attending his Superbowl party, this year. I had the prior year, with some misgivings, because I wanted to see people.
I did not watch the recent winter Olympics, and I told friends why. I shared some links to articles describing the outrageous branding practices, among other things. This seems to have gotten at least some friends thinking about the matter.
For the fellow who throws the Superbowl party, I specifically shared some recent reporting both on the ever more apparent link to traumatic brain injury (including that "Frontline" show and connected reporting) and on the enormous tax shelter that pro-sports teams have become for their owners. Also the financial shenanigans around facility financing. He has been reconsidering his attachment to the game and to other pro sports (including non-US football, aka soccer).
One friend is an auditor for the Federal government. He has taken the point that while this is not his specific purview, a lot of public money is, one way and another, going to line the pockets of specific, well-connected interests. Being an honest soul, he admits to significant discomfort with this.
I think that most people are basically "fair" and decent people. As they learn more, they find an increasing distolerance towards stomaching the situation. And they decide that there are other things they can spend their time, energy, and money on.
Again, I'm not dumping on sports. I'm communicating my strong dissatisfaction with what this "sports industry" has become.
How the NFL Fleeces Taxpayers
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=11877
Frontline's "League of Denial:The NFL'S Concussion Crisis" Airs
http://www.metafilter.com/132838/Frontlines-League-of-Denial...
And, since I happened across an older mention of this, as well:
http://www.metafilter.com/124600/Soccer-matchfixing-probe-68...