Death of Sports

 

Our society is being roiled and torn in more directions than at any time since the Great Depression and perhaps the Civil War.  Indeed, last week the New York Times Book Review reviewed two books that address a possible civil war in the U.S.

One of the cultural institutions that had always acted as an adhesive is sports and now that is being devoured by its own mismanagement and new devotion to Wokeness.

The N.F.L. began with allowing the kneeling of Colin Kaepernick and advanced to raising money to spring convicted felons from prison.  The same league that refused to allow the Dallas Cowboys to put the names of assassinated police officers on their helmets, now promote “social justice” slogans.  And now Wokeness is going to devour the N.F.L. because you can never be Woke enough.  Fired former Miami head coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL, alleging racial discrimination and that he had “sham” interviews in which a candidate had already been chosen.  Now, I don’t know if this suit will go anywhere, but it’s a bit of karma after the N.F.L. had John Gruden “canceled” after some arguably racist emails were made public.  The league that tolerates wife beating, disrespect for the flag, and subsidizes the release of criminals is getting a taste of its own medicine.  Now, Commissioner Goodell is turning to race baiter and grifter Al Sharpton to advise him on correcting the imbalance of black coaches in the NFL.   I’ve given up on this hopeless league that is consuming itself with Wokeness.

The Olympics this year are a grotesque extravaganza showcasing the Chinese Communist Party that continues to threaten Taiwan and run concentration camps for Uyghers.  Dubbed the “Genocide Olympics, not since Berlin 1936 has the world acquiesced to such evil.   This is a regime that either negligently or, perhaps even intentionally, unleashed a contagion two years ago that had the effect of dropping nuclear warheads on several cities, and then actively covered up its tracks.  We have gone from the US track team holding up its fists in protest in 1968 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warning our athletes not to offend the CCP because “they are ruthless.”   I have not, and will not, watch a second of the Beijing Olympics.

Then there is the whole controversy over Lia Thomas, the transgender swimmer at Penn that is smashing all of the womens’ records, alienating teammates with “her” penis flopping around the locker room and setting back the progress of womens’ sports.  As Abigail Shrier put it, “she” is vandalizing womens’ swimming records.  Between the anti-patriotism of Megan Rapinoe and the intrusion of biological men into womens’ sports, Wokeness has shattered the interest of those of us that have supported womens’ sports over the years.

Finally, there are the Blackhawks.  After settling a lawsuit by Kyle Beach, who was sexually assaulted by a staff member of the organization, owner Rocky Wirtz angrily dismissed a logical question from the press, “What steps has the organization taken to ensure something like this will not happen again?”

It is a question that he should have been preparted for, but Wirtz snapped, “I’m going to answer that question.  I think the report speaks for itself.  The people that were involved are no longer here.  We’re not looking back to 2010.   We’re looking forward.  And we’re not going to talk about 2010.   We’re not going to talk about what happened.  We’re moving forward.  This is my answer!  And what’s your next question?”

[Son Danny tries to interject]

“No! That’s none of your business,” he continued angrily at the reporter.  “ That’s none of your business! That’s none of your business!  What we’re gonna do today is our business.  I don’t think it’s any of your business.  You don’t work for the company.  If someone in the company asks that question, we’ll answer it.  And I think you should get on to the next subject.”

It was 50 years ago exactly that grandpa Art Wirtz let star and fan favorite Bobby Hull slip away to the competing WHA without so much as a counteroffer.  The Wirtz family once again revealed itself with its disdain for Blackhawk fans.  I was dismayed then as I am now.  Rocky said, “We’re moving on.”  Yes, and so am I.

Sports used to be something that brought us together.  It was part of our shared culture and experiences.  From Babe Ruth to Babe Didrikson Zaharias. From Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky.  From Mark Spitz to Michael Phelps.   Sports and sports heroes have been part of the fabric of our society.  But Wokeness and corruption have so corroded sports that sports is tearing us apart and becoming unwatchable.