NFL horror! MLB doping! March Madness exploitation! Should we just #bansports?
Seven writers go head to head.
After just one season of playing for the San Francisco 49ers, 24-year-old linebacker Chris Borland is retiring from the NFL. He doesn’t want to end up one of the 28% of NFL players who will eventually suffer from a debilitating brain injury. Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and 13 other MLB players were suspended through the 2014 season for doping, but this week commissioner Rob Manfred says A-rod “ought to be welcomed back.” Five NFL players were accused of domestic violence or sexual assault over the past year, and already two of them have signed new contracts. And this week, March Madness, one of the most watched sporting events in America, will generate more than a billion dollars in ad revenue — not for the athletes playing the game, of course, but for the NCAA.
The bad behavior, the doping, the wealth or lack of it, the flawed system — all of it raises the question:
Should we ban sports?
On Monday, we’re kicking off a discussion on the state of sports in America. We invited sports writers from The New York Times, GQ, Outside, and The New Yorker, to start the debate — but the conversation isn’t limited to this crew. We want to hear from you too. Click the response button below to share why you think we should #bansports.
George Vecsey
Get A Life. It’s the Event Itself That Matters.
Photo-illustration by Mike McQuade
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