And now, the sports... such as they are

On the heels of Adrastos's coming out as a Celtics fan, I have decided to share the following conversation I had this morning with r via text message. r is a lifelong Lakers fan who nonetheless hates Kobe and so she is agonizing over how to deal with this year's Finals. I am a lifelong baksetball fan who nonetheless hates the NBA so I am merely bemused as usual.

r: Fuck Kobe Bryant. Hope he never wins without Shaq.

Me: NBA is fake anyway.

r: Apparently. Thing is I don't care cuz I don't think anything is legit.

Me: Nothing is entirely clean but basketball officiating is so arbitrary that the league should be extra serious about policing it..

Me (again...txt msgs are too short for my long-winded ass): Instead there appears to be institutional encouragement of the corruption..

Me (still): Which isn't all that surprising given (NBA commissioner David) Stern's penchant for secrecy and lying and belligerence with the press.

Me (see? told you): The fact that they allow a live game to so closely resemble a circus or pro wrestling event is evidence enough of their insincerity towards their game.

r: I love sports but it's entertainment. I just don't care. Don't know why it really matters to anyone except gamblers.

Me: I think a lot of people watch it because they think it isn't fake or staged. It's the idea that something genuine is happening... even if it's something very silly.

r: I guess. Seems naive. It's just not important enough for Mitchell investigations and whatnot.

Me: Well sure. Congress is full of douchebags.

r: Athletes should investigate them.

Me: But there's something subtle going on there that a lot of people miss. The criticism of Mitchell or of Donaghy in the sports press is weirdly shrill and one sided...

Me: And this is because the sports press today is far too intertwined with the sports corporate establishment.

Me: Too many reporters have a heavy financial interest in protecting a league's image because they are either employed directly by a team...

Me: ...Or because the team or league has a huge contract with the paper of station or network the reporter works for.

Me: It makes the reporting and commentary less independent and less trustworthy.

r: It all goes back to money. Either what you are talking about or gambling.

Me: Yup. But what I hate is the hypocrisy. If reporters are really just PR hacks, then they don't get to call themselves reporters. I just don't like being asked to swallow bullshit.

r: But it goes down all warm and creamy.