Modern athletes cannot seem to master the tradition and replicate the classical grace of sports icons from the Golden era shattering protocol, as the firearm wardrobe malfunction of New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress opened up a Southern border floodgate of indiscretions involving criminal liability with hints of esoteric recklessness escaping the confines of the tabloids.
Amid the presence of covert properties and anonymity shrouding cryptocurrency under a dark cloak, illegal sports betting and a breach of competitive ethics by players afflicts professional athletics and lacks the subtlety of a Shoeless Joe Jackson, or Pete Rose craftily fixing a game. As societal dynamics allow for a player enduring a “worn out” or strenuous condition being scratched from the starting lineup, a simple word of mouth grapevine as to the athlete’s day-to-day status can lead to betting lines being shifted and a lucrative payday for those aware of the millions of dollars of insider tips. The sports books along the Los Vegas strip cannot contain this deplorable behavior.
The recent suspension and banishment of NBA player Jontay Porter for his alleged involvement in deliberately changing the outcome of games, is simply the surface level of why the exponential increase in the number of skeptics questioning the validity of the entire industry of professional sports. While the element of entertainment has been the chief component in driving the golden vehicle of fortunes being made, the on the court and on the field battles are morphing into an afterthought of a product line that is sinking into stagnation, as the working class is unable to afford tickets to enjoy the gameday experience. Subsequently and ironically, the NBA has focused its marketing efforts in China, as a large proportion of revenue bounds across the Pacific, thanks to the elitist wealthy demographic in the heart of the relentlessly perpetual dragon who are insatiable to the contrived style, flair, and play that compose the game. For a select few (tens of millions of Chinese) Communism has its advantages, pro basketball and home owners on the Left coast thank their conformist comrades.
With an influx of the recursive as players operating outside of the cozy confines of the implied rules and, while breaking various state and federal laws, the validity of the sporting world comes into question, as a mutualistic trust has been breeched, exemplified by the NBA and major league baseball, scramble to retain casual fans as the level of frustration has reached a level of apathy. As organized crime is heavily vested in legitimate gambling operations, a separate marketplace and narrative due to the influx of Native American casino consortiums, individuals have taken it upon themselves to at least introduce a controllable revenue stream to family, friends, and colleagues.
In the case of Porter, according to a report, the former pro’s imprint on the entire sham of a cumbersome infrastructure was scant in comparison to extensive historical sports gambling scandals. Documentation compiled by league officials indicates that the deservedly maligned athlete netted a meager $21 thousand dollars for his associates, a figure that echo the fickle statistics of what has thus far been a forgettable career. One has to question why he chose to ignore the obvious negative conclusions in weighing the cost-benefit analysis in risking what could have been a mediocre, yet profitable long-term tenure in the NBA.
When examining the impact of sports gambling influencing high margin in-game situations, the subterfuge surrounding performance or health must be weighed in evaluating the result. While Porter allegedly removed himself from games due to “illnesses or aches and pains”, the established trends of an athlete suddenly veering wildly to the unexpected during a crucial moment within a game, may simply not be an anomaly and certainly not an isolated incident.
With the prodigious salaries proportional to the GDP of a mid-sized nation revenue generation of the industry, never before in history has the priority of winning within the sporting world endured a viral level of questioning emanating from the entire spectrum of fans spanning casual to the rabid.
Of course, “Vegas” and sports are involved in a toxic love-hate relationship, which when everything is flowing in the absence of controversy yields Sierra Nevada mountains of cash, while the souls gambling tycoons and professional sports CEO’s, descend into the depths of Death Valley, at least from a moral perspective.
If a minor player such as Porter is doing it, should it be assumed that a cultural icon such as LeBron James is engaged in similar sordid activities, as the fusion of competition, entertainment, subversion blurs the line between legitimacy and a farce? Unfortunately, the majority of the younger generations believe the furtive urban legend factory that is TikTok, where rumors become facts, sports heroes are above deities, and the onslaught of detrimental “challenges” may or may not involve ingesting Tide pods. The entire bizarre trillion dollar societal experiment is a Los Angeles rush hour freeway self-driving vehicle ten car collision involving a plummeting collective IQ and a cultural gulag founded by groupthink. Porter is now the face of the naive being ceaselessly exploited, as the near future is being sold out and critical thinking skills land on the Endangered species list.