Sad Day for All Sports Fans

We seem to watch sports out of a need to be uplifted or simply to be entertained, regardless, I think I can say without a doubt that all sports fans assume the sporting events they are watching are real. We watch sports for the sense of reality that it can represent. The jubilation of the triumphs and the gravity of the tragedies reel us in and keep us watching. But what happens if that reality, the truth we believed for so long, is suddenly swept away and we all realize what we were watching was a hoax, a beautifully mastered show, where no reality every existed.

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy's allegations that playoff games in 2002 were fixed brings to light a sad reality of not only the NBA but a sports industry where fans too easily assume that what they are watching is reality. I remember that series in 2002, I remember game 6 where the Lakers took 28 free throws in a quarter. 28 fucking free throws in a game is a lot. They took 28 in a quarter. 

The league will continue to downplay these allegations as one's from a felon and in doing so will attempt to devalue Donaghy's credibility, but you don't need to be a solemn referee to make these allegations. I watched that game. What happened wasn't that subtle. 

I want to make it clear that: the NBA and the entire sports industry including beloved ESPN is part of a corporation with corporate interests, meaning all they really care about is making CASH. TV ratings, selling commercial slots for $1 million per 10 seconds. It makes sense to an intelligent person if one thinks about it. What are we really watching, grown men play basketball? Even players always say "This is a business."

These issues need to be brought to light, maybe one day sports can be just what they are meant to be, sport. But for today, I'm afraid what we have all been watching is a grand hoax.