Dear Professional Sports,
It’s not me, it’s you. When I watch sports, I do so to be entertained and to enjoy the physical skills and tactics of the athletes and coaches. I’m not going to say how many years I’ve done so, but I remember going to the old Atlanta/Fulton County stadium to watch Hammering Hank before he set the home run record. I’ve enjoyed the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat over a wide range of sports — often despite some of the announcers.
I have not watched for hectoring and scolding lectures, sermons, or to hear any participant in any sport expound on politics, science, history (except of the sport), or social topics. In fact, I watch to get away from all that.
However, I no longer have that option. It’s been bad enough dealing with all the players who have legal or other troubles — there was a day when the various sports dealt firmly with such things. Now, such seems to be the norm and not merely tolerated but celebrated.
The current move into “wokeness” is the final straw for me, particularly given the hypocrisy involved since almost every sport (and media outlet) has ties to China. China, which unleashed a pandemic on the world and is literally rounding up ethnic minorities and others and putting them into rail cars. Profit above all else is what counts now, and the idea of sportsmanship and sportsman-like conduct are but quaint notions no longer in vogue.
There is no respect for America, the American Citizen, our military, or our veterans in what you are doing. There is, in fact, an amazingly high degree of disrespect being shown.
So, my days of watching, on television or in person, are done. I have no plans to buy team merchandise, or do anything else that puts another dollar in your pockets. I’m actually quite content to do other things, and take my business to those who show some respect.
If you ever decide to go back to doing sports and letting us, your viewers, enjoy it, well, good luck with that. For me, I really don’t anticipate ever coming back.