Loving Sports When They Don't Love You Back

October 12, 2020
Sportswriters Luther (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) and Davidson offer a fascinating take on the myriad ethical issues facing sports fans today. From watching the NFL while knowing the damage concussions can wreak on players, navigating fandom while disliking a bigoted team owner, and cheering for teams with racist mascots, Luther and Davidson cut a wide swath. They offer stringent commentary on the dangers of capitalism running amok in cultural activities: “Sports are big business, and with that comes the dirtiness of any major moneymaking thing that holds cultural significance.” Notable chapters include a discussion of the gender gap in CTE research (“female athletes report more concussions than their male counterparts and are suffering severe brain trauma, too”) and coverage of the Spokane woman who led an attempt in the 1990s to make the University of Illinois drop its “Fightin’ Illini” team name. Among the remedies they propose are having kids play flag football instead of full-contact to protect them from head injuries, and for sports organizations to be more open to hearing dissenting views and opinions. Meticulously researched, this is enlightening reading for the 21st-century sports fan.

Starred review from June 15, 2020
Revealing some of the ugliest truths about professional sports. Luther and Davidson are both well known in the world of sports journalism, and their investigative skills serve them well in this acute survey of their chosen field. (This is also a natural follow-up to Luther's previous book, Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape.) Written as something of a guide to ethical conflicts that so often erupt in this massive, lucrative business, the overarching theme here is cognitive dissonance. With guidance from psychologists and other experts, the authors dig into the mindsets of fans and their love of the game and players and the manners in which they experience them. They also examine what happens when players and owners behave in problematic, occasionally inexcusable ways. There are some obvious targets: The authors first tackle the issue of doping, famously represented by Lance Armstrong, as well as the inherent issues around brain trauma in the NFL and the persistent problem of defending players credibly accused of domestic violence or sexual assault. But the depth and breadth of the book are impressive, as the authors discuss less-reported issues like inequality in the world of women's sports or the struggles of players who identify with the LGBTQ community. Because the authors are journalists and not commentators, they also delve much deeper into the inner workings of the sports industry, covering in detail such topics as malevolent team owners, exemplified by former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banished by the league for his racist comments; the odd mechanics of professional baseball's free market; and the economic inequities surrounding college basketball's March Madness. With illuminating interviews and commentary by insiders from the sports community, an appealing pace, and elegant writing, this is a sports book that should interest not just sports fans, but anyone interested in politics, business, or society at large. An incisive, damning indictment of the world's most popular pastimes.

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October 1, 2020

For some sports fans, it can be tough at times to cheer passionately for your team or watch your favorite sport, while realizing the moral and ethical dilemmas that may be associated with them. This book by journalist Luther and sportswriter Davidson tackles that emotional dilemma. While admittedly, the authors write that they don't offer many solutions, in each chapter they deal with a different topic and dive deep into the moral and ethical conflicts. "It's about the intersections between sports and politics, sports and culture, sports and our own identities, sports and the ills of our world," they state in the introduction. Throughout, they share thoughts on watching football while knowing that it causes considerable brain trauma, the complexities of rooting for a team when a player has been accused of domestic violence, and the challenges of watching March Madness when college athletes don't receive compensation. The wide issues discussed in each chapter are impressive and will reach many sports fans; both authors have a tremendous background and it shows in this thoroughly researched publication. VERDICT This is the book that sports fans didn't know they needed. Highly recommended for any reader who has felt conflicted about being a sports fan.--Pamela Calfo, Bridgeville P.L., PA

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