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Escapism, Society and the Industrial Sports Complex
I am not just a fan of the Green Bay Packers; I am a shareholder. The Packers are the only American publicly owned major league sports franchise. This is why, whenever the NFL Players Union seeks better terms from the National Football League, it is an act of bad faith when team owners direct attention to the finances of the Packers to craft their arguments against Union demands. Because the Packers are the only publicly owned team in the League, likewise, they are the only team required to open their books to public oversight. Beyond what is available in the public record, nothing requires the likes of Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft or Dan Snyder to show us how they manage their money.
Meanwhile, football is culturally accepted escapism. And quarterback Jordan Love makes his NFL starting debut this week substituting for the sickened (and sickening) Aaron Rodgers, walking into one of the toughest arenas to play in the NFL, Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here is the fantastic scenario I envision: The Packer defense sustains the suffocating level of play that it did the week before against theretofore undefeated Arizona and Love leads the Packer offense to an upset victory. With Rodgers unable to produce a negative covid test, Love helps produce his own winning streak with the next game against Seattle the following…