Sportswriting's Billionaire Scorecards: A History of Jock Culture and Empire
Robert Lipsyte traces the evolution of American sportswriting from Bat Masterson's boxing columns to today's transactional reporters like Shams Charania, arguing that sports coverage reflects and predicts broader social and political shifts. He highlights how early sportswriters were cheerleaders for empire and racial segregation, with Black athletes like Jesse Owens and Muhammad Ali challenging the status quo. The piece examines the role of billionaires in modern sports, the impact of gambling, and the failure of sportswriters to address issues like performance-enhancing drugs and brain injuries. Lipsyte suggests that Chinese analysts might decode American decline through sports media.
Key facts
- Bat Masterson transitioned from lawman to boxing columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph.
- Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- Muhammad Ali was convicted for draft evasion but later had the Supreme Court overturn the ruling.
- The 1919 World Series was fixed by gamblers.
- Melissa Ludtke sued Sports Illustrated in 1978 for locker room access.
- Jim Bouton's 1970 book 'Ball Four' exposed baseball's inner workings.
- Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality.
- Shams Charania is one of the highest-paid sportswriters, specializing in NBA trades and salary disputes.
Entities
Artists
- Bat Masterson
- Jesse Owens
- Muhammad Ali
- Jack Johnson
- Jackie Robinson
- Lester 'Red' Rodney
- Jack London
- Grantland Rice
- Babe Ruth
- Jack Dempsey
- Bobby Jones
- Knute Rockne
- Jimmy Cannon
- Dick Young
- Leonard Shecter
- Larry Merchant
- Stan Isaacs
- Arthur Daley
- Ralph Houk
- Ryne Duren
- Alan Schwarz
- Jim Bouton
- Mickey Mantle
- Tommie Smith
- John Carlos
- Curt Flood
- Colin Kaepernick
- Melissa Ludtke
- Bill Simmons
- Shams Charania
- Robert Lipsyte
Institutions
- ESPN
- The Athletic
- New York Morning Telegraph
- New York Daily News
- New York Post
- Newsday
- New York Times
- Sports Illustrated
- Daily Worker
- Brooklyn Dodgers
- New York Yankees
- San Francisco 49ers
- National Football League
- National Basketball Association
- FanDuel
- DraftKings
- Kalshi
- Polymarket
- TomDispatch
- Naked Capitalism
Locations
- Dodge City
- New York
- California
- Berlin
- China
- United States