I love sports. I have for a long time. My uncle introduced me to them. And Sal’s Barber shop on 96th street always had the Mets game on. From hours of WFAN to Sunday NFL Countdown with Chris Berman or the Sports Reporters with Dick Schaap I cannot think of a time I was not consumed by sports.

Which sport? That changed over the years. Started with Baseball, then added Hockey… Basketball sprinkled in, then left. And hockey left too… then back to baseball and now, finally, just European Football.

I still follow the story of sport via my regular podcasts and news feeds, but I really only watch Manchester City. Everything else? Clips, talk shows and the stories of the games rather than the games themselves.

So? I know what is going on in the NFL, but have I watched a game? No. I know about Mahomes. I know about McVey. I know about the Lions. But I have not watched a single NFL game for 5 years.

I know what’s going on with the Yankees but I haven’t watched a Yankee game from start to finish for 10 years.

All this is to say that I know sport, I follow sport and I want it to continue.

But sport has a problem. The problem is that it requires that we buy into the story. We all have to BELIEVE that it matters. We all have to BELIEVE the players are playing to win. We all have to BELIEVE that its all about the Championships. We all have to BELIEVE that the STORY of SPORT is REAL.

There is something in pro wrestling that describes this – Kayfabe.
Def: : the tacit agreement between professional wrestlers and their fans to pretend that overtly staged wrestling events, stories, characters, etc., are genuine

Sports requires Kayfabe. We cannot handle the truth that:
1. its about business.
2. its about money.
3. it doesn’t matter who wins.
4. the players are friends.
5. the players are not loyal the team
6. the teams are not loyal to the players
7. the teams DO NOT represent the City or area.

For Sport to Work I made a list of things we need to believe:

We NEED TO BELIEVE that the BEST ATHLETES RISE TO THE TOP purely through talent and hard work, making success a fair reward for their dedication. There is no room for nepotism, or who know you know, or that we always find the best.

We NEED TO BELIEVE that sports are truly FAIR, with everyone competing on an equal playing field where only skill and effort determine the outcome. There is no room for broadcasters wanting certain teams, or referees tipping the scales.

We NEED TO BELIEVE in the story of the UNDERDOG WHO TRIUMPHS AGAINST ALL ODDS, giving us moments of inspiration and hope against adversity. We have to have parity and belief that the playing field is the equal.

We NEED TO BELIEVE that LOYALTY binds players and teams to each other and their fans, keeping them committed for reasons beyond contracts or business decisions. Players feel the same way about the sport that the fans do.

We NEED TO BELIEVE that certain players have the SPECIAL ABILITY TO BE “CLUTCH”, performing better under pressure in crucial moments. That players are SPECIAL, in special moments.

We NEED TO BELIEVE that sports represent PURE COMPETITION, untainted by outside influences, where the game itself and athletes’ skills determine what happens. There is no thumb on the scale EVER.

We NEED TO BELIEVE that athletes are ROLE MODELS AND FIGURES OF VIRTUE, embodying the ideals we aspire to and offering inspiration beyond their athletic achievements.