Sports have morphed from something viewed on the weekends to a national obsession. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. With the advent of cable and satellite TV it's become a 24/7 non-stop experience. You can watch endless baseball, football, hockey, and just about anything from all around the country or world. There is almost no bar or restaurant that you go to now that doesn't have on sports or ESPN. One negative is that it has resulted in a celebrity sports culture full of prima donna athletes. Maybe it was that way back in the days before cable TV, but I don't remember it that way. It has ruined the NBA and the NFL is on the same track. It also seemed like most fans used to pull for the local team because it was just about the only one you could watch. Now I see kids who are fans of whatever team has the biggest star or is winning championships. I like the opportunity to watch just about any sports event in the country, but the intense media coverage and big money has changed the sports culture in a profound way. I follow college football and the intense coverage of high school and even younger players borders on the absurd. It's no wonder that a kid who gets that much attention from an early age for playing sports turns out to be a Johnny Manziel type who doesn't believe any rules apply to him. Almost every kid who has the potential to reach the pros is treated as a celebrity from about the age of 15. And that means trouble.
