The Sports Issue
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It’s easy to be cynical about professional sports. Labor disputes, drug scandals, brain injuries, bankruptcies—if fans ever looked to sports as a refuge from the real world, we know better now. The business of sports is almost as much a part of the spectacle as the game itself, and in these pages, we explore how countless decisions made off the playing field influence what happens on it. We look at how dynasties are built, how athletes manage their finances, how a trade comes together, and just how many wins money can buy. The rich do get richer, but at least in the sports world (unlike the real one), the underdog still has a fighting chance. Isn’t that reason enough to cheer?