Introduction
In today’s rapidly evolving sports landscape, traditional values intersect with modern challenges, such as gambling and the influence of analytics. This article explores the current state of popular sports, the pitfalls of wellness trends, and how shifting perspectives challenge our understanding of success and expertise.
Part the First: Where is Sport in This Modern World? The World Series wrapped up last week with a pair of unforgettable games. As an old-school baseball enthusiast, I chose well, having watched only these two MLB matches all season. The clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays provided the essence of baseball as it should be played: solid hitting, exceptional pitching—including a complete game reminiscent of baseball greats like Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax, impressive baserunning, outstanding defense, and even a well-executed sacrifice bunt—now a rarity in the age of “Baseball Analytics.” Regrettably, one team had to lose, and that was the wrong team (more on that later).
As we dive deeper into the rather unusual American phenomenon of college football season, the stakes rise both on and off the field. With the NBA season kicking off soon, sports fans have plenty to keep them engaged. However, a looming concern shadows the sporting world: the prevalence of gambling—not the clandestine kind but the legal, supposedly transparent variety. Bhaskar Sunkara delves into this issue in Make Sports Sacred Again: Gambling Promotes Addiction and Decay:
The recent arrests of three basketball professionals—Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and assistant Damon Jones—created headlines. Director Kash Patel stood before the Justice Department and labeled these events “historic arrests across a broad criminal enterprise enveloping both the NBA and La Cosa Nostra.” The timing was impeccable, coinciding with the start of basketball season, ensuring maximum embarrassment for the league and its commissioner, Adam Silver.
Silver likely seethed with anger. Yet, in a way, he played a role in facilitating this situation. A decade ago, he advocated for the legalization of sports betting nationwide in an op-ed for The New York Times. His reasoning appeared sensible: since Americans were already betting illegally, why not regulate it? However, this paved the way for the convergence of sports and speculation, effectively transforming the game into a platform for constant wagering, where every fan potentially becomes a bettor.
Previously, gambling was the underbelly of sports culture—dominated by backroom bookmakers and dubious offshore sites. Now, it sponsors pregame shows, features in scrolling banners beneath highlight reels, and buzzes through push notifications directly to our phones. Athletes, coaches, and fans find themselves enmeshed in a vast system that monetizes the unpredictability that initially draws us to sports.
Let’s disregard the hyperbole from Kash Patel in the first paragraph—who uses a term like “La Cosa Nostra” nowadays? It’s reminiscent of a bygone era. While Sunkara’s classification of secular sports as sacred is questionable, there’s no doubt that gambling risks damaging football, baseball, basketball, and golf. In the past, I would first reach for the sports section of the morning newspaper; box scores told the unvarnished truth. Eventually, games are determined by on-field performance, occasionally marred by officiating errors. The sports section was my lone refuge from media embellishments. Now, the integrity of professional sports—including college athletics, which have always blurred the lines of amateurism—hangs in the balance, at the mercy of gamblers and bookies—both legal and otherwise.
Returning to the Dodgers and why their victory in the World Series was unjust: their star player should have faced severe consequences last year, akin to the fates of Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, at least for a few seasons (pardon me, Wukchumni, but I cherished the Dodgers of Koufax, Drysdale, and Wills during my Little League days). Gambling is an unforgivable sin in baseball—especially involving a bookie. Yet we are meant to believe that Shohei Ohtani—a megastar not seen since Babe Ruth’s dual prowess—was blissfully unaware that his interpreter was recklessly gambling away millions of his earnings without any knowledge from Ohtani or his financial advisors. Really?
A friend of mine, a seasoned baseball aficionado since the days of the New York Yankees’ legends like Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, and Elston Howard, observed: “At least the Most Valuable Player (Yamamoto) wasn’t Ohtani, who any savvy member of the financial sector knows is more implicated than his feigned innocence implies. In their circles, $500k transfers (twice) don’t go unverified or without adhering to security protocols and IRS guidelines. Such transactions don’t occur accidentally. Ohtani claimed he made those transfers to bail out his friend from gambling debts, yet the very next day his lawyer contended that Ohtani was unaware of them.”
Which narrative should we believe, Shohei? Make your choice. The complicated truths behind this situation remain well-concealed, unsurprising coming from Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of Baseball. Following the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, he referred to the Commissioner’s Trophy given to the World Series victor as merely a “hunk of metal.” This time, however, MLB is obligated to safeguard their first $700 Million Man (albeit with much of his earnings deferred), no matter what. For now, the strategy appears to be effective.
Simultaneously, online betting traps that I prefer not to name are leading to bankruptcies among men in their 20s and 30s (with a few astute women as exceptions) at an alarming rate. Unlike the bookmaker from days gone by who would immediately cut off a client unable to pay, the online betting world provides no such safeguards until it’s far too late, when credit cards finally get canceled. Dire consequences loom on the horizon. Our nation seems unfocused.
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) may soon face a reckoning as owners push for a salary cap in their next contract, especially since the Dodgers, with their second-highest payroll, won the World Series against the Blue Jays (#5) for a second consecutive year. It’s a shame that Marvin Miller is no longer around to guide them. With his genuine background in labor movements, he would caution players against becoming mere props in bets intended to make a great game even more thrilling—a dangerous trade-off that will only worsen.
Part the Second: The Follies of Wellness Influencers In a recent piece that surprised few outside the influencer sphere, Wellness Influencers Are Relying on Junk Science highlights:
A new health revolution is unfolding online. Forget hurried GP visits and overcrowded clinics—today’s health experts are wellness gurus clad in yoga attire, discussing cortisol levels and marketing empowerment. As recently reported by the Wall Street Journal, “hormone balance” and “wellness” are being touted as both diagnosis and cure, promising improved sleep, clearer skin, and peaceful moods through a commitment to this trend.
Yet, before dismissing this movement, it’s essential to recognize that many women have justly lost faith in traditional medicine. They grow weary of being misunderstood, overmedicated, or told their issues are “just hormonal.” Into that gap has surged the wellness industry, which represents both rebellion and exploitation of women’s anxieties.
There’s much truth in this perspective. Trust in the authority and effectiveness of modern medicine has eroded, and the medical establishment is largely to blame. Consequently:
The wellness industry extends beyond vitamins and supplements. Los Angeles photographer Masha Maltsava, for instance, has rid her home of “forever chemicals,” switched to cast iron cookware, and discarded her polyester leggings. She now tracks her stress levels with an Oura ring and relies on AI to analyze her lab results.
However, this reliance on the wellness sector poses risks. What began as a legitimate quest for better health has transformed into a multi-million-pound industry. Herein lies the conflict between “first do no harm” and “buyer beware.” It’s commendable that women seek non-pharmaceutical solutions for particular ailments, but the concern is that they might be sold certainty in lieu of scientific evidence. It’s easy to ridicule those who turn to influencers instead of medical professionals, but when the demand for answers is high, someone is always ready to sell a solution.
The irony is that the wellness ecosystem is driven by profit. Influencers create a narrative that makes their audience feel they’re lacking something vital in their lives. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of wellness claims is increasingly suspect. Little of this is supported by substantial evidence, and most studies are limited in scope, often relying on terms like “preliminary findings” and “emerging science.”
This trend underscores a broader collapse of trust in expertise. In this case, the old medical paternalism hasn’t been replaced by improved self-guided care, but rather by unabashed consumerism anchored in junk science.
Indeed, until we establish a healthcare system prioritizing health for all, this issue will persist. The industry will be led by figures like Medical Medium, Anthony William, who claims to possess unique abilities to communicate with the Spirit of Compassion, providing advanced medical insights beyond today’s understanding. There’s also Levels.com, where for about $2,000 yearly, one can continuously monitor blood glucose levels, though this may mean little to those without diabetes or pre-diabetes. In the meantime, people continue to suffer from poor diets consisting of food-like substances, but perhaps this trend will change.
Part the Third: Human Uniqueness Within the Animal Kingdom Faces New Challenges A paper in Science recently revealed that chimpanzees exhibit scientific reasoning:
The human ability to discern relevant information as evidence and adapt beliefs in the face of contradicting information forms the basis of scientific inquiry. The extent to which nonhuman animals can perform similar reasoning has been debated extensively. In The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin highlighted the challenge of human intelligence for evolutionary theory, predicting the existence of psychological traits in nonhuman apes that would bridge the cognitive gap. Recent research by Schleihauf et al. suggests that chimpanzees can refine their beliefs based on new evidence, further supporting Darwin’s groundbreaking assertion.
However, this conclusion has been long overdue. Nonhuman primates have already demonstrated self-awareness. Great apes also exhibit the ability to reconsider choices when presented with contrary evidence.
This progress raises questions about whether chimpanzees can adequately assess new evidence’s strength compared to their existing beliefs and adjust them accordingly as humans do (metacognition). This capacity for reflective reasoning represents a defining characteristic of rationality that the staunchest skeptics of animal intelligence may reluctantly acknowledge. The team led by Schleihauf et al. utilized a well-established experimental design where subjects could revisit initial choices after receiving additional information (9). Their experiments involved 15 to 23 chimpanzees residing at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Uganda, testing their capability to adjust decisions based on varying evidence strength regarding hidden food.
Schleihauf et al. provided subjects with eight opportunities to locate food concealed in two identical containers. The chimpanzees could select one container but not both. In each trial, they received two sequential hints: one offering strong, conclusive evidence, and the other presenting weak, inconclusive evidence. The order of the hints varied. Regardless of the order or type of evidence (visual or auditory), the chimpanzees consistently relied on the strong evidence. Notably, when weak evidence was first presented, subjects often revised their choices after encountering stronger evidence, reflecting rational belief adjustment.
The research by Schleihauf et al. is accessible here, albeit behind a paywall. The findings strongly support Charles Darwin’s arguments in The Descent of Man (and Selection in Relation to Sex), published in 1871, eleven years after On the Origin of Species (By Means of Natural Selection). This discovery illustrates a continuum involving our nonhuman relatives. However, one notable observation remains: many individuals of the species Homo sapiens lack metacognitive abilities. This includes a worrying number of medical students who need to be reminded that improved study habits typically lead to better academic performance and, subsequently, better patient care. It’s perplexing that they require such reminders—one would assume failing grades would suffice as a wake-up call. Yet following this advice yields positive results 99% of the time. Imagine that.
Part the Fourth: Revisiting the Sokal Hoax Three Decades Later A lengthy article in The Baffler, titled Little Magazine, discusses the significance of small magazines on both the Left and Right and their enduring nature. My introduction to these magazines occurred at a long-gone newsstand across from my university, brimming with a variety of publications like Dissent, Working Papers for a New Society, Monthly Review, The Public Interest, Partisan Review, Commentary, Lingua Franca, City Journal, Past & Present. I read them all. For those unaware, here’s a brief recap of Alan Sokal’s infamous episode:
In his article, “Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity,” published in the Spring/Summer 1996 “Science Wars” issue of Social Text, Sokal argued that quantum gravity is merely a social and linguistic construct. At that time, the journal did not follow typical peer review practices and did not submit the article for external evaluation by a physicist. Shortly after its publication, Sokal exposed the hoax in an article for Lingua Franca, causing a stir regarding the scholarly merit of commentary on physical sciences by humanities scholars and the influence of postmodern philosophy in the social spheres, as well as academic ethics surrounding the deception.
Does Critical Theory have its flaws? Absolutely. Some aspects may be obscure or overly scrutinized, but this also applies to science—one cannot discover these issues ex ante. At the time, Social Text was a serious publication under Stanley Aronowitz that had undergone four readings prior to publishing the article, none of which included a physicist.
Sokal received much acclaim in my circles, but I always believed he landed a cheap shot that epitomized the “I’m a scientist; therefore, I am superior” mindset. We see where this hubris has led. Whether the sciences can regain their social and cultural relevance remains uncertain. Hubris often leads to downfall, and even critics like Sabine Hossenfelder note that physics might be lost in a cul-de-sac. This may be an inevitable outcome. Physics is constrained by a “small problem”—its foundations rest solely on a brief window shortly after the Big Bang. In contrast, biology thrives on a dynamic evolutionary history spanning over three billion years (this is a Wiki link, but it summarizes the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) well). Contrary to the dreams of certain physicists and even some biologists, biology cannot be distilled down to chemistry, let alone physics. This represents the (somewhat cliché) KLG Conjecture, and I stand by it.
Part the Fifth: Political Shifts in Unexpected Places What unfolds next remains uncertain, but the events of Election Day 2025 were notable, particularly in New York City and other unexpected regions. One of these was Georgia, where Marjorie Taylor Greene emerged as a politician with reasonable perspectives on crucial issues—a twist I didn’t foresee. Only two statewide races filled the ballot, both concerning the Public Service Commission, which has historically supported utility companies in the largest state east of the Mississippi and now ranking eighth by population in the U.S. According to coverage from The Current, the sole reliable news source in Coastal Georgia:
Democrats Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson achieved an upset in Georgia’s off-year special election, defeating two Republican incumbents in the Public Service Commission. This double victory marks the first time the Democratic Party has secured a statewide constitutional office in Georgia since 2006, reshaping the political landscape ahead of the critical midterms in 2026. By 10:15 PM, Alicia Johnson led with nearly 60.5% of the votes, according to unofficial results, while Hubbard garnered 60.7%.
Voter turnout exceeded expectations for an off-year election (>1.5 million votes). The final results were even clearer: 63% to 37% in favor of each Democrat—a remarkable defeat for the incumbents. It’s essential to remember that transformative changes take time, and criticism of the victorious candidates should be suspended until we see tangible results. This uphill battle has been a long time in the making, and reversing our course will require sustained effort to avoid further decline. The adage Natura non facit saltum applies to both biology and political economy. In these times, hope must fuel our actions, not mere consumerism. As Rabbi Tarfon articulated nearly 2,000 years ago, “It is not your duty to finish the work, but you are not free to neglect it either.”
Conclusion
As we conclude, it’s vital to reflect on the evolving landscapes of sports, wellness, and our understanding of human and animal cognition. The convergence of traditional values with contemporary challenges prompts a reevaluation of how we engage with athletics and health trends. It underscores the responsibility we bear as citizens in shaping a future that values integrity and genuine wellness over profit-driven ideologies. Until next week!
