John R. Gerdy

John R. Gerdy is visiting professor of sports administration at Ohio University and the author of Sports: The All—American Addiction, from which this article is excerpted. In it, he protests what he feels are the negative effects of the confluence of sports and entertainment in popular culture. In his opinion, the games themselves have become secondary to their entertainment value and the profit that they can generate. Gerdy contends that "sportainment" is negatively influencing American culture, not merely reflecting values of a capitalist, media—driven society. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE THOUGHT OF comparing professional wrestling and the NFL, NBA, or major college sporting events was unthinkable. The lines of distinction were simply too clear. Wrestling was staged. Rivalries were created and then hyped. What transpired outside of the...