Sports Feel Completely Meaningless Right Now — and More Valuable Than Ever

The phrase “stick to sports” — hurled at athletes and commentators by people who mistakenly believe it’s possible to separate politics and athletic pursuits — has been thoroughly vivisected over the years, and with good reason. But I confess that I’ve always been sympathetic to the theoretical concept. A large part of the public utility of sports, I’d argue, is that it’s one of the few worlds you can escape into as refuge from your troubles, a bona fide “safe space” that isn’t actually free of the failings of the...