The sports world appears to have turned its focus from being about the games to being all about the Benjamins. With the finite budgets available in the pros, prices are on the rise for fans, there are significant disparities in player paychecks, swathes of network personalities have been let go, gambling sites are sponsoring teams, and organizations are looking outside of the usual funding channels to keep the lights on. Billie Jean King and the WTA are considering a partnership with Saudi Arabia to help advance the women’s rights movement in that country. Will this truly affect a change for women while bringing in much-needed funds for the players and the running of the WTA as King hopes, or is it another instance of sports washing?

Are the travails of the pros also filtering down into college sports? College football is America’s 2nd most popular sport, yet schools are still chasing the lucrative media dollars. Has that been the catalyst for teams abandoning traditional regional conferences for higher-profile ones farther across the country? Should the NCAA have increased the amounts given in athletic scholarships, which may have provided a better way for athletes to cope with being able to afford to be on a team while getting their education instead of looking for ways to bring in extra money? Would there be more team stability without the seemingly constant shuffle of players through the transfer portal? Did former commissioner Mark Emmert open Pandora’s Box when he ushered in the NIL and transfer portal?

Although his initial suspension had been set to expire this month, Bob Baffert is still being penalized by Churchill Downs, who are extending his ban through 2024 with 2025 in question. Does the governing body believe that he disregards the rules and regulations of racing because he has not admitted guilt after his horse, Medina Spirit, failed a drug test that disqualified his Kentucky Derby win in 2021? Is he being singled out when over a dozen horses died at Churchill Downs the week of the race? What caused their deaths, and why have there been so many casualties in horse racing recently? Is there something toxic in the artificial track surface, or is more going on that has not been made public?

Email Fred, Art, and Mark with questions and comments at sportsfred@aol.com