There's something almost fascinating about watching an addiction being promoted as a glorious thing on national television. One scene after another of zombie gamblers staring at screens with bated breath, as a very consequential moment that used to mean Victory or Defeat for one's favorite Sportsball team but now may mean Mortgage Payment or No Mortgage Payment, presented as a way of making a game more "exciting;" no, actually, as a way of making a game worth watching at all. It's fascinating and disturbing at the same time, like a five-car pileup on the Jersey Turnpike. Now imagine that five-car pileup on the Jersey Turnpike being presented as an example of how driving is Much More Fun.
It's no secret that online gambling has taken over the promotion of professional sports; even credit cards, trucks, and alcohol can't compete. Entire pregame and postgame shows are sponsored by these vultures, and the most famous faces in Hollywood have moved on from peddling crypto to hawking the joys of risking money in the stupidest way imaginable that doesn't involve the Multi-Level Marketing. The current sports era is, in fact, Garbage Time. Let's hope it doesn't last too long or cause TOO much damage, but right now, I'm downright nostalgic for those ads questioning my manhood if I didn't invest in Bitcoin.
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