Defending the last place where men can be men

Sometimes I wonder what younger men talk about in 2026.

Then I think about my own youth in my 20s and 30s. What did my friends and I talk about? Music, mostly. At least with my crowd. What bands you liked. What new groups you were listening to.

Why is a female broadcaster telling me about returning punts? I returned punts on my JV football team in high school, and it was terrifying. She has never returned a punt.

Films were another topic. The latest movies by Scorsese or Tarantino. There were video games, of course. And books occasionally. And more esoteric pursuits: Computer stuff. Martial arts. Learning to surf.

And then the perennial topics: sports, politics, jobs, women.

The day the music died

Nowadays, music has faded in importance to most men. Movies also seem less popular and not as important.

Politics has become a dangerous subject. Nobody is talking about that in a casual way — not with people they don’t know.

Dating is also a difficult topic of conversation. Women seem to be outdoing men in education, employment, and almost everything else. They really don’t need us any more. And they know it.

A respite in sportsball

But then there’s sports. That’s one topic getting more popular with men.

Sports is safe to talk about. It’s an easy subject to introduce. It’s something men of all ages seem to have an instinctual interest in.

Most importantly, it’s an area where masculinity is not criticized. In sports, men can do “men” things. They can be violent (football). Or graceful (basketball). Or analytical and strategic (baseball).

A safe harbor

Sports remain a place of sanctuary for guys. To become deeply involved in a "Monday Night Football" game is like a separate state of consciousness where you are momentarily shielded from the anxieties of the day.

A good football game has a satisfying narrative. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end. The competition is real. The result is conclusive. What happened happened. When it’s done, it’s done.

There’s no changing the outcome afterward. No manipulating the statistics or who gets the credit.

A family affair

A love of sports is something you can pass on to your children. You can create family traditions around it.

Unlike most things in modern life, sports institutions remain connected to their histories. Consistency is valued. Conservation is a virtue.

If your grandfather took you to Fenway Park to see the Boston Red Sox, you might do the same with your grandchildren. Which is a great point of pride in Boston.

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Chip Somodevilla/Archive Photos/Getty Images

The bookie is on your phone

Unfortunately, anything with this much cultural significance and historic value will inevitably be subverted by the powers that be.

One obvious example: online gambling, which has been permanently attached to every kind of sporting event. Point spreads are now the first talking point when discussing an upcoming game. Even if you don’t gamble yourself, the constant presence of sports betting brings an aura of darkness and exploitation to what should be wholesome entertainment.

It’s nice that they have a “Gambling-is-ruining-my-life” hotline. But what would be even better is for sports gambling to be illegal, as it was for almost my entire lifetime.

Sideline reporters

Another vector of attack: the presence of women in areas of sports that should rightly be the domain of men.

Throughout the sporting world, we see women inserted into male competitions as referees, commentators, coaches, and trainers.

Why is a female broadcaster telling me about returning punts? I returned punts on my JV football team in high school, and it was terrifying. She has never returned a punt. I want to hear from someone who’s done it and knows what it feels like.

Hurting the children

Another alarming development: the transformation of sports into a potential career path for children, who find themselves involved in grueling training routines before they have reached their teens. And this despite coaches, pro athletes, and ex-players urging kids not to begin life-altering training too early.

An entire industry has emerged to develop “future sports stars” from an early age. Never mind the damage to their bodies and the delusional parents who fall for these scams. These kids will be so burned out that they’ll never want to play sports again.

Don’t get too comfortable

All of which is to say: Sports is a precious resource for men. It keeps us sane. It makes us happy. Think about the joy we have experienced in recent weeks from the beginning of the new NFL season.

But we can never get too comfortable. We must remain diligent and protect sports culture from subversion and profiteering. If sports is what we love, sports is what we should fight for.