An American Mirror.

Sports in the United States has always served to reflect the best and worst the culture has to offer. The big-money wheeling and dealing of professional sports and the increased professionalization of amateur athletics since the end of World War II were, after all, reflective of an American society that was maturing in its new role as a political and economic world power. During the 1970s, however, the image of Americans mirrored by their participation in and obsession with sports was far from pretty — indeed, had never before been more disturbing. The frightening rise of violence at all levels of American sport during the decade seemed to be not only tolerated but also embraced.

Institutionalized Violence.

The country's failed military intervention in Vietnam; domestic social ills, such as the decay of America's cities and the sharp increase in crime; and...