Topic: Sports Media

Greg Carlwood asks Kerry Rhodes about the theory that professional sports are a "modern-day opiate" with outcomes manipulated for profit. Rhodes acknowledges that the rise of legalized gambling and advanced analytics suggests significant behind-the-scenes activity in the modern era. However, he notes that during his playing days before the social media boom, players were primarily focused on their own performance and earnings.

Brian Tuohy recounts his experiences working as a professional writer for Vice Sports and USA Today's Sports on Earth. He describes how editors killed or manipulated stories that threatened the bottom line of major leagues. Tuohy shares an anecdote about a mainstream fight website commissioning an article on UFC corruption only to refuse publication without explanation.

Author Brian Tuohy, an expert on game fixing and sports conspiracies, discusses his research into the corruption of the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. He notes that while game fixing is a recognized issue in international soccer and tennis, the American sports media is too closely tied to the leagues to investigate such claims. Tuohy argues that even if only a small fraction of games are manipulated, the entire integrity of the multi-billion dollar industry is compromised.