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The NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA are the big four when it comes to sports, with the biggest fandoms and best ratings.
But on the latest episode of The Fumble, cohosts Rodney Rikai and Samaria debate if there’s room for another sport to creep in and become dominant.
For Rikai, women’s volleyball was one of the most popular sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“There’s a surging energy around volleyball. There’s a part of women’s volleyball that fuels and feeds the thing that most men who watch women’s sports are looking for. That’s, of course, the beautiful women that are also highlighted by virtue of their uniforms, their bodies,” Rikai says, regarding the constant sexualizing of women in sports.
Terry wants to see softball become more popular because of the hype surrounding the NCAA tournament, which features powerhouses like Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida State, and Georgia.
Next, the team talks about the lack of LGBTQ representation in sports, specifically gay male athletes, which Rodney thinks will be ushered in with the next generation of athletes.
“I am looking forward to the first superstar gay male athlete in football or basketball because I just think it’s time,” Rikai asserts.
While we search for new stars, we can improve upon the current game, especially the NBA, which fans have been fed up with as ratings decline. So, our special guest this week, Matt Barnes, talks about the changing landscape of the hardwood.
“I think the NBA lacks storylines. You used to be able to grow with players in their high school careers, through college, and into the league, but now there’s just a ton of young players. Coming from everywhere, and no one knows them,” Barnes said.
Barnes also thinks that his former teammate Steph Curry‘s elite-level shooting also affects the sport because the younger players want to emulate him.