Football May Be More Popular — And Shameful — Than Ever

The recent start of the college football playoffs drew the largest audience in the history of cable television, with 28.2 million TV viewers watching Oregon beat Florida State. And NFL games continue to dominate primetime TV.

This comes as football is under increased scrutiny for the injuries sustained by many players, and amid controversies over how the NFL handles players accused of domestic abuse.

Derek Thompson, senior editor at the Atlantic, joins Here & Now’s Lisa Mullins to discuss how football is becoming both more controversial and popular at the same time.

• Read Derek Thompson’s piece, “The Shameful Triumph of Football”

Guest

• Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic. He tweets @DKThomp.

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