Football May Be More Popular — And Shameful — Than Ever

Published January 8, 2015 at 12:35 PM CST

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Ray Rice #27 of the Baltimore Ravens sits on the bench against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of their preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 16, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. Rice was let go from the Baltimore Ravens after a video surfaced from TMZ showing Rice knocking his then-fiance unconscious in a casino elevator. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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.