"Child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein did not want to ingratiate himself only to billionaires. He wanted to spend time with people who shaped the culture, and as we saw during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, nothing shapes the culture quite like the athletic industrial complex. The website Front Office Sports went through the latest tranche of hurriedly redacted Epstein files, and it is shocking just how many NFL franchise owners are in these e-mails and assorted documents."
"They include-and this is a partial list-Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots; Steve Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants and first cousin of Jessica Tisch, the current New York City police commissioner; Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins; Zygi Wilf, owner of the Minnesota Vikings; and Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons. There are more NFL owners in the Epstein files than attended the Super Bowl."
"Denials have already been sputtered, and the owners' public relations machines are working in overdrive to deny that they are anything more than incidental acquaintances of Epstein. But how many were actually friends with Epstein is less relevant than the fact that everyone who associated with Epstein ignored and excused what was often happening in plain sight around them. And as hard as their PR mavens are working to deflect attention, the sports media is working just as hard to ignore it all."
Jeffrey Epstein sought association with cultural power brokers, focusing on the athletic industrial complex. Front Office Sports reviewed redacted Epstein files and found numerous NFL franchise owners named. The list includes Robert Kraft, Steve Tisch, Stephen Ross, Zygi Wilf, and Arthur Blank, among others. Many owners issued denials while public relations teams downplayed connections. The pattern shows associates overlooked or excused problematic behavior occurring in plain sight. Sports media largely avoided investigative coverage of implicated sports figures. ESPN produced minimal reporting, and the NFL's business ties to the network create potential conflicts affecting coverage.
Read at The Nation
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