New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon sits down with Sports and Society Members Arthur Miller, Arthur Caplan, Robert Boland, Wayne McDonnell, Jr. and Lee Igel for lunch to discuss the integration of sports in today’s society. The group discusses the benefits of youth involvement in sports, the state of student athletes in big market college programs, the dramatic increase in media and marketing in sports, and the evolution of Major League Baseball ownership.
This lunch also provides an open forum for Fred Wilpon and the group to discuss baseball’s impact in New York city in recent decades. Particular attention is paid to the public service work done by players within the community, from visiting hospitals to participating in after-school programs. In addition, Wilpon reflects on the emotional games played in mid September, 2001 after baseball resumed following the 9/11 attacks.
