Q

Jays vs. Rangers: Who's to blame for the baseball brawl?

q's sports culture panel thinks beyond the play-by-play to weigh in on the societal impact of sports stories.
Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista gets slugged by Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor in Arlington, Texas this week. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Associated Press)

q's sports culture panel thinks beyond the play-by-play to weigh in on the societal impact of sports stories. Not a fan? Not a problem. Our panel watches much more than the scoreboard. 

Today the Toronto Star's Morgan Campbell, Globe and Mail columnist Stacey May Fowles and The Nation's Dave Zirin join Shad to discuss the biggest and strangest stories in sports. Today: 

  • The Jays/Rangers brawl has had people talking about all week. We take a closer look at the payback code in baseball. "Everyone's looking for someone to blame," says Morgan, adding that we've got to talk about the fragility of athletes' egos. "The biggest culprit in all of this is this toxic mix of insecurity and testosterone and hurt feelings." 

  • Plus: Stacey breaks down a recent Washington Post survey that claims 9 in 10 Native Americans aren't offended by The Washington Redskins name. Dave, who cites a study that came to a very different conclusion, says the survey doesn't pass the sniff test. "This is about protecting a billion dollar brand and the Washington Post should be ashamed of itself ... I think this whole thing stinks to high heaven." 

  • Are we on the brink of a two-dollar stadium hotdog revolution? What about $5 beer? The panel is all for cheap snacks, but they jury's still out on bargain drinks. "The alcohol thing freaks me out just a little bit," says Stacey, adding that very drunk people have the ruined the game experience for her in the past.