ABSTRACT
This chapter has been written as a polemic to encourage debate on whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) through sport (especially that associated with the professional sport industry) can be considered to be “deep.” This chapter emphasizes the weaknesses. It uses examples from publicly available documentation and relatively uncontroversial research conducted by the author. Whilst recognizing that some of the “strategic CSR” that accompanies the sports industry undoubtedly contains enough depth that ultimately alters the corporate governance of the industries they interact with (The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) arguably has achieved this), I feel that the majority of CSR through sport lacks sufficient substance, promotes too much greenwashing and distorts power relations. In short, the corporate governance of much of the professional sports industry is fundamentally bankrupt; CSR barely makes a dent in improving governance systems. Probably more contentious is my view that what is written in the main body here only touches the surface of the gross misconduct associated with how many sports industries operate. This includes allegations of corruption, bribery, money laundering, links with organized crime, prostitution, the historic alienation and disregard of fans and employees, being economically unsustainable, attempting to grossly distort the political decision-making process, racism, sexism and so on.
