I don't see the "notion" being pushed that the way to measure the value of athletes' contributions to their sports is by how many Instagram followers they have. Has Alysa's IG been discussed? Of course. But for someone to think IG activity equates to contribution to the sport, well, that's absurd. Further, the Gucci bag remark was unnecessary. But if anyone wants to see a Gucci bag on a skater, you'll have to go see Yuzu about that. He's a Gucci ambassador and Alysa is a Vuitton ambassador.
This is 2026. And I'm interested in the sport's future, not its past. How we consume sports and the activities of athletes, in general, has dramatically changed. I don't need a butt-in-seat count. I don't want to go to events. Certain types of people go to sporting events but in no way is suggestive of a sport's popularity. I watch the sport up close on two screens at the same time - desktop computer and big screen TV.
God help the people who look at "butts in seats" at the U.S. Open (Tennis) to determine the popularity of the sport or even the Kentucky Derby. Both have the same problem - many people care more about going there for social reasons, rather than caring about what is actually going on in the sport. "What hat are you wearing, Ethel?" And, "Who designed it?" Then they go get trashed on Mint Juleps.