It was mentioned at some point earlier that ETA didn't buy into the idea of a corporate sponsorship for the entire academy as Port Washington did, but Wallace still draws distinct connections between tennis and consumer culture. I thought it was interesting that he'd take the time to mention who was sponsored by whom, who's logos were plastered on whose gearbags. And this is just in the Jrs, the tournaments that rarely make it on television.
In our reality, sports is a huge outlet for consumerism, the incredible SuperBowl ad prices, and the brand recognition that seems to skyrocket the moment a popular athlete signs on with the brand. NBC airs more hours of the Olympics than anyone could possibily watch. Sports is arguably an addiction for a large demographic for advertisers to spend so much in sports.
You're completely right-- sports is very intricately related to consumerism in today's world. Isn't it true that some athletes make more from endorsements than they do from their actual sports-playing contracts? It's kind of sad that even in low-level competition, kids (like in Infinite Jest) are pressured to have sponsors and that kind of thing. When did athletics become less about the fun and more about money?
Consumerism is obviously a huge player in Infinite Jest, as is advertising and money, and sports are just another aspect of life that has been corrupted by the mass consumerist culture. And is also turns into a vicious chain-> once tennis players start getting money from endorsements or advertisments, they have even MORE incentive to win/do well, thus are more likely to get a "competitive edge" by doing steroids/drugs/etc. AND THEN, once they get caught, they get in even bigger trouble. phew.
Once sports started getting so popular in America that people got paid well for it, it just escalated from there. Sports have become so elite in America now that it is a supply and demand concept. The demand is so high to be a professional athlete, that those who do have the level of talent and determination necessary get paid the big bucks. About endorsements-- Tiger Woods makes most of his millions through endorsements, not with winning tour championships. This is a result of our obsession with fame, fortune, and the people that are lucky enough to have these two things.