Why Chinese Soccer Matters

Imagine if David Stern, after his retirement as commissioner of the N.B.A., was led off in leg irons for taking bribes. His predecessor goes with him on a ten-year hitch behind bars. And, for good measure, throw in a couple of members of the winningest team in international competition—let’s say, Magic and Jordan from the 1992 Olympic team—sent away for half a dozen years each, along with scores of top-level referees, team officials, and other players, all jailed for taking bribes and fixing games.