In time of crisis, Canada Sports Hall of Fame inductees highlight what is good about sports

For cynics, it's easy to take a dim view of what's going on in the world of sports these days. 

What we for so long thought of as fun and games has been rocked by the ravages of the real world. These days we investigate sport because of its shortcomings at least as much as we celebrate it for its triumphs. 

At time of writing, Hockey Canada executives are testifying before the House of Commons heritage committee about its handling of reports of sexual abuse. An independent report documented a "toxic environment" at Rowing Canada.  Another investigation has revealed systemic sexual misconduct involving players who compete in the National Women's Soccer League, (NWSL).

Add to that the ongoing scandal at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton which has been rocked by allegations of unprofessional and authoritarian leadership that has adversely affected the performance of many of its athletes. 

And to top it all off, the award bestowed on Canada's greatest individual athlete of any given year will soon be re-branded in order to remove its namesake who is accused of being racially intolerant. 

In the recent past, sport in Canada has been forced to deal with issues of inclusion, athlete safety, and myriad cases of widespread abuse, harassment, corruption, and incompetence on the part of those in charge. These are the people who are supposedly responsible for fair play as well as the overall welfare of the players themselves.

Sport is facing a time of crisis on many fronts and its relevance is being questioned, perhaps more than at any time in recent memory. 

The common wisdom is that sport must change — and change for the better.

Against this backdrop Canada's Sports Hall of Fame will induct the Class of 2022 at a lavish ceremony in