Camille Paglia. She's a real gold mine, Doc, and I'll forever be grateful for your having turned me on to her.
She routinely decries the mindless destruction of the values and principles which got us where we are, as a species and as a society. It's amazing, and more than a little depressing, that there aren't fewer people who view the issue as clearly as she does.
In my wanderings of the internet's darkest corners, I've discovered a few people like her. Christina Hoff Sommers is one I'm fairly confident you're already familiar with ;-) and I first encountered her a year or so ago on her Factual Feminist Youtube series done with the American Enterprise Institute. She's an OG feminist from the 60's, like Paglia, and has referred to Paglia as her 'hero' in interviews.
Another one I unearthed just a few weeks ago, who is deeply involved with the #GamerGate situation, is Milo Yiannopolous. He's a colorful character who is as opposed to most modern progressive issues as one can get, and he does a good job of articulating his reasoning for that opposition. He writes at Breitbart, and as I said is fairly colorful, but if you haven't already read him he might be worth a few minutes scouring their site. He's a provocative read, that's for sure. He's a self-described homophobic gay man who has argued that his subculture would serve themselves, and society, better by going back into the closet; and he's been one of the few people arguing that the current transgender conversation is ignoring damning evidence regarding suicide and depression in post-operative gender reassigned people. Needless to say, he's a provocateur, and he often cites Camille Paglia and Christina Hoff Sommers when making his arguments.
If you're not familiar with the #GamerGate situation, which started late last year, I would advise that you start with Milo's earlier entries on the subject over at Breitbart and work your way through them until you've got a feel for what it's all about. #GamerGate might end up being the most important social movement of the early 21st century, and I'm probably underselling the probability by an unacceptable amount. What started out as an honest examination of poor journalistic practices in the gaming industry was quickly countered by all-out warfare being declared on pretty much all things masculine in video games, and the gaming community has pushed back with reason, fact, and evidence to disprove the usual accusations of prejudice within the community and medium. Needless to say, their opponents weren't expecting such stiff resistance, and people like Hoff Sommers are hailing #GamerGate as the greatest consumer uprising in human history--and as providing a model by which future uprisings in other venues might succeed against totalitarian agendas.
Ok, so I said all of that to say ;-)
What's fascinating is that, as you suggest, pro sports are one of the few areas (I cringe at the use of the word 'spaces,' though it might be apt) where openly masculine displays are not only acceptable, but are actively encouraged and celebrated. The #GamerGate situation was essentially ignited by invocation of nonsenical ideas such as 'toxic masculinity' and 'socially-ingrained misogyny,' which were fairly well disproved by the gaming community in the opening rounds. But, naturally, the recursive nature of the accusations of so-called 'toxic masculinity's influence on anyone who gets accused of it essentially silenced men from defending themselves against such accusations. What's been interesting is how many O.G. feminists like Hoff Sommers, gay men like Milo Yiannopolous, and even porn stars are jumping up to defend traditionally masculine men--who have, essentially, been denied the opportunity to defend themselves by the carefully-constructed argument that everything masculine is inherently destructive. Strange bedfellows, indeed, but the accusations of toxic masculinity and other irrational, baseless theories have been functionally disproved by these people on behalf of men, at least as it pertains to the gaming community.
It makes me wonder, as you seem to do above, just how long it will take for the pendulum to swing back the other way. To my mind, #GamerGate might mark the turning point. But that might just be wishful thinking. Still, with the rising popularity of MMA, the NFL, and the gaming community's active pushback against the forces which accuse masculinity of being the root of all evil, it's encouraging to see that people like Carroll--who unabashedly encourages competition, which is nothing if not inherently masculine--enjoying so much success. I think, as much as being the result of his profound wisdom, the resonance of his message and philosophy is a product of the times we live in. A hundred years ago members of society would have shrugged their shoulders and collectively replied, 'Duh!' to his suggestion that competition is at the heart of everything we do, or at least it should be if we want to achieve our potential. But we've undergone such radical ideological shifts at the vocal fringes of society that we do seem to have lost touch with an important part of what got us here.
Anyway, that's the best I can do at the moment to reciprocate your linkage to Paglia's Salon articles a few months ago.