Sports and Ethnicities

In many ways sport means much more in the african american community than in other racial communities. Many african americans grow up in inner cities where they have limited opportunities. One way for many african americans to make it out of poverty is to become a professional athlete so sports tend to be more important for their community. Arthur from hoop dreams is a prime example of a young child who uses basketball as a way to succeed growing up in poverty. Although the story of Michael Oher in the movie "Blindside" is different than the lives of the two kids from hoops dreams, it is similar in many ways. Michael was adopted by a wealthy white family giving him a chance to have more opportunities to succeed. For Michael, football was his way of succeeding in life. Michael is given much more opportunities than the children from hoop dreams. I don't believe that sport is damaging Black American and preserving the myth of race, I feel it does the opposite. Sport helps bring together different communities to work as a team to succeed.

Sports, Women & the Gender Order

The female athlete advertisement that I decided to do was Nike's commercial "voices". This commercial presented a very positive message toward female athletes and females in general. Unlike most female advertisements that focus on looks and beauty, this commercial promoted the idea of independent, driven women. It involved multiple female athletes who overcame the negative views associated with female athletes. Our society generally views certain sports, such as football and boxing, as male sports but this commercial emphasized the fact that women can participate in any sport that men can. All the women explained how they did not let other people bring them down with negative female statements. One young girl described how she is not influenced to wear a skirt and act like a women that society expects her to be. This commercial hopefully influences young women that they do not have to conform to society, and they can be anyone and do anything they want.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1ighxU1vYw

"Interrogating inequalities in Sports Media: Examining gender/race representation in NBC's coverage of the Olympics

For this assignment I decided to explore NBC's coverage of the the Winter Olympics in Sochi. I wanted to observe gender roles through a weeks worth of coverage. I looked at how gender represented the different sports in stereotypical ways. I also observed how the gender of the announcers were dependent on the sport.

After watching a week of NBC coverage I found many interesting and observations about how sports represent gender roles. One thing I noticed was that there were many more mens announcers, despite the equal distribution of women to men sports. For example the feminine sports such as figure skating had one female announcer and one male announcer. Figure skating is seen as a feminine sport so it makes since that there would be at least one female announcer. But for women's hockey there were two men announcers despite being a women's sport. This represents how hockey is a more masculine sport so there are usually male announcers. There were also two male anouncers for women's skiing, which is seen as a more physical sport. I also found that there were more female reporters than male reporters, regardless of the sport. Most of these female reporters were attractive and easy to look at. Because reporters are shown to the viewers, unlike announcers, most media industries try to hire attractive female reporters. This represents stereotypical gender roles where women do not usually give much of their own input about the sport, rather they just report the facts and look good for the camera.

The media coverage of the Olympics on NBC can have a big influence on gender roles because so many people watch the Olympics. I found that their coverage was very similar to the coverage you see on ESPN and most sports channels, so it did not present any new stereotypes.

Reflecting on the Shame of College Sports: Should NCAA Div 1 Basketball and Football players get paid?

Collegiate sports are such a huge part of our society that they even have their own T.V. networks; ESPN U, Big 10 network, and the soon to be SEC network. NCAA is one of the largest, money making businesses in the world and the driving force behind all the money and publicity is the student athletes. This brings up a very debated question of rather or not student athletes should get paid for their athletics?

The argument for paying college athletes is a very strong one for multiple reasons. As mentioned before he NCAA is a billion dollar industry and the athletes, who are the main reason for that, are being paid nothing is salary. All of the money is going to the schools, their athletic departments, and coaches. The "Shame of College Sports" article stated that the big football schools such as Texas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Penn State each bring in 40-80 million dollars in profits each year, after paying the coaches. This is an insane amount of money and many believe student athletes should and need to be paid some of this. Paying college athletes would also decrease the possibility of athletes receiving illegal benefits under the table, such as cars, jewelry, providing strippers for the athletes, etc.. 

Although morally and logically it seems student athletes should be paid, there are also reasons that argue against paying them. The first is that in a sense these athletes are being paid through scholarships to go to very expensive schools. While many students either can't afford to go to school or struggle paying the tuition, many of these D1 athletes receive a higher education for free. Also regardless if they could pay for school or not, many of these athletes do not have the grades to attend these major universities, but their athletic ability allows for their acceptance. Another argument against is that these athletes have never been paid in the past so why should they now? College sports needs to stay true to its tradition and paying these athletes would change many aspects of collegiate sports.

I have mixed feelings on this debate as I can clearly understand both sides of the argument. At first I feel that due to the millions of dollars that these athletes generate for their schools, they need to be paid. Their production does not correspond to their value, as far as money. The NCAA seems like a corrupt business where the people at top make millions of dollars while taking advantage of these young students. I also understand that although they are being paid in tuition, that does not amount to their actual worth. While they are not producing as much revenue per person as professional athletes in leagues such as the NFL or MLB, the gap is not that wide and these professional athletes are bing paid millions of dollars. I also understand that the culture and tradition of college sports would change if student athletes were paid, but I feel change can be good, especially if it is the morally right thing to do. 

High School Sport

 High school sports sports began in the early 1900's and was modeled after the English public school system. During that time the social conditions were much different than current conditions. Racism was very prevalent during the time so man African Americans and other minorities did not receive the same opportunities as whites. High school sports provide many positives to a school as well as some negative aspects. Sports can bring a school together to collectively show pride and passion for their school. High school spots can also encourage students to stay active while learning important lessons from their sports team. These lessons can include, determination, honor, sportsmanship, and the overall benefits of athletic competition.

 Although we would like to think that high school sports accomplish all these things, in reality many of these objectives are not being met. Students often show unsportsmanlike actions as athletes and as fans for these sports teams. Students may take sports as an opportunity to show dominance and superiority, which can lead to problems. Students may also receive too much pressure from coaches, parents, etc.. to win which can put a lot of extra pressure on a student, while their first priority should be school not sports. This can also encourage students to cheat, such as taking performance enhancing drugs, or playing a dirty style of participation. There is not a single solution to help solve these problems that occur in high school sports, but there are some things that can help. One solution to dealing with parents or coaches putting too much pressure on student athletes, may be increased awareness of when there is too much pressure. Student athletes should have a counselor or someone of that sort to talk to if they feel they are receiving too much pressure. This is a delicate situation because it is hard for high school students to feel comfortable talking to someone about these matters. 

Sport, Politics, and the Olympics

The 1964 Olympic games in Tokyo cosseted of political controversy as South Africa was banned from the games. South Africa was not allowed to participate because the government was unable to permit multiracial sport. They were allowed to participate in 1968 at the Olympic games in Mexico. 

I believe the banning of South AFrican from the Olympics can represent "Sport as a vehicle of change in society." Tokyo would not accept a nation that would not allow for racial equality so their actions helped force South Africa to unite racially. Sport and the Olympics is so popular that South Africa felt they needed to make changes to support their nation, not only athletically, but most importantly politically. 

I do not necessarily agree with the statement that "sport is pure and devoid of political interference." Every large world sporting event such as the Olympics or the World Cup, the host country will always try to gain political power and endorse their country. These events will always be influenced by the current political time. One current example of this is Vladamir Putin's anti-gay rhetoric, while the U.S. is trying to eliminate homosexual inequality.  I do feel sport and politics has decreased over the past few years. 

Once the Cheering Stops: The Life of a Retired Pro Athlete

LIfe as a professional athlete can be seen as a dream job. Not only do athletes get to play the sport they love, some can receive millions of dollars and be admired by thousand and millions of people. Their professional lives usually consist of spending large amounts of money on things like cars, houses, partying, traveling etc… Most are living the life they they have always dreamed about, unlit they day comes when they retire or are cut from their team with no job. This is when reality hits them and many face difficult problems after retiring. Retired athletes often have very little work experience and most pro athletes do not have a college degree.This can lead to a difficult transition from living the life they want, to finding a normal job or just finding purpose in life. 

Athletes face several challenges after they retire. Some athletes, mainly NFL athletes, have received serious brain damage that can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. Former San Diego Chargers linebacker, Junior Seau, is a an example of this as he committed suicide a couple of years ago. For the players that still have large amounts of money after they retired, their challenges may be finding motivation and excitement in their life. Many do not feel they have a purpose anymore and can't find a consistent hobby and joy in life. The players that either had short careers or did not spend their money wisely, transitioning into the real world can be extremely challenging. Many employers will not hire employees who have not had work experience in several years, or ever, especially if they do not have a college degree. Athletes struggle so much with this transition because, for most, hey have already experienced their peak in life. Most were able to do/go anything/anywhere they wanted during their sports careers, and after they retire they have much less fame and freedom. Their ability to have so much fame and freedom while playing is a direct result of money and the admiration and passion that they receive from fans, due to the popularity of sport in the U.S. 

Although I completely understand why athletes face these difficult transitions emotionally, i feel that the players who lost most of their money and file for bankruptcy should have planed ahead more. They should have invested and spent their money much more wisely because I'm sure they have been warned of what to come after retirement. I was shocked when hearing a couple of years ago that Allen Iverson filed for bankruptcy after eating 100's of millions of dollars in his career. Situations like these just shouldn't happen. 

London Calling: The Globalization of the NFL

Although the NFL is the most popular sport in the U.S, it is not very popular amongst the world. Most international sports fans don't even really know the rules of football. Due to the popularity in the states, many believe they can expand its popularity globally and the NFL is making efforts to do so by having a game in London every year. This goal to increase global popularity is driven mainly by money. The NFL is a huge money making business and bringing the sport abroad would bring them even more profit. 

I believe the NFL has chosen London as the main international city for expansion because along with its size and amount of money, the city is similar to American Cities. There are also many Americans that live in London already. The main reason that NFL may not be successful at expanding its borders is if the European fans just don't find passion for the game. The most popular sport is soccer and football is a much different kind of sport which can be hard to adapt to as a sports fan. Other factors that may restrict expansion is the players and coaches union who may protest agains expansion. The players and coaches would not necessarily make more money so they may not want to have long travel days before games. Also the franchises that do go and play in London are sacrificing a home game which would generate more money for their specific franchises. The season ticket holders also would have sacrifice one home game to attend. 

Sociogenesis of Ruby

The sport of Rugby is a style of football that consists of the ruby league and the ruby union. It is an international sport that originated in England in the 1800's. The games of rugby may seem complicated. once understood it is a fairly simple sport. It is played with an oval ball as you try to bring the ball to the end zone by either running with it or kicking it forward. The ball can not travel forward through the air. You have to tackle the opposing opponent from gaining forward progress. If a team fails to core before six tackles the other team receives the ball. A scrum is when multiple players from each team push against each other for possession as the ball is thrown in the air. 

The largest ruby event in the world is the Ruby World Cup which is held every four years. It is a competition between the top 20 international ruby countries throughout the world and was first held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987. 

The Sport Ethic

The sport ethic has four dimensions. The first dimension has to do with sacrifice to the game. Different sacrifices include physical and mental strain on the body. Another may be time away from other productive activities such as homework or work. The second dimensions is seeking distinction. For many athletes being average isn't good enough. Athletes seek to become bigger, faster, stronger than everyone else's; trying to be distinct. This can also include breaking records and winning championships. The third dimension is taking risks and playing through pain. Injuries occur often in sports and many athletes fight the pain to play through their injury. I can relate directly with this dimension while paling soccer my senior year of high school. I had a bad ankle injury and the season and my high school career was coming to an end. I wasn't going to let this injury deny me from competing so I suffered through the pain and played as well as I could for the last 3 or 4 games. This can have negative long term effects on the body. The final dimension promotes the idea of athletes refusing to accept limits in the pursuit of possibilities. What drives the best athletes is the pursuit of perfection and never being satisfied.

Humans are born with a competitive mindset so athletes unconsciously conform to these set of beliefs.

Sports in the Ancient World

In Ancient Greece, the Olympics were a celebration of the beauty of humans shown through naked body sprinkled with gold dust. Only the strongest, most athletic males competed. The games evoked the perfection of the gods and promoted equal opportunity for any free born greek. The sister of Zeus was the only female allowed in the games themselves. The Olympics started with chariot games, followed by a 200m dash that revealed who was favored by the gods. Other sports included the triple jump, javelin, discus, boxing, sprinting, and wrestling. There were various awards many including olives. The champions were honored in the presence of gods. The Olympic games

In Ancient Rome, gladiators were armed combatants who fought with other gladiators with swords who fight to the death. Most gladiators are usually slaves or brave volunteers who risk their lives for entertainment to the Roman people. The participants honored the gods both before and after the fighting. The fight was played in a large arena seating 10's of thousands of people.

Sports in the USA

Sports in the US has been a huge part of American culture for 100's of years. Baseball is known as "America's pastime" because it has been the most popular of the longest period of time. The popularity of Baseball has diminished over the years as the NFL has become the most popular professional sport. The four major professional sports are the NFL (football), MLB (baseball), NHL (hockey), and the NBA (basketball). While although all of these sports are very different from one another, attending one of these games would like somewhat similar. Each is played in a large arena or stadium in which up to 100,000 can attend to watch. There are halftimes for the NFL and NBA while the NHL has three periods and the MLB has 9 innings. 

Many of the same values are reinforced through all sports in America. Competition is probably the main value, but sportsmanship, team building, and pure enjoyment are also very large values. Although technically we measure success in sports usually by winning and losing through a set of rules, entertainment to the participants as well as the athletes can measure success. Successful athletes not only are some of the most athletically gifted people in their given sports, but are also great leaders, motivators, and sportsmen. Physical ability alone does not fully determine the success of an athlete. 

Sport, Society, and Me

Starting from the first time I put on a pair of skis at two years old, sports have become such a huge influential part of my life. There are so many things I enjoy about sports and the values behind it. Sports became part of my life due to influences like my father as well as my competitive attitude. Growing up I played just about every sport from individual sports like golf and tennis to team sports such as soccer and football. Each sport presented different qualities that I enjoyed. I enjoy individual sports because its only you out there so you don't have to worry about pleasing anyone else. You can just use your physical ability and determination to compete with the opponent. Although I enjoy individual sports, I enjoy playing team sports better. Team sports forces you to involve team work and chemistry to accomplish a similar goal which I thoroughly enjoy.

I believe sports can provide both positive and negative influences to children growing up. Although sports is such a huge part of our society, it can give children the wrong idea about what sports are supposed to accomplish. This mainly starts with their parents. If parents put too much pressure on their kids to succeed and win, the children worry more about being physical and dominate, rather than showing sportsmanship. Sports, especially team sports, force you to use teamwork and create chemistry to accomplish a similar goal. This can be a very positive influence on children, but if the game becomes too serious, children are blinded by this idea. Along with parents, professional athletes are a very important role in enforcing the positives from sports. Pro athletes are such a huge role model to many young children so their actions will directly influence the actions of kids. Athletes need to respect the opportunity they have been given and become positive role models.