Final Reflections

Before this class I never really realized what really happens in sports. From what I see, well what the media shows, everything seems pretty equal, especially in regards towards race. I think my mind really changed when we talked about how sports can potentially be a “passport out of the projects”. Coming from an “at risk” high school, I definitely have seen how important sports are to certain people. They would always say “we gotta get out the hood”, not I understand why sports are such an important factor in their lives. Another thing that bothers me, not really surprised, was the pay inequality. This was especially an issue when we were talking about tennis and how it is a predominantly women who play this and still they were not getting equally paid.

I was considering doing some kind of research or study on how the some of the athletes, especially African American athletes, feel on this campus and during their season. We saw how demanding the sport is and on top of that they still have to worry about academics to make sure that they can maintain their grades/GPA in order to keep their scholarship. What I learned in this class got my wheels turning quite a bit about this topic.

I would recommend this class to everyone and anyone. There were a lot if interesting topics and a lot of information that I previously did not know. I lke to share some of my learned knowledge with others and they think it is great. This will also play well into my life later on, if and when I do continue with my pursuit in a career in broadcast, specifically leaning towards sports. Sports is more than the score, there are many issues that need to be addressed and actions that need to be taken.

Why the 'Mans Mans' Game is an Insult to Men

Since the time of the Ancient Romans and Greeks, many things have changed and evolved not only in sports but in our society as well. Even though we have come a long way since then, there are still major concerns with the LGBT community in sports and it is unfortunate. I wouldn't say that "yes, it is a safe space for the LGBT athletes", but I do feel that it is slowly, very slowly, becoming more accepting. Often times, the actual team does not have a problem or at least that big of a problem accepting the player who "comes out". The bigger problem are the fans who can be homophobic and disrespectful.

One of the biggest problems, at times, is the media. We see articles and stories about athletes being charged with rape, assault, harassment harassment harassment murder, etc. and they are forgiven? But the moment a player comes out, it's a revolt because it is "wrong". Our society has to change and become more accepting of this community for anything to change. 

Darwin's Athletes

For some people, coming from low-income neighborhoods and some "at risk" schools, being able to play sports and being good in sports can be a major boost in society and overall life. Coming from low-income and "at risk" school, which will be non-existent in June, I saw first hand athletes trying to get scouted to be able to go to college. I've seen parents upset when their player is not performing because they know that more than a game this can be their chance to get out of the "hood".

The movie "The Blind Side" is about one of those rare one-in-a-million cases of a privileged family taking in a struggling African America boy into their home. This kid goes from long walks to wash his clothes to having his own room to Ole Miss. Up till now, I have never met anyone with a story like that, but I have seen athletes get their dreams crushed when they are not recruited and are unable to go to college.

I think that Hollywood plays into and reinforces the stereotypes of different races, especially in sports. Anywhere from dance movies to football movies, there is always at least one African American present that is displaying how good they are at their practiced sport. The idea of stacking does not fall far behind because the set up is putting certain races and groups into certain sports because it is believed they will perform better into those groups. I cannot say I agree with this but nor that I disagree because I have seen some athletes with "natural talent" and I have seen athletes who cannot play and then after practice they do amazing work.

Female Athletes in Comercials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zktomOrTt2I

In this commercial, another AXE commercial, we can predict what is going to happen. Although at the start of the commercial we do not automatically assume this. There is a female athlete who is maybe practicing her shot put throwing. Of course, she absolutely has to be in only underwear, because how else could anyone practice this sport? After seeing the shots of her clothes (and body), there is a chance you could assume they are advertising the underwear and sports bra. The camera also focuses on her body movements as she is preparing to do the shot put throw. Also, there are beauty shots, her make-up covered face is also for display.

Alas, we see she is warming up to throw the shot put into a guy's window. Once the window is broken she pole volts and flies into his apartment. She is exhibiting more than one sport. But, the main goal of her doing these sports is to eventually getting to the guy.

I remembered what one of the men in the "Branded" video said, something along the lines of "to keep women's sports around you have to have men interested in it". In this commercial, the athlete is wearing close to nothing and she is literally doing all she physically can to get to this guy and get his attention. I believe this is sometimes a direct reflection of women's sports. The way female athlete's uniforms are made as opposed to men's are extremely different. Guys do not have to show much skin, they just play the game. Women have to be "revealing" to get the attention from their male counterparts. On and off the court, women have to use their sex appeal to achieve this attention, while men put little to no effort into this.

Interrogating inequalities in Sports Media: Examining gender/race representation in Sports Illustrated

As looking through just a month of the covers of Sports Illustrated from December 2013, all I saw was football. Part of the reason could definitely be that it was in fact football season. Also, this was getting to the close calls of who would end up making it into the play-offs and who would make it to the Super Bowl.

There are 10 covers with athletes/coaches on them and one with a stadium. From the 9, with people, 5 of them are African American and the other 4 are White. In the images more than half are exemplifying the sport in action. The only one that has a coach as the main cover, the coach seems to be aggressive and yelling. We cannot tell if he is yelling at the team, at the referee for an unfair call or anything else. However, this displays an impression of importance and hierarchy, especially if he is yelling at the team members.

The rest of the covers are either the players in action, either running, throwing the ball or of the players simply holding the ball. Naturally the players are in their uniforms/jerseys and look like they are ready to win.

Seeing how these males are portrayed can put a pressure on many other males. They have to be athletic, have to look good on camera, and then some all to be part of this culture and properly fit in. The sport of football is largely male-dominated. These athletes are idolized for their physically abilities to pursue the sport and to win the game. Again, this is a constant reinforcement about the importance of strength and the ideals of masculinity and how they are pushed within American culture.

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

I understand the side against this argument; after all, most athletes are living for free and going to school for free as long as they play for the team(s). Why should you pay students to play after you are paying for their housing, food and school?

However, as a student, I do see the importance of having some money to buy things here and there. Every college student should have a job; jobs teach us fundamental values like appreciating things as opposed to just getting things and learning to work with others. There are some students who are fortunate enough and privileged to have parents who deposit money into their accounts and/or pay their credit cards, now that would be great if all of our parents could afford that, but that is not the case.

Seeing the dedication and time commitment that a collegiate sport entails, it basically is a job. These games require a lot of time and preparation. Aside from studying and class time, all they really do is train, work out, and play the sport. Maybe getting paid hourly, weekly &/or biweekly might not be the solution, but I do believe athletes should get something. Possibly a stipend? That can teach them to be more financially responsible. After reading about how quickly retired athletes go broke because they do not know how to take care of their money we really should consider this payment idea. In order to receive this stipend, athletes could attend a workshop for money management and financial literacy. This would actually be insightful for them for their future.

I am not saying they should walk around with "money to blow" but they should have a little extra money. They do bring in thousands of dollars a year into the university every year.

High School Sport

The idea of sports within schools is normal these days. Since elementary I remember kids talking about going to soccer or football practice after school or on the weekends. That kept up in middle school too. The beginning of teams started and even though the games were not as serious, there was still competition. Once high school comes around, the games become real. The freshmen go into the games knowing that there is a chance they can have scouts at their games and get recruited. The rise in testosterone levels might also have something to do with it.

The positives about students in sports is that it balances out their lives and health, sitting in a chair for over 5 hours a day is not necessarily keeping us active, so participating in sports is helping the blood flow. This is important with the recommended exercise we are suppose to be getting.

The negative in this is that sometimes, the love for the game is more than the love for the academics. Athletes do get worked a lot by coaches during practices, sometimes they have their two-a-days and that can take a toll on them. One of the solutions there has been for this is that the student athletes have to maintain a certain GPA and grades to participate. However, this can be skewed because there are times the teachers give them tests that are not rigorous enough as other students, they get a lot of excused absences, and the grading can be biased. One solution to this is giving the athletes their tests in another classroom and with a teacher who is not their's, to eliminate bias.

Again somehow this goes back to the idea that athletes are often babied and given advantages others do not always have. Of course the biggest expectation is winning.

Once the cheering stops: The life of a retired pro-athlete

Like the saying goes, "everything that goes up must come down". These star athletes live somewhat of a fast life with the risk of the sport along with all the privileges and "freebies" they get. Ever since high school they are admired and that only increases in college. Once they are drafted all of America knows who they are. 

During their entire career they are taken are of, they basically have no worries, because even if something goes wrong, they have someone else who can fix their problems. Their only worry is practice, playing, and winning the game. They all do enjoy the fame, glory, and money, but at some point it all has to end. 

After they leave the big leagues and go on to being "normal people" they do not always know how to cope. They suddenly go from everything being done for them to them now having to do real life things. On top of that some athletes are permanently scarred and injured from their football days. Not only are they physically broke, but they can be financially broke too. They go from spending like crazy to sometimes not having such a successful job and having to manage their money, which some do not know how to do. 

This can be a prime example of our culture and how the structure is set up. When a person is famous and making money, they are greatly esteemed and talked about - once that is gone, no one cares. The retired players are not given attention anymore unless they kept making big money by going into a business, like Mr. Michael Jordan, they did something "criminal-like", and/or are dead. Does that sound familiar? 

It is sad how some of the players end up. Some are paralyzed, some attempt suicide, and some just flat out do not know what they are going to do with their life. For this, I feel that there should be taken time to teach these players better life and money management skills. They need valuable lessons aside from being on the field and memorizing plays. Some players grow to be too sheltered and once exposed to the real world they are lost. They have got to stop being so babied while they are in sports. 

London Calling: The Globalization of the NFL

The NFL, like everyone else in the world can clearly see the success that soccer has. The NFL has media to sell to within North America, but is nothing compared to how many countries and places soccer has access too. The Premier League is the top-notch in European soccer.This is the league that the NFL has the biggest competition with, they want to be on their level. And with a revenue of $25 billion/year, I would understand that too.London is obviously well known through out the world and the tourism never stops. That may be part of the reason why the NFL chose that city. I do agree in the sense that it is a very modernized city so it would also help greatly in that aspect. It is also easy to travel to from major places in Europe, as is the Wembley Stadium. The NFL has seen in previous games done in London that a small fan base is there, which is what seems to want to drive them in expansion.

Some of the difficulties that could arise are: time, distance, time zones, and prices. We know that we would have to fly our players out to London and there is a huge time shift that they need a day or more to recover from, especially if they are traveling from the West coast. This can also waste a lot of time and money involving the airfare and stay in Europe. Another thing is the distance and time it takes to travel to London from other countries, then there is the cost. Not every single fan will have the time and money to spend on traveling to London every other week to watch a football game. 

However, just like any other successful and popular sport, they have to start somewhere and they have to start small. Do I think the NFL will be as big as soccer is world wide, I do not think so, but there is a possibility it could be great.

Sociogenesis of Soccer

The game of soccer, dates back to the first laws in London in 1863, here is a brief & condensed timeline of the sport, as told by fifa.com 

1863: The Cambridge Rules are rewritten to provide the game's first uniform regulations.
1866: The offside law is changed to allow players to be onside provided there are three players between the ball and the goal.
1882: The associations in Great Britain unify their rules and form the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to control the laws of the game.
1886: The first official meeting of the IFAB takes place.
1891: Introduction of the penalty-kick.
1913: FIFA becomes a member of the IFAB.
1925: Amendment of the offside rule from three to two players.
1938: The present Laws of the Game are framed in a new system of codification, based on the Laws previously in force.
1958: Substitutes are permitted for the first time, albeit only for an injured goalkeeper and one other injured player.
1970: The system of red and yellow cards is introduced for the 1970 FIFA World Cup ™ finals.
1990: The offside law is changed in favour of the attacker, who is now onside if level with the penultimate defender.
1992: Goalkeepers are forbidden from handing back-passes.
1994: The technical area is introduced into the Laws of the Game, with the Fourth Official following the next year.
1996: Linesmen are renamed Assistant Referees.
1997: The Laws are revised.

Before that, one form of the game was called "Tsu' Chu" and the players had to kick a leather ball, filled with feathers and hair. They kicked the ball into a net that was held with bamboo canes. 
500-600 years later (& up till today) there is a game called "Japanese Kemari", not competitive like Tsu' Chu though. The players have to stand in a circle, relatively small space, and pass the ball to each other without letting it touch the ground. 
Greeks had the game of "Episkyros", not many details of the game are left; men and women did play, both nude also. The Romans had "Harpastum", this game was similar to the Greek's game but they were able to tackle the person who had the ball and it was a competition to go into the opponent's side of the field. 

They have found drawings and painting of what seems to be the people playing these sports, but nothing of recording the scores.

Up till now football/soccer is the most popular and most watched game in the world. This year, the World Cup will take place in Brazil. Countries from all over the world will come to play in hopes of being the world champion for the next 4 years!

Sports in the Ancient World

As soon as this video started I noticed they were (basically) naked, but then I remembered what year that was and what time in day we were. My simple reaction to that reflects a lot of what we see in today's world and how nudity (at least among men) is not completely accepted. During the Olympics back then, their bodies were completely worshiped, they were compared to their Gods. In this way, sports became tied to religion. As opposed to the suiting that Gladiators wore, the Greek were defenseless when it came to that.

Their sports were brutal and although there was some form of regulation, there seems to be none based on current rulings. When they fought, boxed, there were no gloves, skin on skin. Even in MMA/UFC fights they ave some sort of small protection on their hands.

They mention that anyone had the opportunity to participate in these events. From the wealthiest men to the poorest men, it really was a level playing field. Since the training was so intense, the men who did not have wealth could dedicate themselves entirely to the commitment and eventually dedicate their lives to the sport. These games were highly respected among the society. Now a days, there are drafts and generally from college athletes. It is pretty amazing that back then they accepted anyone who took the time and had the dedication to undergo the training necessary to compete in the Olympics. Also, the huge prize of money that was given could be a real game changer if the man to win was in fact poor.

One of the things I found the most interesting was how they were punished for a "false start". In football, if the start before the play, they get a flag and maybe a few yards penalty, not in Ancient Greece. The guilty were whipped in front of over 40,000 spectators. 

Regarding females in this event, only ONE woman was allowed to be present. Yes, that sounds and is ridiculous but there are still places in the world, such as Saudi Arabia, that do not allow women to step foot into their stadiums. I found this article of a recent uproar when American women entered a stadium, they had to get a letter from the Shoura Council to be able to get inside and watch the game. ( http://www.arabnews.com/news/513816 ) 

Since the beginning of time, we have been conditioned to love and thrive on the violence that sport brings and the competitiveness. The Olympics in Ancient Greece prove it, the Gladiators fights prove it, and now even the rough sport of American football proves it. 

Sports, Society, & Me

Although I have never been much of an athlete, I do enjoy watching sports. Since I can remember my dad has always watched sports on television. In his younger years he would play on teams, nothing too big, but just for the love of the game. I grew up around that. My dad's brothers were all about assimilating to the max within the American culture, they focused more on football. That also was brought into play with my up bringing. I remember being in ECE and my dad buying me a Broncos shirt, we were going to the Super Bowl. Here you have a four year old girl wearing a blue and orange shirt, walking around, unknowingly rooting for the team.

Within the reading it mentions that kids are put into sports at a young age because parents believe they will learn "basic values of American society and it builds character". So what exactly are we teaching these kids? What have we been taught? Aside from being competitive in everything we do? I do believe that sports create a sense of unity, if and when people are cheering for the same team. Also the aspect of working together is also crucial in this.

Our athletes are idolized by millions, sometimes more than they should be. Looking at the pay they get for playing these sports is insane, the numbers are huge. But, at the same time it is partly our fault for condoning their games and buying into their sponsors' clothes, brands, food, energy drinks, etc. These athletes also get to be respected, even more so when they win. Currently we have Manning at an all time high pedestal, walking around town you see so many people wearing the jersey with an "18" on it; down the line some of that money is going to him.

At the end of the day, sports is a giant business. So, in a way, yes, American sports are teaching us basic values of our culture. Because these days, everything is a business under another business under another business.

Sport Ethic

"Sport Ethic" is the "sacrifice for The Game" as Hughes & Coakley suggest in the beginning.

The 4 dimensions is an explanation of what has to happen or what ends up happening for these athletes to become successful within their sport. They have to stand above the rest, they have to love The Game over everything and anything else, they have to resist the pain and risks that could happen through their play time, and ignore any of the limits that are or have been "set" by others. There are no limits in how high an athlete can go.

Many athletes comply to these beliefs because they need to show that they are strong beings and not
just talented, they can tolerate more pain than others and  they will not let anything get in their way of winning not only for their team but for themselves, striving that distinction among their peers. Athletes often times are pushed to their limit and then some afterwards.

Not having played sports or being an athlete myself, I have not faced this, at least not via sports.
These dimensions do seem familiar while being a student, especially a person of color at a predominately White university. We constantly have to strive to go above and beyond to prove that we are equally as competent or more intelligent than our White peers.

Although I, along with other non-athlete students, might not have a future sign with a major league team, we do have deals to maintain our own requirements to be able to stay in school, therefore we do have certain guidelines and expectation for which we do have to equal if not surpass to be successful.

Sport(s) in the USA

World wide there are tons of sports and different countries have different preferences and/or favorite sports. Within America the stereotype of what the "All-American" sport is, is football. Once football season that is pretty much all that is talked about. There is also a mix when basketball season kicks in around the same time. The games tend to overlap with each other, making it hard for fans to keep up with their teams.

Within most of the teams, the common traits are: they all have some sort of ball, equal amounts of players, competitive, and for some reason, they are generally male-dominated. Although the US has come very far in trying to level the field within men and women, there is the undeniable preference for the men in sports as opposed to the women. The typical (or the most televised games) are usually with the men's teams. Occasionally they will show a glimpse of the cheerleaders or their dancers on the sidelines when they break away to commercials.

To be "successful" as an athlete, everyone has to know what them you play for, what position you play, what the number on your jersey is, and you have to outshine everyone else. There are often players who have the stories that are based on the "American Dream": they started off at a small town or school and were somehow scouted and went to college and then drafted into the big leagues. At the end of the day, the most important thing about sports in America, is winning. Being as our country has always been highly competitive, we strive for our teams to provide and exemplify the same standards.