Future of Sports: How will Alternative Sports Effect the Future?

Link to Article: http://espn.go.com/action/xgames/story/_/id/7237713/winter-x-2012-celebrates-16-years-16-hours-live-coverage-espn-abc-espn2

In class on November 29^th, 2011, we will discuss the suture of sport and what we can look forward to.  This is also discussed in Coakley’s text, starting on page 550.  The most popular of sports in the Unites States has to do with power and performance sports.  An example of this would be that NFL is the most watched sport in the United Sates.  Now that we all know that power and performance sports are amongst the most popular in the U.S., what will the future hold?  I believe that the answer to this question may lie with alternative sports.  Coakley, on page 554, explains that some people, who reject certain aspects of power and performance sports, tend to have a history of creating alternative sports.  These alternative sports include; BMX, Snowboarding, Surfing, Skateboarding, plus many more.

In this article, ESPN explains how they will now have 16 hours of live coverage of the Winter X Games this year.  They will broadcast it on ESPN, ESPN2, and even ABC.  They even added that they will have an additional 9 hours on ESPN3.  This is a big deal for alternative sports.  Coakley explains that some of these athletes actually don’t want their sport becoming commercialized, but in the end, most of them love competition.  Alternative sports just have a tendency to combine a little bit of power and performance sports, with a little bit of pleasure and participation sports.  This combination could be the key of what’s to come in the future, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Deviance in Sport: Ndamukong Suh

Link to Article: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/27/report-at-least-two-game-suspension-expected-for-suh/

           In class on November 3^rd, 2011, we started to discuss the topic of deviance in sport.  This is also discussed in Coakley’s text, starting on page 154.  In this article, it is explained that Ndamukong Suh may face a possible two game suspension for his wrongful actions on the field.  On the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game against the Packers, Suh engaged in an altercation with a Green Bay player.  He was seen on national television slamming this player’s head into the ground then he proceeded to stand up and stomp on this player’s arm.  This deviant act, which is explained by Coakley on page 157 as an action that is perceived by others as not being accepted in society, will not be tolerated by the NFL, especially when Suh has had a history of being a “dirty player.”  This form of deviance is what we described in class as being an “on the field” form of deviance.  Coakley, on page 172, defines on the field deviance being forms of cheating, gambling, throwing games, violating rules, and even fighting.  Coakley also states that these forms of deviance are less common today, but when they do happen, the media explodes them and makes the perception of the abundance of deviant acts greater than what it actually is.  Coakley is definitely correct with the way the media portrays these deviant acts, making it seem like there is more bad than good, but that is not the case with Mr. Suh.  Suh decided to show his anger on national television with millions watching, so he is not necessarily helping change people’s perceptions on deviance in sport.  Overall, deviance in sport is present on and off the field/court, but most of the time, it’s the heavy media attention that leads to the perception of athletes constantly engaging in deviance.     

Gender and Sports: Idaho Schools Cleared

Link to Article: http://magicvalley.com/sports/high-school/area-schools-cleared-in-title-ix-complaint/article_c55ad828-0777-11e1-a4c5-001cc4c002e0.html

          In class on November 22^nd, 2011, we continued our conversation on gender and sports, but specifically focusing in on Title IX.  This topic is also covered in Coakley’s text, starting on page 234.  In this article, it is explained that twenty school districts in Idaho, have been cleared from Title IX allegations brought against them over the summer.  This is very good news for these school districts that were accused of not providing equal opportunities for their female athletes.  According to Coakley, on page 234, and what we went over in class, Title IX is a United States law prohibiting gender discrimination in schools that receive federal funds in any way.  This law was passed in 1972, and completely changed the amount of opportunities females have had in sports.  If these school districts in Idaho would have been found guilty, any federal funds they are receiving would have been withdrawn. 

                This law had been great for the world of sports.  It has given many, specifically women, the opportunity to participate in both High School and Collegiate athletics.  According to Coakley, on page 238, from 1971 to 2008, the number of females playing high school sports rose from 295,000 to 3.06 million.  These numbers are a perfect example of how Title IX has helped females with participation in sport.  Coakley even goes on to say that now more males now can see females as athletes, which was unheard of prior to 1972.  It is imperative that schools continue to meet the standards of Title IX so even more opportunities can come about, and even increase the numbers the Coakley provided us.

Racism in Sports: Stevie Williams and Tiger Woods

Link to article: http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/7192402/stevie-williams-comments-tiger-woods-just-plain-stupid

          In class on November 10^th, 2011, we started to discuss the topic of race and ethnicity in sport.  This topic is also covered in Coakley’s text, starting on page 276.  We started off by going over some key definitions that would help us understand key factors regarding race and ethnicity in sports.  Coakley, states on page 276 that race refers to a group of people who are perceived to be naturally different from other groups.  Basically race is a way of categorizing groups of people based on genetic similarity.  People use these categories all of the time, and it is clearly evident in sport today, especially when we see that 85% of the NBA is made up of African Americans.  Some people then use these categories negatively.

                In this article, it is explained that Tiger Woods’ former caddie, Stevie Williams, has expressed his anger towards Tiger through comments he made to who he thought was a private group of people.  These comments then were released to the public, leading to the “racist” term being slapped on Stevie Williams.  Williams apparently was very angry with Mr. Woods for many reasons, so he then expressed that anger in a negative way, going as far as bringing race into it.  Coakley, on page 281, describes the problem with race is that it can be used to justify the oppression and exploitation of one group by another.  Coakley goes on to explain that racism is defined as attitudes, actions, and policies based on the belief that people in one racial group are superior to people from another racial group.  Based on that definition, I don’t really see how saying, “It was my aim to shove it up that black arse----,” is very racist at all.  I admit that he probably shouldn’t have thrown “black” in there, but I don’t really see how that is considered racism.  I see Stevie Williams being guilty of using race to categorize people, although, as we discussed in class, he was kind of off by calling Tiger “black.”  All in all, categorizing people by the way they look is not necessarily the morally correct thing to do, but it happens on a day to day basis and here is no evidence it is going to stop anytime soon.

Deviance in Sport: HGH Testing Coming Soon

Link to article: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/10/nfl-hgh-testing-to-begin-as-early-as-next-week/1

           In class on November 3^rd, 2011, we started to discuss the topic of deviance in sport.  This is also discussed in Coakley’s text, starting on page 154.  Like we discussed in class, deviance is an act/person that differs from the norm, especially behavior or attitude.  There are deviant actions both on and off the field or court.  Coakley, on page 172, explains that some of the on the field forms of deviance are cheating, gambling, throwing games, and fighting.  Another deviant act that can probably be found in all sports is the use of performance enhancing drugs (PED’S).  There are many different forms of performance enhancing drugs, ranging from Tylenol to Steroids.  Athletes take these drugs for many reasons, but the main one is to make them more efficient in what they do.  One of the main forms of performance enhancing drugs is known as HGH or Human Growth Hormone.

                In this article, the National Football League has come out and said that they have decided on a way they are going to start testing for HGH and they are working on starting the testing as soon as possible.  The NFL has never tested for HGH before, but they have done some other performance enhancing drug tests previously.  The question is then raised, is drug testing effective?  Coakley, on page 187, explains that there are powerful arguments for and against drug testing.  He suggests that while drug testing is a need to protect athletes from health issues, the athletes don’t really care about the health issues, and they also think they are one step ahead of the testers.  Coakley also brings up that while it seems like drug testing is legally justified because of athletes influence on younger people, requiring people to submit drug tests without cause violates privacy.  So for almost every argument for, there is an argument against, but I personally believe that it can be effective and all of the major sports should institute some form of random drug testing.  I realize that these tests can be very expensive, but I am a strong believer in deterrence, and I think the tests have a strong influence on an athlete’s decision to take PED’s or not.  All in all, deviance is present in all forms of sport, especially when it comes to using PED’s to enhance an athlete’s performance on the field/court, but that doesn’t mean every athlete is using a PED, and that doesn’t mean the use of PED’s can’t be stopped…There is always hope.      

Sport and the Media: Athletes Can Show Another Side

Link to article: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/story/_/id/7176084/pittsburgh-steelers-james-harrison-uses-social-media-show-softer-side

            In class on October 27^th, 2011, we discussed the topic of Sport and the Media.  This topic is also discussed in Coakley’s text starting on page 394.  One of the more popular aspects of this discussion had to do with the increasing role of social media.  This is one of the more prevalent topics when discussing the role media plays in present day sports.   In this article, it is explained that social media is a new outlet for athletes, like James Harrison, to show a different side of what people make them out to be.  Mr. Harrison is made out to be one of the meanest players in the NFL, but his social media pages give him a chance to connect with his fans and show them that he is a different person off of the field.  Like we discussed in class, athletes have embraced opportunities to connect with their fans through social media tools.  Coakley, on page 397, explains that the interactivity of being online is like having an open voice with everyone else in the entire world that is also online.

 Coakley, on page 399, also brought up the question of what will happen to this new media; will it democratize social life, or will it become a tool to increase capital, and continue to maintain an illusion that provides pleasure and excitement in our lives?  If the trends continue, I think it will be the ladder of the two.  We have seen how social media can be used to leverage brands, an example of this being the NBA and its 2.5 million followers on twitter.  Social media can also be a way of creating an identity that can help future business opportunities, i.e. Shaq.  And from personal experience I can tell you it provides a form of entertainment.  I have a twitter account and I follow all of my favorite athletes just to see what they are like off of the field, and I don’t think I am the only one doing this.  Over all, this new form of media can directly connect fans to their favorite teams and players, and it is giving fans the opportunity to be involved with these people on a personal level that has not been seen before.

That’s a Nice Paycheck…for One Kickoff

Link to article: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/26/one-kickoff-paid-handsomely-for-dave-rayner/

In class on October 20th, 2011, we discussed the relationship between sport and economics.  Some of the topics we covered were; conditions for growth of commercial sports, the economic beneficiaries from sports, top paid athletes, leagues operating as monopolies, and even some top generating franchises.  The one topic that stuck out the most was with whether or not professional athletes are considered “overpaid”.  Some key reasons that this argument even exists are touched on in Coakley’s text on page 382.  The main reason for astronomical salaries has to do with the concept of free agency.  Coakley, on page 381, suggests that up until the mid-1970’s, professional athletes have had no power to control their careers, and instead, the owners controlled them through what was known as the reserve system.  Coakley also explains that free agency allows players to seek contracts from teams in exchange for their services.  This leads to a bidding war which increases player salaries dramatically.  

In this example, a free agent kicker, Dave Rayner, signed his league minimum contract with the Oakland Raiders.  He took the field for the Raiders on October 23^rd, and only kicked off one time during the duration of the game.  The Raiders then released him that Tuesday, and was scheduled to pay him about $40,000 for that one kickoff.   According to the census that was conducted in 2010, that is almost equivalent to the average amount an 18-24 year old male with a bachelors degree, would make in an entire year.  That seems a little bit absurd to me.  A kicker in the NFL doesn’t contribute to the proper function of our society, but yet he receives approximately $40,000 for ONE kickoff.

 But in the end, is it really the athlete’s fault? According to Coakley, one of the major contributors to this has been the player unions.  He explains that player unions have fought for free agency, and continue to fight for it when owners try to put restrictions on it in new CBA discussions.  All in all, astronomical salaries are prevalent in today’s major sports due to the roll free agency plays in the signing athletes; some people disagree with these salaries, and others understand them, which group are you apart of?

Former Athlete Running for Office

Link to Article: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Former-Paralyzed-Athlete-Running-for-Office-128838868.html


Adam Taliaferro



In class on October 6^th, 2011, we discussed the role of politics in sport.  We discussed such topics of political connections in sport like safe guarding the public, maintaining fitness, promoting prestige and nationalism.  Another topic we discussed was the political uses of sport.  This is also discussed in Coakley’s text on page 448.  This article is a good example of how sometimes former athletes can use their athletic career to help them get elected in office.  A former Penn State football player, Adam Taliaferro, is attempting to run for a position in New Jersey.  He was known for his tragedy on the field, when he fell victim to a severe injury while attempting to make a tackle.  He endured a severe spinal cord injury, which left him paralyzed. 



Jesse Ventura



                 This is a pretty good example of an how an athlete can run for office and gain recognition because of his/her athletic past.  I’m not implying that is what Mr. Taliaferro is doing, I am just making an observation that this has been seen before.  Coakley, on page 448, explains that many former male athletes and coaches in the U.S. have used their popularity from sports to gain support for their political candidacy.  The most noticeable former athlete who did this was Jesse Ventura, a former pro-wrestler, who was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998. Coakley also suggests that some athletes use their sport personas to increase their legitimacy as being “tough.”  All in all, former athletes using their athletic celebrity status to gain more support from voters happens almost every election season, and some argue they continue to do this to stay in the public eye because they have a hard time dealing with retirement and disappearing from the spotlight.

WVU Beer Sales

Link to Article: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/06/west-virginia-board-approves-beer-sales-at-football-stadium/1

          In class on October 4^th, 2011 we discussed sports in high school and in college.  This topic can also be found in Coakley (2009) text on pages 472-512.  We looked at many aspects of sports and education, one of which being the abuses in intercollegiate sports.  This article is about how West Virginia University has now approved to allow the sale of beer in their stadiums starting this football season.  This is another example of how collegiate sports have transformed into the commercial sports model.  Sometimes big-time colleges have their priorities a little out of order, with making money usually number one on that list.  This gives us an example of how some big-time colleges use sports to reach that number one priority to make money.  Coakley explains on page 502, that big college sports have been turned into part of the entertainment industry, with commercial goals and operating methods that aren’t related with the educational mission of the school.  The argument could be made that this is a way for West Virginia University to make more profits by the use of their athletic teams, which can help a struggling athletic department who didn’t break even.  Most division 1 athletic programs operate at a loss, with 82% doing so just last year.  Coakley goes on to provide some recommendations for change.  One of the major ones he lists has to do with the NCAA seeing this commercial transformation as a solution rather than a problem.  It could improve revenues, which can only help a struggling athletic program.  Over all, many universities use their athletic programs to make money, which can suggest that their priorities can sometimes be out of line, but in the end, sometimes this can help struggling programs that fail to break even on a yearly basis.  

A Seven-Year Old?

Link to Article: http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6843531/real-madrid-signs-7-year-old-argentine-prospect-leonel-angel-coira





In class on September 22, 2011, we started discussing the topic of youth sports and if they are worth the effort or not.  This topic is also viewed in greater detail in Coakley’s text on pages 125-150.  In this article, it is explained by ESPN that one of the major soccer club teams from Spain, Real Madrid, has signed a 7 year old (yes I said a 7 year old) to their team.  They have signed him to their youth academy for now, in hopes that he will work his way up and become the next soccer super star.  The signing of this CHILD relates directly to some of the topics of youth sport that was discussed in class. 

First things first, what about the argument of competitive readiness?  In class we discussed that children are not ready to “compete” instead of “play,” until they reach the age of 12.  Prior to this age, most children don’t have the mental readiness, spatial ability, emotional maturity, or the ability to understand effort vs. ability.  Also, the whole playing for “fun” idea is pretty much tossed out the window for this 7 year old.  Like Coakley explains on page 29, there is a growing emphasis on the performance ethic, where “fun” is now defined as becoming a better athlete, becoming more competitive, and being promoted into more highly skilled training categories.  This is especially true with this child, because he has signed a one year deal where it will increase if he continues to perform on a higher level.  Performance ethic is emphasized on a greater scale in private and club programs.  You would also wonder if it is all worth it for the 7 year old, because while he gains some strengths by playing at this level, he also loses his child hood.   All in all, this article is a good example of the transformation of youth sports from emphasizing “fun” to focusing on “competing” and ultimately trying to become a professional athlete, plus whether or not youth sports are worth the effort in the end.

Why should sports be studied?

Links to Articles:   http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/09/nfl-enjoys-record-week-1-tv-ratings/1?csp=obnetwork

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/09/nfl-weekend-tv-ratings-strong/1

In class on August 30^th, 2011, our class discussed the major reasons as to why sport should be studied.   This topic is also relevant on page 18 in Coakley’s text, where it is looked at in greater detail.  This article displays one of the main reasons as to why we should study sport that we discussed in class.  The NFL has come to enjoy setting viewing records, with 107 million people tuning in to watch the opening week festivities the NFL had to offer.  This number is a record for an NFL opening weekend, and a direct indication that sports are socially significant activities for millions of people. 

In class, we discussed that millions of people are interested in sport with it constituting much of our conversation, culture, and leisure time.  For many people, sports are a part of their everyday social lives by being a topic of discussion on a day to day basis.  On page 18, Coakley explains that even people with little interest in sports are usually forced to pay some attention to them just because family and friends insist on going to games and discussing sports on a daily basis.  Sports are a way of connecting with people socially and can be discussed at school, at work, on dates, and even with strangers (although you are always taught not to talk to strangers as a child).  Sports can form friendships, and make many people socially aware of what is going on in certain cultures, which is a major reason as to why sport should be studied.   



Sports fans socializing