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