Sports Pages #15-Final Reflections

I've always been a big fan of sports, but I never really considered the broader societal and social impacts that they have. In this class, I learned how to analyze the sporting culture in provocative ways, and I now have a better understanding of what sports truly represent in our society. I now realize that factors such as gender, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status have a huge impact on sports, and that as much as we like to believe that sport represents equality, the truth is that we have a long way to go to get there. I think that this is the biggest fact that I will take away from this class, in that sports truly are a microcosm of society in many ways, and many of the same issues that plague our society off of the field/court unfortunately affect athletes as well. Issues in society such as the masculine glorification of violence affect the landscape of contact sports, but at the same time, more positive values such as courage, teamwork, and perseverance also apply within sport as well. Overall, this class was definitely my favorite one of the semester, and I definitely will apply the things I learned when I watch sports in the future, and also will have a more educated perspective on how sports and society intersect.

Sports Pages #14

I believe that sport is becoming increasingly tolerant of LGBT attitudes, however, at the same time, it still has a long way to go. The film "Training Rules" suggests that homophobic attitudes are still a significant issue at the collegiate level, as former Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland openly expressed her distaste for lesbians. The troubling issue brought up in the film was that Portland was not disciplined for her comments, when she likely would have been had she discriminated against blacks, asians, or other racial/ethnic/religious groups. This suggests that there are still boundaries to overcome regarding homosexual acceptance in sport, and that some individuals are not shy about openly discriminating against homosexuals.

In recent times, there have been several athletes who have revealed themselves to be gay, such as NFL draft prospect Michael Sam, and NBA player Jason Collins. Their homosexuality has been a subject of constant debate regarding how it fits into the heteronormative culture of sport. Soccer player Robbie Roberts explained how the masculine culture surrounding sports makes it difficult for gay athletes to come out, as they face stigmatization and harassment by peers and fans. Similarly, the article regarding a current gay NFL player who is afraid to come out due to his fear of homophobic fans further emphasizes the issue of gay acceptance in our culture.

Ultimately, I think that in time, society will become almost completely tolerant of gay players in sport. There was once a time when black players were stigmatized, and over time, our culture becomes more progressive and accepting. I don't see why the same wouldn't happen with homosexual players, however, as the articles and the film show, we still have a long way to go to get to that point. Having open discussions about the issue is sure to help people understand the subject matter at hand, and in time, hopefully the vast majority of fans and athletes will be accepting of homosexuality in sport.

References: Training Rules movie and the articles provided

Sports pages #13

Hoop Dreams showed the unfortunate reality of racial inequality in America, as it portrayed two African American boys who endured many struggles as they attempted to realize their athletic potential and escape their poverty-stricken lives. This is hardly the first film or television show to suggest the hardships that African-American youth face, and it goes without saying that much progress can be made with regards to the opportunities that are afforded to those of minority races and ethnicities. Additionally, the story of the two boys in the film is likely far more common than anyone would like to admit, and shows how much of a stabilizing factor athletics can be in the lives of black youth.

The show Friday Night Lights depicted a fictional town in Texas called Dillon, where high school football was an integral part of the local culture. In the show, the head coach of the Dillon High team eventually moves to East Dillon high, which is a more run-down area that has a higher black population. Coaching the kids on the team proves to be a struggle because they have many financial problems, and are desperate to play football in hopes of attaining an athletic scholarship. Like Hoop Dreams, the show portrays an unsettling reality for African American youth, and shows that Hollywood and television show producers are presenting racial issues through media sources in higher quantities than in previous generations.

I don't believe that sports damage the image of the Black American, because it gives them an outlet to excel and make a name for themselves. However, we tend to glorify athletes based off of their athletic accomplishments, and perhaps should be more sensitive and aware of their life circumstances. I think we need to strive for equality of opportunity for people of all races and genders, and until this happens, the issue will remain both in reality, and in Hollywood portrayals. Sports are ultimately a microcosm of society in many ways, and while America has come a long way in terms of racial equality, it is clear that we still have a long way to go.

Sports Pages #12

For my advertisement, I chose a fairly recent commercial involving LeBron James. James is commonly referenced as one of the most physically talented individuals in the whole of sport (not just his sport of basketball), and the commercial shows him playing for the Cleveland Browns football team. While this scenario is entirely hypothetical, the ad shows him displaying his athletic prowess on the field, with almost superhuman levels of agility and strength. With regards to gender, this commercial portrays a famous male athlete as incredibly strong and athletic, as the clip shows how his physical capabilities would help him excel on a football field. This is largely representative of how male athletes are marketed, as superhuman physical specimens who dominate their competition. It is extremely unlikely that a female athlete would ever be portrayed in this manner, as they are considered athletically inferior to men in almost all sports media coverage. Even famous female athletes would likely not feature in a commercial showcasing their athletic ability in a different sport, as this ad does for LeBron. Because of this, the public often has a skewed perspective of athletes based on the gender differences through their portrayal in advertising and the sports media. Male athletes such as LeBron are displayed as almost godlike in their athletic ability, whereas female athletes are portrayed more passively and are more sexualized. Overall, if sport is to achieve a state of gender equality, the way that male and female athletes are portrayed needs to be more homogenized than it is currently.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NZASF_ADKU

Interrogating inequalities in Sports Media: Examining gender representation in ESPN.com

Over the course of a week, I monitored the cover stories on ESPN's website. The coverage was heavily tilted towards men's basketball (both college and pro), and the Olympics as well, which was represented by both men and women (mostly men). In viewing these photos, it became apparent that the majority of the men were represented in "action" shots, which showed them displaying their athletic prowess. In contrast, the women were almost always posing in some form. In this way, males were typically represented as assertive through their athletic actions, and women were portrayed as more passive. The gender stereotypes that pervade our society are fully applicable within the world of sports, and it is fairly obvious that this creates idealistic images of males and females. Additionally, the amount of coverage of male-dominated sports is vastly disproportional to female sports. As I mentioned previously, I only noticed a couple female images on ESPN compared to hundreds of male images throughout the week. While sports have come a long way by allowing women opportunities to participate in them, it remains to be seen if we will ever see true equality with regards to the media coverage between male and female athletes. Additionally, there are still several barriers to cross with regards to what sports females are permitted to participate in. There have been a few stories of females on high school football teams, but they are usually at positions like the punter or field goal kicker as opposed to more athletic positions like receiver or runner. It will be interesting to see if the sports media will continue to portray women as passive and athletically inferior to men, because this has a vast influence on public perception on what athletes are capable of.

References: Espn.com

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

The issue of whether college athletes should get paid is a complex one, and has been increasingly debated in recent times. There are several compelling arguments for both sides that I will outline below.

In favor of paying college athletes, one could say that they are being exploited by the universities, who profit off of their name through merchandise and ticket sales. The absurdly large profits that the universities make through college football and basketball games each season is worthy of contempt when considering that the people they are making off of are not being fully compensated. While they are granted scholarships that pay their tuition, this is still a fraction of the amount that the athletic department makes.

In opposition to paying college athletes, one could say that they have traditionally not been paid, and that it would be in our best interest to keep it this way. This helps sustain the pride of college sport, and by not being paid like the pros, we can guarantee that they are playing the game because they truly love it, rather than for a paycheck. Additionally, they are compensated by getting a free education, and should not take this unique opportunity for granted.

Overall, there are intriguing arguments for both sides. Personally, I lean more towards not paying athletes for several reasons. Firstly, while football and basketball are the most popular college sports, they are not the only sports, and deciding whether to pay athletes who only play the popular sports or having to pay every college athlete would get tricky. Additionally, the universities have every right to maximize the profits from the games, because this can also help boost the community and local economy, as well as possibly persuade out of state kids to visit the college if they have an interest in watching a particularly successful football or basketball team. While I recognize that there are some quality arguments for paying the athletes, I ultimately think that there are too many logistics involved and that they should not be paid.

References: Branch, Taylor. The Shame of College Sports. Hartnett, Tyson. Why College Athletes Should Be Paid. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tyson-hartnett/college-athletes-should-be-paid_b_4133847.html. NYT Sport Economy.

High School Sport

Sport in high school has grown rapidly over the years, and is now a fundamental aspect of the high school experience for many students. It began in the early 1900s, but has progressed to become a fundamental part of local culture. On the surface level its purpose seems simple enough: to allow kids the opportunity to play competitive sports as a balance to the normal lifestyle of a high school student. The physical nature of sports leads to a healthy sense of well being and the opportunity to learn fundamental values such as teamwork and sacrifice while playing among and against fellow students. Additionally, events such as high school football and basketball games are social events that even non-athletes can have fun at as they cheer on their team. Despite these positives however, there is reason to believe that high school sport is beginning to be taken too seriously. As seen in the article, some athletes are targeted at an early age as "phenoms", and have an extraordinary amount of pressure put on them at a young age. Additionally, by placing such a serious emphasis on athletics in schools, there is a possibility that some student-athletes will disregard their academics, which is obviously the main reason they are in school. Because of this, I think it is up to the coaches to teach the players how to balance their lives with school and sports, and learn to be successful both on and off the field/court.