Ever since I was little, I loved being in the water. My Dad used to joke that I could swim before I could walk, and with my severe pigeon toed feet and stalky legs his joke was not far from the truth. When I was 9 I had three years of competitive swimming under my belt, and would go on to win my first Junior Olympic gold in the 100-yard butterfly. For my accomplishment I got a swim cap and a sweater. When Demetrius Walker was 9, he was dunking basketballs, signing autographs, and as an eighth grader big name shoe companies wanted Demetrius in their gear. I swam club for years and years, practicing and traveling. From a young age we were constantly ranked and evaluated based on our performance and potential as swimmers, but never to the extent as Demetrius. Whereas my swim club individualized us as athletes, I feel as if Demetrius was viewed as an asset and laborer. It was never about how can this kid improve, or what can he bring to the team, but more so how much money can he make me, and how many wins can we get with him on the team. Perhaps the biggest difference is Demetrius has 150 or so fans come to his games. I had my parents. While Demetrius was focused on basketball, I was able to explore other sports -- I played ice hockey for sometime, dabbled with water polo and even played a few seasons of volleyball and basketball.
In high school, I stopped competitive swimming and quit ice hockey and focused all of my attention on water polo. For me, my transition to a high school water polo player was incredible. I had an extremely strong bond with my coaches, who criticized, motivated, cared and improved both my play in the pool and my character outside of it. At the point of sounded extremely conceded, I was the best player in the pool (and have the stats to prove it), but was never compared to other athletes or had enormous amounts of pressure placed upon my shoulders like Demetrius had. With expectations to be the next Tyson Chandler, Demetrius struggled to live up to these expectations, especially as players started to grow as tall, if not taller than he was. While there is always pressure to perform well, even in high school, a lot of it has to do with how the coaches handle and distribute that pressure amongst the players. From a young age Demetrius was said to be great, and everything he did that was less than so was seen as a disappointment. While I lead the league with most number of goals scored in the season, I had the nickname " Dink" a Native American term for an unwanted baby buffalo. While there was pressure on me to perform, faults and mistakes were seen as just that. Demetrius faults and mistakes were demoralizing.
While many of favorite memories thus far involved high school sport, there are many cases like Demetrius' that are often over looked. While sports teaches you discipline, leadership, and perseverance, among a plethora of other positive characteristics and attributes, it can teach you to hate opponents for no legitimate reason, it can teach you to cheat, it can lower ones self esteem and normalizes deviant practices. Above all, the dark side in cases about Demetrius is that they do not know how to not be the star. With such high expectations set at such a young age, it is almost impossible for them to not fall short of these unrealistic expectations.
Resources:
Dohrmann, G. (2010). The Education of Demetrius Walker. Sports Illustrated, 113(11), 62-75.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
Once the cheering stops: The life of a retired pro-athlete
While the life of a professional athlete can be glamorous one -- attention, popularity and a pretty sweet pay check, the shelf life of a good professional athlete is often a short one. Athletes spend their whole lives identifying themselves with their sport. Being an athlete is who they are, and often they do not know how to be anything else, or who they are once they can no longer compete.
Most athletes who retired before the age 35, find it a hard transition once they hang up their jersey for the last time. However, the problem with adjusting to a normal lifestyle starts long before retirement. Many professional do not have a degree, some haven't sat in a classroom since their senior year of high school. Those athletes that do go to college have an immense amount of resources, a strong support network, fans, and set schedule. Once a player gets drafted, he/she is further pampered, living a lavish lifestyle of private planes, delicate dinners and a system of coaches and teammates that want to see him/her succeed.
The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Broke, highlights problems professional athletes face upon retirement, and there are a bunch. The most prominent, and perhaps the most obvious problem acknowledged by the athletes is that many of them do not have any business experience. When twenty year olds are getting million and millions of dollars, money most kids their age couldn't even dream of, it is more often then not spent, leaving athletes broke or nearly bankrupt by the time their career ends. Their huge paychecks often go to lavish cars, expensive jewelry, houses, they are still kids at this point in their lives and have little to no sense of long term planning.
However, Broke dives into problems that are not necessarily obvious. Such as the gambling habits of many professional athletes, or the fact that they are subject to high tax rates on top of having to pay lawyers and agents. Many athletes who get traded have to start over in new cities, putting more financial toll on them and their families. Some athletes have the right idea, of investing their money into a business, but with no guidance or experience, many athletes invest their savings into dead end businesses, retired wide receiver Andre Rison recalls professional athletes investing in car washes.
More expensive than a failed car wash business, however would be family. Evander Holyfield, a retired boxer has eleven children by nine woman. Child support is another reassuring theme in Broke, many athletes reminisce on woman throwing themselves at them, specifically trying to get pregnant and rich in the profess. While eleven children is an extreme case, many professional athletes have a hard time adapting into a parenting position, especially when they are used to being on the road for long periods of times. Other athletes are sought out by family and friends for financial support, especially those who come from rougher neighborhoods.
With an average NFL career lasting between three and four years, and leave permanent damage on your body, it is unfortunate that these young athletes are unable to see the bigger picture. Then again, no one can blame a 21 year old for not thinking " am I really going to need this money in 20 years?" I know I don't think like that. Unfortunately stupidity is not always the case for bankruptcy among professional athletes. Some have the right intentions, making investments and supporting their family, but do not have the proper education or experience to truly be successful.
I believe that athletes and sport organizations often forget or overlook the fact that the shelf life of an athlete, while glamorous is extremely short. Athletes are bombarded with celebrity status, fans, and loaded paychecks it's easy to see how their money disappears long before they even hang up their jerseys for the last time. I believe that leagues could easily do a better job preparing their athletes for a future outside of professional sports, through various retirement and mentoring programs. Athletes are individuals with a phenomenal work ethic and discipline. They are able to accomplish things that only a small portion of the population can do, but it's a shame that society only sees them for what they are work for 3 to 4 years out of their life.
Most athletes who retired before the age 35, find it a hard transition once they hang up their jersey for the last time. However, the problem with adjusting to a normal lifestyle starts long before retirement. Many professional do not have a degree, some haven't sat in a classroom since their senior year of high school. Those athletes that do go to college have an immense amount of resources, a strong support network, fans, and set schedule. Once a player gets drafted, he/she is further pampered, living a lavish lifestyle of private planes, delicate dinners and a system of coaches and teammates that want to see him/her succeed.
The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Broke, highlights problems professional athletes face upon retirement, and there are a bunch. The most prominent, and perhaps the most obvious problem acknowledged by the athletes is that many of them do not have any business experience. When twenty year olds are getting million and millions of dollars, money most kids their age couldn't even dream of, it is more often then not spent, leaving athletes broke or nearly bankrupt by the time their career ends. Their huge paychecks often go to lavish cars, expensive jewelry, houses, they are still kids at this point in their lives and have little to no sense of long term planning.
However, Broke dives into problems that are not necessarily obvious. Such as the gambling habits of many professional athletes, or the fact that they are subject to high tax rates on top of having to pay lawyers and agents. Many athletes who get traded have to start over in new cities, putting more financial toll on them and their families. Some athletes have the right idea, of investing their money into a business, but with no guidance or experience, many athletes invest their savings into dead end businesses, retired wide receiver Andre Rison recalls professional athletes investing in car washes.
More expensive than a failed car wash business, however would be family. Evander Holyfield, a retired boxer has eleven children by nine woman. Child support is another reassuring theme in Broke, many athletes reminisce on woman throwing themselves at them, specifically trying to get pregnant and rich in the profess. While eleven children is an extreme case, many professional athletes have a hard time adapting into a parenting position, especially when they are used to being on the road for long periods of times. Other athletes are sought out by family and friends for financial support, especially those who come from rougher neighborhoods.
With an average NFL career lasting between three and four years, and leave permanent damage on your body, it is unfortunate that these young athletes are unable to see the bigger picture. Then again, no one can blame a 21 year old for not thinking " am I really going to need this money in 20 years?" I know I don't think like that. Unfortunately stupidity is not always the case for bankruptcy among professional athletes. Some have the right intentions, making investments and supporting their family, but do not have the proper education or experience to truly be successful.
I believe that athletes and sport organizations often forget or overlook the fact that the shelf life of an athlete, while glamorous is extremely short. Athletes are bombarded with celebrity status, fans, and loaded paychecks it's easy to see how their money disappears long before they even hang up their jerseys for the last time. I believe that leagues could easily do a better job preparing their athletes for a future outside of professional sports, through various retirement and mentoring programs. Athletes are individuals with a phenomenal work ethic and discipline. They are able to accomplish things that only a small portion of the population can do, but it's a shame that society only sees them for what they are work for 3 to 4 years out of their life.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Cherrrr-Ching: Superbowl XLIX financial report
The Patriots weren't the only one's that went home with a win last Sunday, this years Super Bowl committee projected an economic impact of nearly $500 million. Not is the Super Bowl the most watched television event of the year with 118.5 million views, it is also the most talked about on social media with 28.4 million tweets during the broadcast. Beyond this, there are several outrageous facts about the Super Bowl that leave one wondering how America became obsessed with such a sport.
Perhaps the most shocking fact is that this year's Super Bowl ticket price reached $6459.21 Sunday evening, an 114 percent increase from last year's game. For those who couldn't make it to the game, American's spent nearly $14.3 billion on new TVs, athletic gear, decorations and game day food. Those watching it at home also got to enjoy the $4.5 million 30 second ads sponsored by a variety of companies -- many of whom opted to go for an emotional ad this year. Since 2010, Anheuser-Bush has spent $152 million on advertising in the Super Bowl. However, recent study done at Stanford University suggest Super Bowl ads are starting to get too costly to for how inefficient they are at driving sales.
Not only is Super Bowl the most watched event of the year, it's the most gambled upon. It was estimated this year nearly $3.8 billion bets were estimated to have taken place this weekend. This is partially due to the recent popularity of prop bets, such as placing bets on things such as the coin toss or length of the National Anthem.
While the Super Bowl is a lot of glam and glitz, it can leave behind a legacy of bankruptcy for it's hosting city. While the camaraderie, and the power of sport to bring people together really highlight some of the positive of sport, there is a lot of hidden "dark" side surrounding the Super Bowl. For starters, the National Football League makes nearly all the revenue from the Super Bowl, nearly without having to spend a time or lift a finger. Glendale, however was responsible for numerous outlandish expenses as requested by the NFL to its host cities. For example, golf courses and bowling ally's must be made available, along with a number of limos no older than 5 years, and signifiant control of billboards, airspace along with the ability to request make adjustments to the stadium at the cities expense. The National FootBall League goes on with a nearly 150 page document expressing the requirements host cities must abide by in order to even place a bid for the Super Bowl.
With the amount of money and revenue the NFL is making, along with other recent issues in the league ( domestic violence, concussions, etc), it is sometimes difficult to see how such a controversial organization has so much power in the media. However, when one is at a Super Bowl party, it's hard not to get involved in all the fun, especially when Missy Elliot's involved.
References:
Smith, Chris. (31 January 2015). The Money Behind Super Bowl XLIV. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2015/01/31/the-money-behind-super-bowl-xlix/2/
Perhaps the most shocking fact is that this year's Super Bowl ticket price reached $6459.21 Sunday evening, an 114 percent increase from last year's game. For those who couldn't make it to the game, American's spent nearly $14.3 billion on new TVs, athletic gear, decorations and game day food. Those watching it at home also got to enjoy the $4.5 million 30 second ads sponsored by a variety of companies -- many of whom opted to go for an emotional ad this year. Since 2010, Anheuser-Bush has spent $152 million on advertising in the Super Bowl. However, recent study done at Stanford University suggest Super Bowl ads are starting to get too costly to for how inefficient they are at driving sales.
Not only is Super Bowl the most watched event of the year, it's the most gambled upon. It was estimated this year nearly $3.8 billion bets were estimated to have taken place this weekend. This is partially due to the recent popularity of prop bets, such as placing bets on things such as the coin toss or length of the National Anthem.
While the Super Bowl is a lot of glam and glitz, it can leave behind a legacy of bankruptcy for it's hosting city. While the camaraderie, and the power of sport to bring people together really highlight some of the positive of sport, there is a lot of hidden "dark" side surrounding the Super Bowl. For starters, the National Football League makes nearly all the revenue from the Super Bowl, nearly without having to spend a time or lift a finger. Glendale, however was responsible for numerous outlandish expenses as requested by the NFL to its host cities. For example, golf courses and bowling ally's must be made available, along with a number of limos no older than 5 years, and signifiant control of billboards, airspace along with the ability to request make adjustments to the stadium at the cities expense. The National FootBall League goes on with a nearly 150 page document expressing the requirements host cities must abide by in order to even place a bid for the Super Bowl.
With the amount of money and revenue the NFL is making, along with other recent issues in the league ( domestic violence, concussions, etc), it is sometimes difficult to see how such a controversial organization has so much power in the media. However, when one is at a Super Bowl party, it's hard not to get involved in all the fun, especially when Missy Elliot's involved.
References:
Smith, Chris. (31 January 2015). The Money Behind Super Bowl XLIV. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2015/01/31/the-money-behind-super-bowl-xlix/2/
Monday, February 2, 2015
Sport, Politics and the Olympics
1965: The " Blood in the Water" Water Polo Match, Melbourne, Australia
A few weeks after the Soviet's tanks and troops flooded the Hungarian capital causing an anti-Soviet uprising, the USSR was set to play the Hungarians in the semi final round at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The uprising caused hundreds of Hungarians their lives and set thousands more into jail, causing high tensions between the two countries. The Hungarian Olympic team watched from a distance as their countries capitol, and the players saw victory as a way to establish pride back to their country.
The Hungarians approached the game with a unique strategy that revolved around "verbally agitating" the Russians. The tactic was to make the Russians so angry, they would be to distracted to focus on the game. This resulted in a physical match with kicking and punching from both sides. By the fourth quarter, five players had been kicked out of the game by the referee. The Hungarians were up 4-0, led by their 21 year old star player, Ervin Zador. Moments before the final whistle, Russian player Valentin Prokopov hit Zador in the eye. " I saw about 4,000 stars. And I reached to my face and I felt warm blood pouring down, I instantly said 'Oh my God, I wont be playing the next game." When Zador exited the pool, the crowd went wild, with spectators jumping the barrier, rushing the Russian team. Pictures of Zador's injuries circulated the world, leading to the nickname " Blood in the Water".
Hungary ended up winning gold at the Olympics that year. Zador and a handful of his teammates sought off to live in the United States, rather than returning to Hungary under the pro-Soviet regime.
This water polo match demonstrates many aspects of Sage and Eitzen's Sport and Politics. Most clearly it was used as a way to express nationalism. While the Hungarian National team watched Soviet tanks roll over their capital, the Olympic team because a sign of strength, pride and icon under their country's failing battle for freedom. The stadium was packed with Hungarian-born Australians, and charged with political tension. For Hungarians this match was a way to lessen the pride of their oppressors. This game became a way to opiate to the masses, cheering for their country as they fought a war in the pool.
As Gilbert Cranberg has pointed out, " nationalism not merely intrudes, it dominates." One of the first nights of the Olympic games, the red star in the center of the Communist Hungarian flag was cut out, and replaced with a symbol of Hungarian independence. The Olympics are not only a way to propose for change, and promote the idea of both nationalism and " the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from all over the world at the Olympic games in a spirit of fair competition and frank competition".
Because of this situation, and a handful of other political stances that have been made at the Olympics, I am going to have to disagree with the fact that " Sport is pure and devoid of political interference. From the 1936 Nazi Olympics in Muich, to the ban of homosexual athletes at the passed Winter Olympics, the amount of emotion and money make sport a perfect stage for political outcry.
References:
Reid, Kristy (20 August 2011). Blood in the water: Hungary's 1956 water polo gold. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14575260
A few weeks after the Soviet's tanks and troops flooded the Hungarian capital causing an anti-Soviet uprising, the USSR was set to play the Hungarians in the semi final round at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The uprising caused hundreds of Hungarians their lives and set thousands more into jail, causing high tensions between the two countries. The Hungarian Olympic team watched from a distance as their countries capitol, and the players saw victory as a way to establish pride back to their country.
The Hungarians approached the game with a unique strategy that revolved around "verbally agitating" the Russians. The tactic was to make the Russians so angry, they would be to distracted to focus on the game. This resulted in a physical match with kicking and punching from both sides. By the fourth quarter, five players had been kicked out of the game by the referee. The Hungarians were up 4-0, led by their 21 year old star player, Ervin Zador. Moments before the final whistle, Russian player Valentin Prokopov hit Zador in the eye. " I saw about 4,000 stars. And I reached to my face and I felt warm blood pouring down, I instantly said 'Oh my God, I wont be playing the next game." When Zador exited the pool, the crowd went wild, with spectators jumping the barrier, rushing the Russian team. Pictures of Zador's injuries circulated the world, leading to the nickname " Blood in the Water".
Hungary ended up winning gold at the Olympics that year. Zador and a handful of his teammates sought off to live in the United States, rather than returning to Hungary under the pro-Soviet regime.
This water polo match demonstrates many aspects of Sage and Eitzen's Sport and Politics. Most clearly it was used as a way to express nationalism. While the Hungarian National team watched Soviet tanks roll over their capital, the Olympic team because a sign of strength, pride and icon under their country's failing battle for freedom. The stadium was packed with Hungarian-born Australians, and charged with political tension. For Hungarians this match was a way to lessen the pride of their oppressors. This game became a way to opiate to the masses, cheering for their country as they fought a war in the pool.
As Gilbert Cranberg has pointed out, " nationalism not merely intrudes, it dominates." One of the first nights of the Olympic games, the red star in the center of the Communist Hungarian flag was cut out, and replaced with a symbol of Hungarian independence. The Olympics are not only a way to propose for change, and promote the idea of both nationalism and " the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from all over the world at the Olympic games in a spirit of fair competition and frank competition".
Because of this situation, and a handful of other political stances that have been made at the Olympics, I am going to have to disagree with the fact that " Sport is pure and devoid of political interference. From the 1936 Nazi Olympics in Muich, to the ban of homosexual athletes at the passed Winter Olympics, the amount of emotion and money make sport a perfect stage for political outcry.
References:
Reid, Kristy (20 August 2011). Blood in the water: Hungary's 1956 water polo gold. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14575260
Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Globalization of the NFL
As much as the NFL would like to claim they are a non-profit organization, it has become exceptionally clear the NFL operates in a way where money is power. In order to expand the already billion dollar organization, the NFL is looking to bring the sport of football to London. A city primarily dominated by soccer, cricket, rowing and rugby, they believe London would be great opportunity to increase and maximize the NFL's source of revenue. Looking to follow the model of the Premiere League, the NFL is looking to have a larger, more international presents. While it is obvious to see why the NFL would want to move team a team to Europe, there is a lot of barriers preventing them from doing so.
For starters, American football, while sharing similar traits with rugby, is completely different than any sport Londers are used to. To top that off, football is not exactly a game that is easy to catch onto. For example, someone could watch a soccer game for a minute, and easily pick up on some of the rules and tactics of play, however if someone were to watch football for a minute, there is a chance that they may not even see a single play. The time different between London and the United States is large enough that, many Europeans are asleep when American football is on the air, giving them the little necessary exposure it were to need if it were to be able to compete with Europe's other top sports.
Alongside the time different, running an NFL team in another country in itself presents a challenge in itself. While London truly is a wonderful city, with beautiful sights, great food and vibrant people, there is the challenge of having to trade players, not just over state lines, but country lines. In addition, transporting people to and from the London team would take a half day in itself. Plus, the sport culture in London is completely different of that from the United States. While American sports surround violence and winning, European sports are about tactic and sportsmanship. This would pose a huge barrier in the assimilation of American Sport culture.
Having visited London, and the NFL headquarters two years ago, it was really interesting to see the combination of the two cultures. However, I believe that the cultures maybe too different, and the barriers too large for the sport to ever become as big in Europe as it is in London.
For starters, American football, while sharing similar traits with rugby, is completely different than any sport Londers are used to. To top that off, football is not exactly a game that is easy to catch onto. For example, someone could watch a soccer game for a minute, and easily pick up on some of the rules and tactics of play, however if someone were to watch football for a minute, there is a chance that they may not even see a single play. The time different between London and the United States is large enough that, many Europeans are asleep when American football is on the air, giving them the little necessary exposure it were to need if it were to be able to compete with Europe's other top sports.
Alongside the time different, running an NFL team in another country in itself presents a challenge in itself. While London truly is a wonderful city, with beautiful sights, great food and vibrant people, there is the challenge of having to trade players, not just over state lines, but country lines. In addition, transporting people to and from the London team would take a half day in itself. Plus, the sport culture in London is completely different of that from the United States. While American sports surround violence and winning, European sports are about tactic and sportsmanship. This would pose a huge barrier in the assimilation of American Sport culture.
Having visited London, and the NFL headquarters two years ago, it was really interesting to see the combination of the two cultures. However, I believe that the cultures maybe too different, and the barriers too large for the sport to ever become as big in Europe as it is in London.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Sport in the Ancient World
The Olympics have been around longer than Jesus Christ, being held every hour years since 776 B.C. However, unlike the ceremonies, and traditions we are used to today, the Ancient Greeks and Romans treated the Olympics in a much different way. For starters, the only participants were males of Roman and Greek decent. In Ancient Greece, to compete men first had to swear an oath to Zeus that they had been training hard for at least ten months and were ready and willing to put in an extra month of work in order to compete. There were strict rules laid down, such as athletes had to compete in the outfit of God, naked covered in yellow powder to honor their bodies and the bodies of their Gods. Athletes were a serious business, and treated like Gods. Irregardless of one's background, anyone could be an athlete, in fact it could become a lucrative profession.
During the Ancient Greek Olympics there was a strong sense of tradition, ritual and ceremony. The only woman allowed to enter the stadium was Zeus' sister, a gesture to assure they would not be offended, since the stadium was located right next to their house. Unlike the Olympics today, the Ancient Olympics only consisted of fighting and sprinting, sports that required speed, strength and skill. The Olympics held a lot of religious tensions, since it was believed that whoever won the competition was said to be favored by the Gods.
Much like the Ancient Greek Olympics, Ancient Roman gladiators were seen in a godly light as well. They were treated like caged performing animals, hundred of gladiators lived in barrocks and trained intensely every day. They received savaged beatings and were fed high energy food, the gladiators would have to fight and win in order to free themselves from these barrocks. Much like athletes today, gladiators wore unique uniforms when competing, however, no one was allowed to be fully protecting, always having to expose one weakness. It was the job of the other gladiators to identify these weaknesses, and fight to the death. Each time a Gladiator entered the coliseum, he had a 1 in 6 chance of dying. Those who won lots of battles acclaimed celebrity status.
Much like in the ancient times, athletes today are seen as celebrities, and in some cultures they are even viewed as godlike. They go off to training facilities, but in better condition, and participate in a handful of more events, with a lot more variety. However, the Olympics still puts a focus on speed, strength and skill. While the Olympics is now open to men and woman of all nationalities, and they no longer compete naked, the Olympics still serves as a source of entertainment for spectators. But, perhaps the biggest difference of all is that, no one is fighting to the death, just for honor and pride for themselves, and the country they represent.
References:
"Ancient Olympia Part 1. " Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Wed 26 Jan. 2015
"Ancient Olympia Part 2." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Web. 26 Jan 2015
"Gladiator Training." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Wed. 26 Jan 2015.
During the Ancient Greek Olympics there was a strong sense of tradition, ritual and ceremony. The only woman allowed to enter the stadium was Zeus' sister, a gesture to assure they would not be offended, since the stadium was located right next to their house. Unlike the Olympics today, the Ancient Olympics only consisted of fighting and sprinting, sports that required speed, strength and skill. The Olympics held a lot of religious tensions, since it was believed that whoever won the competition was said to be favored by the Gods.
Much like the Ancient Greek Olympics, Ancient Roman gladiators were seen in a godly light as well. They were treated like caged performing animals, hundred of gladiators lived in barrocks and trained intensely every day. They received savaged beatings and were fed high energy food, the gladiators would have to fight and win in order to free themselves from these barrocks. Much like athletes today, gladiators wore unique uniforms when competing, however, no one was allowed to be fully protecting, always having to expose one weakness. It was the job of the other gladiators to identify these weaknesses, and fight to the death. Each time a Gladiator entered the coliseum, he had a 1 in 6 chance of dying. Those who won lots of battles acclaimed celebrity status.
Much like in the ancient times, athletes today are seen as celebrities, and in some cultures they are even viewed as godlike. They go off to training facilities, but in better condition, and participate in a handful of more events, with a lot more variety. However, the Olympics still puts a focus on speed, strength and skill. While the Olympics is now open to men and woman of all nationalities, and they no longer compete naked, the Olympics still serves as a source of entertainment for spectators. But, perhaps the biggest difference of all is that, no one is fighting to the death, just for honor and pride for themselves, and the country they represent.
References:
"Ancient Olympia Part 1. " Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Wed 26 Jan. 2015
"Ancient Olympia Part 2." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Web. 26 Jan 2015
"Gladiator Training." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Wed. 26 Jan 2015.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Sport, Society & Me
According to Eitzen, there are five paradoxes are sport that make it significant in U.S. Society. These Paradox's outlined in his 2006 book, Fair and Foul: Beyond the Myth and Paradoxes of Sport are as follows:
- Sport, a seemingly trivial pursuit, is important. It mirrors the human experience
- Sport mirrors society in other profound ways, it shares with the larger society the basic elements and expressions of bureaucracy, commercialization, racism, sexism, homophobia, greed, exploration of the powerful over the powerless, alienation and ethnocentrism. American sport embodies American values
- Sport combines spectacle with drama, excellence and clarity
- Sport is transcendent
- There is the human desire to identify with something greater than oneself.
The importance of sport in today's society can be summed up by the fact that more people watch the Super Bowl nationally, than vote in presidential elections. But, America's infatuation with sport doesn't stop there. American athletes are not only among the best paid professionals in the country, but most widely recognized, often as heroes and role models.
Perhaps the most accurate paradox made by Eitzen is his fifth point, that there is the human desire to identify with something greater than oneself. For fans, this means dressing up in their team's colors, attending games, yelling profanities at the other team, and bonding with those who share the same allegiance. Fans identify themselves as part of the team by using phrases such as "Did you see how we did last night?", or " We're going to the championship!". For athletes, this is being an individual playing for a team, working and scarfing together to reach a common goal. Sport is the at the heart of many conversations, reading material, leisure activity, and discretionary spending. Humans instinctively want to feel apart of something bigger than oneself, and sport is a means for humans to do so.
As an athlete, a fan and a sport management major, sports consumes a large part of my life. It is something I do recreationally and competitively. It is something I watch for entertainment and leisurely discuss with friends. It is the subject which I choose the study, and will (hopefully) eventually become a part of my future career (fingers crossed for the second semester senior over here). As an athlete, I've competed in basketball, volleyball, bowling, track and field, cross country and ice hockey. But above all, my heart always belonged in the water. I started competitive swimming when I was 6 and didn't stop until I was 18. I had always identified myself as a swimmer, it was a key part of my identify and dictated many different aspects of my life. In high school, I joined our school's water polo team and firmly believe that the experiences I shared with teammates and coaches in the water have shaped me into who I am today. Our coach groomed us to have certain values, respect one another, and love each other like family, because we all shared these ideals instilled in us from our coach, we remain good friends today and will for a long more time to go.
While always a quick swimmer, when my water polo coach passed away my senior year of high school, I decided that I would want to continue to play water polo in college, despite getting more swimming scholarships (I even scored a couple of bowling scholarships too, bet you didn't even know those existed). My small size doesn't make me the ideal water polo player, but I've definitely had a lot of passion. Unfortunately passion can only go so far when you have a coach from hell ( shout out if you know who she is), and a bum shoulder. The combination of the two lead to an unfortunate end of my competitive water polo career, but has allowed me to find new joy in open water swimming, hiking and yoga.
Because sports has been a huge part of my life, I believe that the lessons I've learned from competing, and the values instilled within me from my coaches will continue to affect the decisions I make long after my last race.
References
Eitzen, D.S (2006). Fair and Foul: Beyond the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport (2nd Ed.). Oxford, Rowman & Littlefield: Chapter 1
While always a quick swimmer, when my water polo coach passed away my senior year of high school, I decided that I would want to continue to play water polo in college, despite getting more swimming scholarships (I even scored a couple of bowling scholarships too, bet you didn't even know those existed). My small size doesn't make me the ideal water polo player, but I've definitely had a lot of passion. Unfortunately passion can only go so far when you have a coach from hell ( shout out if you know who she is), and a bum shoulder. The combination of the two lead to an unfortunate end of my competitive water polo career, but has allowed me to find new joy in open water swimming, hiking and yoga.
Because sports has been a huge part of my life, I believe that the lessons I've learned from competing, and the values instilled within me from my coaches will continue to affect the decisions I make long after my last race.
References
Eitzen, D.S (2006). Fair and Foul: Beyond the Myths and Paradoxes of Sport (2nd Ed.). Oxford, Rowman & Littlefield: Chapter 1
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