American Sport in the 21st Century - Is the Sport Media Biased?

Way back to October 27 and November 3 our American Sport in the 21st Century talked about sport within the media.  We talked about roles of the media, linkages between sport and the mass media, and the different types of media which sport could be presented.

Roles of the media:

- Inform

- Entertain

- Educate

- Advertise

Linkages between sport and the mass media:

- Professional sport is a media commodity driven by market forces

- Reliance on television for revenues

- Changes to the schedules, length of halftime periods, television timeouts have been a result of the media

Characteristics of the media:

-Print media, words and images printed on paper

Electron/visual media, words, commentary, and images we receive through multiple platforms

Sports have to do with a lot about what is going on in society.  The media is what shapes that and they are the ones who can sway people.  They determine what we see for commercials during breaks from the games, and it really all comes down to, is money.  

After this past election, it was pretty easy to see what side the media was favoring.  It didn't really matter who you were going to vote for, it is just easy to notice.  With ESPN being one of, if not the largest platform of watching sport, they can't afford to be biased in any way.  With the popularity of Fox Sports 1, NBC Sports, and others they can't afford to lose any viewership because that means they are losing money.  

If you want to check out the article talking more about this the link will be below:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/11/28/Media/ESPN-politics.aspx

Here is a youtube clip of Stephen A Smith on the show First Take with some political comments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM38Phpz_UE

American Sport in the 21st Century - The Lost Art of Fighting

On November 3 and November 8, we talked about deviance in sports.  We see multiple variations of deviance in sports today.  Mostly today it is performance enhancing drugs or just drug use.  We see some fights every now and then too.  A good example of that would be the fight O'Dell Beckham and Josh Norman got into last year.  There's other examples too like; illegal drugs, violent crimes, and stealing, fighting, bounty hunting, academic cheating, performance enhancing drugs, gambling, and illegal recruiting practices.

The purpose of this was to talk about fighting in hockey.  It is the one sport that isn't based around fighting to let the athletes fight.  Of course there's a penalty, but that is all.  Now-a-days we don't really see much fighting anymore.  There used to be a fighter role on each team, but with the game adapting to the times a fighter is ineffective.

Another argument is with player safety, should it even be in the game?  It is a dangerous part of the game and there is a pretty high chance for injury, but there's certain aspects it brings.  Fighting allows for the players to police themselves on the ice, hold each other responsible.  It is apart of those unwritten rules each sport has.  There are ways to police it which is good to see, but to see the sport change from the original way is tough to see.

Check out these links to go into more detail about hockey fights:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=6367
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/280060-should-fighting-stay-in-the-nhl

American Sport in the 21st Century - Seth Jones' unusual path to the NHL

During class on November 10 and 15, American Sport class had a discussion about race and ethnicity in sports.  Sports were mostly played by white males before the 1950s, as the United States were at the start of the Civil Rights movement.  That meant if African Americans or Latinos wanted to play in sports, they had to form their own leagues.  That meant U.S. history, African American history, and the history of sport in our country are very intertwined.

As the class conversation kept going, I remember my professor Dr. Higgs had asked us if we could name ten African Americans that play in the National Hockey League (NHL).  I, being the hockey player I am thought I could do it, but when it came down to it I could only name three.  Dr. Higgs used this as a lead into how African American men and women are under represented in most sports.  This got me thinking because of a player I forgot to mention when Dr. Higgs asked us how many African Americans are in the NHL.  This player is Seth Jones.

He is one of the more interesting players in the NHL apart from being African American.  He was drafted 4th overall in the 2013 draft by the Nashville Predators.  Right there makes him a pretty impactful player.  After being traded, he just signed a big contract worth $5.4 million a year at only 21 years of age.  Yet, the most interesting characteristic about him is that his father played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).  It is very uncommon for this to happen.  One, hockey and basketball are played during the same season, two his father was a fairly successful basketball player and seeing his success might drive him to be the same, and third making it to the NHL as an African American is not normally what you would see.

Here's an article with more information: https://www.nhl.com/news/former-nba-player-jones-helps-groom-son-for-nhl/c-642855

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYJGFU84kQ

American Sport in the 21st Century - Are College Sports really worth it?

During class on September 29, and October 6 we talked about sport and how it coexists with education.  Some of the focus was on interscholastic sport, but the main area of focus was intercollegiate sport.  During class we talked about characteristics of big-time programs, abuses in intercollegiate sports, and research about spending money on those big-time intercollegiate sports.  Below is a breakdown of each area.

Characteristics of Big-time Programs:

- Usually have a primary emphasis on their football team or men's basketball team, and their revenue generating potential
- Less than 1 in 5 programs make money
- Most lose millions of dollars
- Full scholarships are available to some athletes in many of the 18-24 sports
- Teams travel extensively
- Quality of skills and competition is high

Abuses in Intercollegiate Sports:

- Illegal recruiting
- Easy majors/altering grades and transcripts
- Exploitation of athletes
- Pressure to win
- Pressure to make money

Research on Spending Money on Big-time Intercollegiate Sports:

- Increased four times faster than academic budgets at universities
- Has no effect on academic quality or qualifications of incoming students
- Does not increase alumni donations
- Does not improve win-loss records
- Increases wealth gap between athletic departments
- Occurs to keep up with other athletic departments

After sitting in class, I got really interested in this topic.  The way the discussion went too we almost got off topic multiple times.  Everyone had some sort of opinion in class and it made for a fun class period.  During class I remember my professor, Dr. Higgs, why do we even have an athletic program at our university.  It was a very difficult question to answer.  In most cases, especially for all division II programs, the athletic department is funded by our tuition.  If we cut out the athletic department, and not have any teams, that would save me and a lot of other students money.  So why not get rid of the athletic departments?  My answer is that when someone is picking a college to attend they look at everything, how are the living corridors, how is the dining hall, is my major I want to enroll in there and a successful program.  There is a lot to look at, but some students sometimes lean towards a successful athletic program.  Part of the college experience is running onto the field or the court when your school upsets a top team.  That is my reason why athletic programs are key to a university.

Check out this article: http://news.bitofnews.com/colleges-too-much-athletic-programs/

American Sport in the 21st Century- Breakdown of Youth Sport

During class on September 22 and 27 we had a class discussion on youth sport.  We talked about the benefits of youth sport, pervasiveness of youth sport in the United States, and social changes related to the growth of organized youth sport.  Listed below is a breakdown of each area.

Benefits of Youth Sport:

- Develops and maintains fitness
- Preparation for adulthood
- Opportunity to learn values
- Teaches interactive skills
- Provide opportunities for leadership

Pervasiveness of Youth Sport in the United States:

- 47 million children participate in organized youth sports
- Organized youth sports emerged in the 20th century
- Organized youth sports grew rapidly in many industrialized countries after World War II
- Programs in the United States emphasized competition as preparation for future occupational success
- Girls' interests generally were ignored

Social Changes Related to the Growth of Organized Youth Sport:

- Increase in families with both parents working outside the home
- New definitions of what it means to be a good parent
- Growing belief that informal activities provide occasions for kids to get into trouble
- Growing belief that the world is a dangerous place for children
- Increased visibility of high-performance and professional sports in society

During youth sporting events there is always the one yelling parent.  Obnoxious to the point that you just want to walk up to her and tell her to shut up.  Well, we never do because she is just into the game and she is her kids number one fan.  That is about is worse as it gets, or I thought.

Check out this article: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/patrick-osullivan-nhl-abuse/

In my opinion, parents get way too involved in their kids lives.  Yes, it is important that they are, but let them breathe.  It is important that they learn for themselves, and sport is a great way to teach them life lessons.  With the way youth sports are turning into today, it is all about competition.  Parents are putting in so much money hoping their kid will go professional or at least earn an athletic scholarship.  This puts a lot of pressure on their kid to succeed.  To understand we first have to figure out why they go out for sports in the first place.  I know for me, and a bunch of other kids, it was to compete.  It did get in the way of making friends sometimes when I was younger, but I liked to win.  Another reason kids go out for sports is because their friends signed up, or it was to make friends.  So when parents get in the way, or step too far, it takes the fun out of the whole sport.  If they do stick with it by the time they are old enough they either lost passion for the sport, or they suffered so many injuries from playing year round.  With all that together, no wonder we are seeing a drop in kids participating in sports.

American Sport in the 21st Century- The NFL Versus the 2016 Presidential Election

During class on October 11 and October 13 we talked about sport and politics in American Sport in the 21st Century.  We talked about how governments and globalization influence sport and at a time where the United States is facing some tough situations, we have probably one of the most ridiculous Presidential Elections in the history of the United States.  Whether you're voting for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, this election has sure drawn a lot of attention, especially from people who don't usually have any comments about politics.

Political Terms:

- Politics - a social process through which individuals and groups acquire, exercise and maintain power over others.

- Government - formal organization that makes rules.

- Globalization - the relationship between countries and the use of power on an international level.

Connections Between Government and Sports:

- Promote the prestige of a nation

- Increases support for political leaders 

- Helps maintain fitness by using sport and the athletes to promote a healthy lifestyle

Examples of Political Uses of Sport:

- 1936 Olympic Games, Hitler wanted the games to demonstrate Aryan Supremacy

- Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a gesture of protest against the treatment of African Americans in the United States

How this election and how it affects sport right now is pretty easy to see.  Sunday, October 9 was a perfect example.  This was the second Presidential Debate.  For me, this was annoying.  On Sundays I just want to watch football and my roommates kept switching the game for the Presidential Debate. I was getting pretty annoyed and I can only imagine I was not the only one going through the same situation as me.  This election has drawn fans away from the game to focus on the current state of the United States.  Either it is that or ratings are just down.  If that is the case, the NFL needs to figure out a new game plan.

Read more: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/10/24/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NFL-meeting-notebook.aspx?hl=anthem%20protests&sc=0

American Sport in the 21st Century- Why Do We Study Sport?

September 1st was just the second day of class and we were all asked, why study sport?  What do we get from it? Well, by some scholars sport are activities that are physical, competitive, institutionalized, or motivated by personal enjoyment or rewards from the sport.  I know for me, I love to compete, it is a reason why I love sports.  Another reason why we study sport is because they are social phenomenas.  Some of the biggest stars today are athletes, and they are put on some of the biggest stages with millions of people watching.  I wouldn't know anything about playing in front of thousands of people, but I have been in the crowds and the rush of excitement that grabs you in those intense moments are something passionate sport fans never forget.

With all that popularity comes competition to show these spectacles on major tv networks, and with that comes a lot of money.  These major networks, like ESPN, NBC Sports, Fox Sports 1, CBS, ABC, are competing to show broadcast these games.  As long as I can remember watching Monday Night Football it has been shown on ESPN.  With every major sport now having their own major showing, every night seems to have some sort of major sporting event on.

To try to stay ahead of other networks, they hire former professionals to be analysts.  These former athletes are key sometimes to gaining more viewers.  A good example would be NBA Countdown and the new deal ESPN made with the NBA to show its games.

If you want to check out more on the deal ESPN made with the NFL, check out this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/sports/football/espn-extends-deal-with-nfl-for-15-billion.html?_r=0

Read more about how NBA Countdown is changing with the new deal ESPN made: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/10/24/In-Depth/Television.aspx

Baseball Shifts

Today as I was going through my Twitter feed I came upon a controversial topic.  Shifts in baseball especially in the MLB have been more common lately and the topic comes up, is it right?  A lot of the traditional baseball fans who stick to the core rules and don't want change say no and want to ban shifts.  The opposition says its part of the game and it is just adapting to the tendencies of the batter.  I think they are both right.  Here's why, one, I am one of those traditionalists.  I don't want to see the game change.  The whole point of the game is on human error, so when they implemented replays and now challenges I was completely against it.

So now when you see a second basemen playing in shallow right field I'm thinking this isn't really right.  The traditionalist fan in me is screaming inside, but then I think isn't there shifts when there's a chance to turn a double play, how about when the infield plays in to stop the runner from scoring on third.  The outfield always shades a certain batter who is up.  Here's an example, Joe Mauer is a left handed batter so typically you would see the outfielders shade him to pull the ball to right field, but Mauer is well known to hit the ball the other way so actually the outfielders shade him towards left field.  It is all based on the certain tendencies players have.  So now when I look at this whole shift ordeal it is actually really simple to fix and it's with a baseball saying.  'Hit it where they ain't'.

Golf in the Olympics

Golf is back in the Olympics.  I don't follow golf too closely but I feel like this is a chance for the sport to showcase itself not only to the United States, but to the whole world.  Golf is a fun but frustrating sport for some of us, so it'll be cool to see it as an Olympic sport again.  The last time golf was in the Olympics was over 100 years ago in 1904 which were in St. Louis, Missouri.  This was the first time the Olympics were ever held outside of Europe.  This summer the Olympics are being held in Brazil.

The 72 hole course they will be playing on is the Rio de Janeiro Olympic golf course built at the Reserva de Marapendi.  This is will be good for the sport of golf to not only show off the sport but to show how diverse and how big the globalization of the sport has gotten.

NBA to have Ads on Jerseys

The NBA just approved the trial of jersey ads for the 2017-2018 season.  It is the first major North American sports league to setup such deal.  This will change the landscape for sports to come for the following years.  If this turns into a success we will soon see other leagues follow what the NBA is doing.  This will definitely increase revenue for all of the teams, but it will be interesting how big the ads will be or how much of a factor it will have on fans.

I'd like to see leagues start to do this, but I hope they won't go to overboard.  I don't want to see my favorite teams turn into company names, or have their uniforms messed with too much.  This isn't really new for some people especially for organizations in Europe.  There's some hockey teams where you can't even find the team name on their jersey because it is filled with ads.  I really hope it doesn't get to that point here in North America.

The Struggles of Being a Minnesota Sports Fan

Being a proud Minnesota sports fan has always been a struggle for us.  I don't know if there's some sort of jinx or something on us, but we never get a break.  The only team to be winning recently is the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.  Besides that the only other team to win a championship in Minnesota is the '87 and '91 Minnesota Twins.  The Vikings have had there runs in the 70s, making three Super Bowls, but could never win.  In a more recent event in the playoffs this past year the Vikings kicker, Blair Walsh reminded us all again what it is like, for older fans especially.  In the 1998 season the Vikings had arguably one of the best teams ever.  With Randall Cunningham at quarterback and weapons like Robert Smith, Chris Carter, and rookie Randy Moss, the '98 Vikings were something special.  The team went 15-1 in the regular season and nothing could get in there way.  They made it all the way to the NFC Championship game and in the fourth quarter created a 7 point lead.  And again like this season it all came down to a field goal.  Gary Anderson who is an all time great kicker, hadn't missed a field goal in two years.  Two years!  Lines up from 38 yards to put the game out of reach.  Well he missed it and the Vikings ended up losing the game in overtime.  For Vikings fans this year you just knew something bad was going to happen when Blair Walsh lined up for his 27 yard field goal.  Of course something bad did happen, he missed and bad too.

With other Minnesota sports the Twins haven't really made a run since the early Joe Mauer days and even got off to an awful start this season, losing there first nine games.  The Timberwolves have been pretty much non-existent since Kevin Garnett left for the Boston Celtics.  The Minnesota Wild have been starting to hit their stride but can't get by the Chicago Blackhawks.  So make sure you are nice to us Minnesota fans, because we always seem to be let down by our teams.  That doesn't mean we will stop supporting them though.

Datsyuk Going Back to Russia

In the midst of their playoff run, the Detroit Red Wings ran into some unwanted drama.  There were rumors for awhile now about the Red Wings veteran Pavel Datsyuk wanting to go back to Russia.  He wants to be with his family and to give the country where he learned the game of hockey one season for them to watch him.  The only probably with him leaving, is the $7.5 million he is due for next season.  Datsyuk has had a great career for the Red Wings, probably one of the best to play in Detroit, who has had many great players.

Kobe Bryant's Legacy

It's crazy to think that last night was the last night Kobe Bryant will step onto the court ever again.  He is one of the legends of the game, in my eyes one of the best.  He has made 18 all star games, won five NBA Titles, one MVP, he ranks third on both playoff scoring and regular season scoring, he's scored 81 points in one game which is second all time.  Most people see Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time.  The closest to ever get to him in my opinion is Kobe Bryant.  The way he is on and of the court, matches no one.  Kobe is one of the greatest players to ever play, probably the best for our generation, and it was an honor to watch him play.  Thanks Kobe for a great career.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Start Wednesday

After the conclusion of the regular season Sunday, the NHL playoffs now begin on Wednesday.  There's three games Wednesday to kick of the playoffs with Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Detroit Red Wings who have made it to the playoffs 25 years in a row now.  This is a rematch of the first round last year where Tampa Bay won.  With the Lightning's best player out for the majority of the playoffs it'll be tough for them to repeat from last year.  Another game on Wednesday is the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers.  The Penguins are coming into the playoffs as the hottest team in the league right now.  That makes things difficult for the Rangers who may not have their captain Ryan McDonagh for the start of the series.  The third and last game of the day is the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks.  This series is going to be a tough and grueling series for both teams.  The regular season series between the two teams was won by the Blues with a 3-2-0 record against the Blackhawks.  I think out of all the first round matches, this one will likely go seven games.  The games on Wednesday will be a good way to kick off the run to the cup.

Here's a link for the the breakdown of first round match ups for the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

http://espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/matchups

Here's a link for the schedule of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

https://www.nhl.com/stanley-cup-playoffs