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