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