Final Reflection

Sports have played a significant part of my life since the age of 6.  Football was my first love in which basketball and track followed.  After taking this class, I truly understand how sports are portrayed in our society.  The ways Paralympics aren't showed in the United States, how women are portrayed and don't get enough respect but will only as a sex icon.  Sports culture is a global empire in which kids and adults want to be just like these athletes for many reasons.  These fans live vicariously through athletes and it is important how the media portrays them.  The most interesting thing I've learned was about the Paralympics, mainly the video was shown about the two best friend who love wrestling.  It brought inspiration to me and how our society truly does bring a good heart out to help someone in need.  I will forever remember the skills and knowledge I've learned about sports culture and be able to pick up on the social cues about sports from the media.  I would defiantly recommend this class because they would learned the values of sports in our culture, the different types of sports and how they are portrayed through the media.

Darwins Athletes: Sports Ethnicity

Sports in African American culture plays a pivotal role in young kids growing up.  Sports displays a lifestyle that young kids want to live especially being able to play their favorite sport while getting paid for it.  Young African American kids see playing sports as a way out of the poor neighborhoods they live in and want to provide for their family.  In the movie hoop dreams it displays two african american kids who have the desire into making it out of their bad city of Chicago and make it into the NBA.  As they go through many struggles that most african american kids in America have to go through, it shows how are it is to make it to college and pros while battles all sorts of obstacles.  In the movie The Blind Side, it shows a guy named Michael Oher in which he battled his mom nor dad being in his life and even being homeless.  He overcame those obstacles as he was taken in by a white family who helped him live up to his full potential.  As he worked really hard in the classroom and on the football field, he excel and was drafted into the NFL.  I don't believe sports damages black american as it gives them a reason to strive to do something with their life as they need to stay off the streets.  Although not everyone makes it to the Pros, it will help young black americans to overcome all obstacles that are set before them in our society.

"Interrogating inequalities in Sports Media: examining gender in ESPN online

While browsing the ESPN webpage, I noticed it was more male based sports being depicted on the main page than it was female sports.  Within the week in every main headliner it was a photo of males showing great sportsmanship and celebrating with their team after a win.  It is safe to say that our society cares about male sports more than females sports due to the excitement and popularity that comes along with it.  The media hardly covers female sports unless something exciting happened during a game in which then would be broadcasted on ESPN.  As men mostly watch sports that is who the media outlets tend to the most as men want to see more masculinity in sports than femininity.  While looking at the photos I strong believe that depending on the season of  a sport is who gets depicted more such as in football, and basketball is when African Americans get talked about more and during baseball is when hispanics are talking about more.  As there are stars throughout each season, thats who the media sets it target on as people are interested in there stories more like a Lebron James, or Peyton Manning.  The current webpage on ESPN has the headliner of North Carolinas big win over Duke and has the main picture of the three talented African American players from the UNC team celebrating.  It goes to show you how African American are the majority of certain sports in our society and how generations changed over time because white people were the majority at one point in time.  

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

The debate whether or not College athlete should get paid has been talked about through the media for a while but yet no actions have been made.  There are good arguments that can be made for both cases but in my opinion athletes should get paid.  Universities generate millions of dollars based off of athletics alone with football and basketball being the highest.  According to the article The shame of college sports, Universities will make 40 to 80 millions of profits a year.  The NCAA takes strict pro cautions into making sure student athlete are keeping there amateur status but are at the same time are using those athletes to make money.   This article made me open my eyes and in a sense made me sick of how greedy the NCAA is of them not playing athletes.  As a college athlete myself, I am only getting a small check called a Stipend that pays for my rent, and groceries which isn't enough to live throughout the month.  I almost feel like a slave because I am not getting paid for all of the promoting they do in my name and my jersey number.  I am on video games that generate millions, jersey's are being sold, and posters with my face on it being put out in public for them to generate money.  Big time media outlets are putting athletes on radios, tv network, and throughout the internet that also generates millions but we aren't allowed to get any of it.   Athletes are put in a hard place as they want to take care of their families as agents are offering them money in order to do so.  Although I don't agree with taking money but when players are desperate they feel that they have no choice but to take it in order to survive on campus and for their families.  However, there are cons in paying athletes as non profits may not be in business anymore as some of the money will not be going into them.  Athletes may get to carried away with their money and not take the education part of it seriously.  I strongly believe athletes should get paid and should happen sooner rather than later.

High School Sports

The social conditions of high school sports are about instilling values and a mindset to compete to your best of your ability. These values include leadership, teamwork, selfishness, humbleness, dedication, and hard work in which parents, coaches, and teachers help student athletes gain these values.  Sports can shape a person's character that will help lead them in the future whether that be playing sports in college, professional, or in the work force.  The objective of high school sports is teach kids to compete, and winning the state championship is the ultimate goal.  In order to win, they are being taught that staying out of trouble, doing good in school, and working hard when no one is looking is how you reach that goal.  I believe that are being met with the support they are getting from either there parents, coaches, and teachers.  Many kids who play sports come from either bad neighborhoods or  a bad upbringing in which they look at sports as a way out.  The status of interscholastic sports in America is in a great place in which it makes kids busy and in shape.  It is imperative that kids start running more instead of playing video games all day because of the obesity rate in America is sky rocketing.  The problem with sports is that teachers and coaches may take it easy on athletes and not grade them as hard as they would normally do to regular students.  It can get hard with balancing both school, sports, and your social life with your fiends but when your doing poorly in school you may need some help.  A solution can be that kids are taught since middle school that school is more important and without school you can't play sports for long if you want to go to college to further your playing and education.  

Once the cheering stop..The life of a retired pro-athlete

The life of a retired athlete is very tough if they spent all of their earning while in the league.  After watching this segment of 30 for 30, it was truly a shame because of the struggle they were going through and knowing all of the money they spent in a little bit of time.  As players end their career, they have a lot of time of there hands and don't know how to cope with the life after a professional sport.  Players will have to find a job using there degree and adjust to the work force which is a tough task.  Most players are broke and divorce are 3 years of not being a professional anymore which is an example of how this transition is difficult.  These transitions are tough because this is all they know and have did in their life from the age of 7 and now they don't have the sport anymore.  Players need to put their money away and invest it for the future so they don't need to worry about living a tough life after they have retired.  

"London Calling: The Globalization of the NFL".

The NFL wants to expand its operations in order to reach a bigger market in the World which will produce more money.  The NFL wants to reach 25 billion a year and can't reach that until they reach a wider population.  There goal is to broadcast there games to hundreds of countries just like the premier league which is England's top soccer league.  London is a very popular place which has many other countries around it such as the entire England, Ireland, Germany, and France.   London has a brand new stadium and has the possibility of creating loyal fans in order to sell out the stadium.  It will create some more fun in the league as games are played in London and will be broadcasted throughout more networks overseas.  However, the NFL might not be successful because of the inexperience the NFL has with a team in another country.  This uncertainty may lead to an unsuccessful team such as unhappy players, traveling to US takes a toll on players bodies especially if they have to travel on the west coast.  This will ultimately make gaming planning hard and practices shorter as they would have to prepare to travel in the air for long periods of time.  I would like to see another NFL team in London and would want to see its success rate.  It will bring many jobs to London and across the world with its broadcasting the game worldwide.  This will make the economy better and will generate billions of dollars to the NFL.