Justin Choi

I have recently through this class have been converted to the critical theory to look at sports because of the effective way i feel that it solves the many and abundant problems found in sports. It feels as though it was created for the people in terms of creating a better sports environment and overall general sport experience. I hated certain theories such as the functionalist theory because it seems made for no one in particular and it only supported and helped a few people who looked at sports through a certain perspective. I also could not believe that many of the problems in sports is created by this relationship it has with society and the economy. I was even more surprised that these problems were fixable yet nothing was being done because of things like greed or the lack of willingness to sacrifice little for the benefit of the whole. Much of which can be found rooted in the people with power or the top of the social class with the general population losing out. Hopefully by translating critical theory into real life answers, we can use this to better our sports and its relationship to society.

Lionel Messi Breaks Gerd Muller's Goal Scoring Record

Three days ago Lionel Messi broke Gerd Mullers goal scoring record from Muller in 1972 having scored 85 goals in one year playing for Bayern Munich and now, Messi having scored 87 goals with Barcelona in the year of 2012. It is amazing that in 40 years no other player could step up and beat that record until Lionel Messi was born. Messi has become the best player in the world right now and he only continues to rise and rise as he wont stop scoring, only to set the record higher. He of course could have not done any of it without his supporting teammates who place and give him the ball where it needs to be so he can work wonders. I believe he is the best player in the world because he has found the way to connect well enough with his team on the field so he can be as successful as he is. Messi would have not had all the opportunities to score without his teammates specifically Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez being the head of the team. It amazes me how they all combine together to become unstoppable. Shoot for 100 goals in 2012 MESSI!!

Jennifer R.
KIN 332I

Kyle Burgoyne

I have recently changed my views of sports and some life questions from the functionalist perspective to the sociocultural perspective.  The only part about the sociocultural perspective that I don’t like is the fact that it makes social change seem extremely difficult.  This is due to the fact that to want social change people have to have such a unique set of internalized beliefs about the world to actual one; want the same change, and two; be willing to do enough to create such a change.    Those two characteristics just seem so rare in combination.  People might talk and talk and talk about social change and put something on paper about having both those characteristic but until action need to be taken, nothing anyone can say or put on paper really means anything.  All we can hope for is that those people whom are indirectly affected will see how directly they are affected and internalize the belief that they should bring about change too.

Kyle Burgoyne

I was watching the Colbert report and Colbert was interviewing an individual and asked him, “Why every part of our lives has politics involved?”  So I got to think about whether or not I think that was true, since in class were had just been discussing ideas about what parts of our live don’t actually have politics involved in them.  I’ve also been thinking about political and/or social change.  I kind of agree with the idea that there is politics in every part of our lives, and I think that correlates with how everything needs to be judged for “what it means” in society.  When it comes to politic change, I feel like the only way to fight for change it to either fight fire with fire or fight it with water.  Fighting fire with fire simply means using the exact same rules and judgments to fight the political and social system around me on those terms.  Fight fire with water would mean to completely separate myself from the grounds and terms of those political and social systems and fight them on my own terms.  So I can either make everything in my life involved with politics and this social judgment system around me or I take separate every part of my life from politics and simple not care how the system judges me. 

Women in sports

From a young age we are taught that in sports boys are suppose to be better than girls. Genetically boys are bigger, stronger, and faster but in no way does that make them better. Society tells us that boys and girls are not to mix in the sporting world, and if they do it is simply not normal. Women have been fighting for respect from men when it comes to sports for many years, and to this day the battle is still going. Women sports are not as respected as male sports, they don't get nearly as much media press as men, we hardly ever see any female sports being played in primetime, and the ones that are, are normally women's volleyball. The inequality of women sports is a big issue in the sporting world. For example this year in the Olympics the women's basketball team had won 4 consecutive Gold medals going into it. They were picked to win their 5th, making history because no other team men or women had ever done what the women's basketball team had done. The mens team had so much talent, they were blowing out team's by 50 points. Game after game they continued to dominate as well as the women's team. Yet all we heard or saw was the male games being televised and how they had so much to prove from when they only won the bronze in 2008. Even after the women won the Gold we still didn't hear anything about them, and Diana Taurasi had been quoted in the paper saying that women's sports, no matter how successful they were still didn't get the respect they desereved. I have always wondered why this was the way it was. If a women could prove that she could play the game and play it well why wasn't that sport socially popular among men. I will admit that I prefer mens sports over women's sports, because they may be a little more exciting. But I have never thought that mens sports should be more respected over women's sports. If anything women's sports should be more highly respected then mens due to everything women have had to overcome. The film Kick Like A Girl shows perfect examples of how girls can succeed in a "boys world." The girls go from an all girls division to a boys division to get more competition. They prove that they can compete and they succeed. From my personal experiences I can relate to the movie in that I played on an all women's team in a mens basketball league. We were told that we shouldn't play in this league, that girls couldn't compete in a man's sport, that we would get hurt, we would lose every game. I think for us we took it as motivation and we ended up winning 2 consecutive league championships. After the first season the attitude towards us in the league changed. The men respected us more, realized that just because they might have been bigger and stronger didn't mean they had more skill then us. I wish that more people in society would learn to see that women can play sports just as well as any man can, and hope to see more positive change in the progression of women sports in years to come.

-J'Nay Almaguer Hawthorne
Kin 332I 12:30-1:45 PM T-Th

Social Class and Sports

All the time I hear people classify sports based on race. African Americans play basketball, Hispanics play soccer, whites golf/ski/and race (cars, quads, motorbikes). You hear and see it so often that one begins assuming that your race determines what sport you will play. Most teenagers would assume that their fellow black student peers are good at basketball just because the NBA predominantly consist of black athletes. These general assumptions are examples of racial stereotyping and the lack of understanding between social class and sports. As we have learned ones economic resources determines what sport they play and where they play. Sports requires money in order to have an organized team, facility, and equipment. Therefore, social class determines what sports people play not race. Perhaps every sport has a more of cultural influence on a specific race but maybe thats because it was the only sport available at the time rather having to involve with biology. For example, Zirin points out that there was a period in the Bronx where danger lurked the streets and basketball was the only thing keeping kids off the streets along with Hip Hop. Families that are socio-economical disadvantaged cannot afford to place their child in sports that requires great expenses such as skiing and motorcross. Lower class families allow their children to play in sports that are provided in school or in city leagues which normally consist of soccer, baseball, and basketball. Therefore, we see a division of race in sports. Race in a sense shows the standings of individuals in economic terms. Statistics shows that minority groups such as blacks and latinos are considered lower class while white are middle/ upper class. It is important to make the relation between minorities and the lower class. Most minorities are lower class because they are discriminated in our systems. They are discriminated because of their race as every non-white individual is seen as a risk for failure (racial ideologies; blacks and hispanics stereotypes). People say that we are biological given the gift to play certain sports but the truth is society not biology has divided people in sports. It so happens that certain social class determines what sports we play. As we continue to see certain racial groups dominating specific sports in the U.S.,  we are reminded that the gap between the rich and poor still exist. 

Valerie A.

kin 332i Tu/Th 12:30 -1:45

This season the NBA released new guide lines for "anti-flopping" in the game. Flopping can be loosely defined as a player falling over, flailing out, or pretending to be hurt, faking a very physical play, where in real life nothing of that intensity really happened. The reason for a player 'flopping' is to hopefully be able to get the ref to make a foul call in their favor, which results in benefiting his team through gaining possession for his team, or extra free throw shots. The punishments for players who 'flop' are as follows: violation 1 = warning, 2 = $5,000, 3 = $10,000, 4 = $15,000, 5 = $30,000, and 6 or more could lead to suspension. Clearly the NBA believe 'flopping' to be a shameless act that take away from the honor and hard work that comes with playing in the NBA. Vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson quoted "Flops have no place in our game -they either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a foul call". Although I first thought this new rule to be excessive and unnecessary, I now think that it is a good idea because it does take away from the prestige that comes with playing in the NBA. Players playing in this league are talented enough and are getting payed large amounts of money to display their talent at their fullest potential. When players try to fake these calls, it shows that they are not able to utilize their talents alone to try and win games. 'Flopping' to try and win games is unfair to the opposing team who are playing with the game with hard work and honor! This new rule reminds me of the functionalist view and how it values the positive characteristics that can be learned from sports that can be carried over to everyday life to positively contribute to the stability of society. 'Flopping' is not a positive characteristics that can be learned from sports as it works to fake our refs and fans into thinking that something happened when it really didn't. This type of action would not benefit society. Hopefully, creating these fines will influence players to be more aware of their actions and not let their desire to win affect how they carry themselves on the court, and instead have them continually focus their efforts on bettering their skill to positively contribute to the game and positively influence the game for years to come!

Matthew Tong KIN 332

Stern vs. Spurs

Two weeks ago, as San Antonio Spurs were about to play The Miami Heat in Miami, Spur's coach, Popovich, decided to send his key main players (Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili) back to San Antonio. Popovich's intentions of keeping the squad in healthy conditions after playing five away games in seven nights, lead to Stern's decision of fining the Spurs franchise with $250K, for "showing disrespect to the NBA and its fans." To the surprise of many NBA followers, Spurs only lost the game by five points which ridiculed Stern and top-officials who were involved in such decision. Critics focused on Stern's historical trouble in marketing the Spurs, despite the four championships they've won in ten years, and explained that he had found another reason to stand against them. Instead of celebrating Spurs' exciting exhibition of basketball, his mainly concern was to darken an institution's reputation that does not favor the NBA structure. His clear posture of maintaining an equilibrium and the status quo in the sport, will find no evolution in the sake of the sport until those with power in charge of re-enforcing and designing the structure of the NBA, forget about their economic investments.

Santiago Guiter.
KIN332I.

Long-Term Effects of Football

Real Sport with Bryant Gumbel is my new favorite show.  I never took the time or was interested in this show before this class but with all the dicussion about sports in society I cannot get enough of Mr. Gumbel.  I recently watched an episode about footbal and the impact daily hits have on the brain.  The show displayed evidence about the change in a player's brain at the beginning of the season to the end of a four month season and the results were estonishing.  The brain visibly shows lower activity in the frontal lobe, which controls memory.  They interviewed past college and pro football players that have suffered long term effects from playing football to demonstrate the severe consequences the game can have.  Because of the severity of the results almost all levels of football have changed their hitting policies to one hit day per week, besides game days, except the NCAA.  They continue to run daily hitting practices.  I find this ironic because these athletes are in college to play football and get an education but sufficient evidence shows a decrease in brain activity from graduating college athletes.  Coaches and administration believe college is when a player must establish their hitting skills and its a way to build their game and character up.  This is the NCAA's excuse to not decrease the number of hitting practices and I think it is unfortunate that they promote game winning characteristics rather than preparing these college athletes for life after sport. 

Watch the show, it was very interesting!!

Real">http://www.hbo.com/video/video.html/?autoplay=true&vid=1290073&filter=real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel&view=null">Real Sports 188: Concussions

Posted by: Nicole Floyd KIN 2231

I Listened to What that Swoosh Said

An independent and upcoming rap artists named Macklemore recently came out with his first album where examines contemporary issues in America today. In this class we talked about how we live in a very neoliberal society that places high value on materialism and individual success. In the sports and media chapter we examined how advertisers are always looking for new ways to attract customers to their product and consume it. Many tactics involve strategically placing their product's name at professional sporting events, targeting audiences on tv at specific time periods, or using athletes to represent their product. This song examines Macklemore's own experience as a young child who felt he was under serious pressure to buy the new Michael Jordan shoe or he wouldn't be popular. One line that stands out imparticular says, "My movement told me to be a consumer and I consumed it, they told me to just do it I listened to what that swoosh said, look at what that did, see it consumed my thoughts". This shows how, even as a child, Nike was able to convince Macklemore that he needed to just do it and buy their newest pair of Jordans. At the time he probably did not realize how much influence Nike had on him. This explains the concept of hegemony where individuals consent to giving companies or other groups the power of leadership and control, without even noticing sometimes. I have pasted a stanza from the song below, make sure to check out it out and the rest of Macklemore's songs.

We want what we can't have, commodity makes us want it
So expensive, damn, I just got to flaunt it
Got to show 'em, so exclusive, this that new shit
A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop in
Look at me, look at me, I'm a cool kid
I'm an individual, yea, but I'm part of a movement
My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it
They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said
Look at what that swoosh did
See it consumed my thoughts
Are you stupid, don't crease 'em, just leave 'em in that box
Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk
That's my air bubble and I'm lost, if it pops
We are what we wear, we wear what we are
But see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all
Will I stand for change, or stay in my box
These Nikes help me define me, and I'm trying to take mine, off

-Brandon Cirbo
KIN 332I

The Silence of Politics

How to Knock out Politics 101

We as spectators and fans know that professional Boxing has been very political for the past 50 years. We have experienced phantom punches, phantom knockouts, lopsided scores, fighters taking dives and even ear bitting. The love for the fight is and will always be in our nature as humans and even more so as Americans. We all remember how exciting we all got the first time we seen Rocky in the star spangled banner trunks coming back to beat the Ivan Drago the Russian machine in Rocky III. Politics, Politics, Politics. Well this past Saturday was the fourth meeting of Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in which the politics of the sport were silenced. The first time they met 05/08/2004 it was a true battle and it was a split decision DRAW. Meaning that one judge had the fight for Pacquiao, one judge had the fight for Marquez, and the last judge had the fight as a draw. Some thought Pacquiao won, most people who fallow boxing and know the sport very well, and have it as an active part of theirs lives thought Marquez won. The beauty of boxing when its a close fight and ends in a draw. The rematch will sell a lot more and that means another big payout for both teams, managers, and sponsors. They met a second time 03/15/2008 and by this time Pacquiao's pro boxing career has taken off and he is a house hold name and the fighting pride of the Philippines. Once again it is a great fight with most true boxing fans like myself thinking the Marquez came out on top. Now theirs a split decision victor, but to my and most peoples surprise its not Marquez. What this means is that two judges thought that Pacquiao won and one judge thought Marquez. This was garbage! but the beauty of boxing and Split Decisions is that their controversial, and once again more often than not lead to a rematch. Which means..... More money for both camps, managers, and sponsors. So at this time a trilogy is automatic and comes to life a faster. It seems like yesterday, Marquez is still a well known name but has a loss, to Floyd Mayweather Jr who at this time is the best BOXER in the world. I emphasis boxer because he may not be the most exciting fighter to watch. Never the less people want a super fight of Mayweather, the big mouth arrogant american, and Pacquiao the fighting pride of the Philippines. BUT! They are both champions at this time and no one wants to agree the others rules so we get the next best thing Marquez vs Pacquiao 3. 11/12/2011 for anyone who has eyes and is not the mother of Manny Pacquiao, believes it should go to Marquez. But! If it goes to Marquez then there is no chance of the super fight between Pacquiao and Mayweahter. So the fight goes to Pacquiao whom lost in everyones eyes except the judges. The fight was a Majority Decison which means  two judges scored the fight for Pacquiao and one judge who had somewhat of a conscience scored the fight as a draw. Then Mayweather takes a fight with Miguel Cotto who is also a great fighter and it goes the distance and turns in a braw. Very uncharacteristic for Mayweather but the people loved it. However due to a domestic violence charge Mayweather has to go to jail after the fight. So much for the superfight. Pacquiao takes a fight with Timothy Bradley and to the shock of the world Pacquiao losses!!! Pacquiao wins the fight hands down but for what ever reason the judges score a split decision in favor for Bradley. Karma might have played a factor but with a rematch clause in the contract it's not as big of a deal as it could be. However during the fight Bradley suffered a Broken Foot. So the rematch is put on the back burner for the moment. With Mayweather in jail the next best opponent is Marquez. So a date is set 12/08/2012 Marquez vs Pacquiao 4 which means.... you got it! More money for both camps, managers, and SPONSORS! Fight Night comes and both fighters look good and are in top shape with no excuses to fall back on. The fight is what everyone expects pure boxing greatness with both fighters down in the early rounds,(Pacquaio down in the 3rd and Marquez down in the 5th) but what comes next is what everyone was waiting for.... Knock out! Not TKO but KO! The end of round six comes and with Pacquiao finishing strong, trying to double up on a right jab and from the depths of boxings political prison, Marquez comes back with a counter overhand right(a la Bernard Hopkins style) and silences the politics of boxing the only way a fighter/boxer can. With an undeniable Knock out that can be watched on ESPN.com No phantom punch, No Dive, No Politics, just a good ol' fashion Ass Whuppin. =)

Miguel Fortiz Kin332I T TH 1230 145    

Overuse Injuries

One problem in youth sports that is beginning to surface more and more is, overuse injuries due to the over-specialization in one sport. The year-round training that it takes to perform at a high level in youth sports today is very taxing on a young body and has been linked to overuse. Not long ago, children were switching to a new sport as the seasons changed which was very beneficial to a young body's physical development. Playing different sports at different times of the year give some muscles a chance to rest while others are being worked. With year-round single sport programs those muscle and joints are used nonstop and have no recovery period. Training the same muscles year-round is believed to be the main cause of the rise in overuse injuries at a young age. The repetitive stress can cause young body's to break down and can lead to injury, especially due to the fact that often times these children's bodies aren't even fully developed yet. The main preventative action you can take is to participate in a variety of sports and allow for some recovery time. Many physicians who treat overuse injuries believe the solution is to educate the parents and coaches, so that they can see the warning signs and pull the kids before an injury occurs. Think about this when you pressure your children to specialize in any one sports.

http://www.sportsmd.com/SportsMD_Articles/id/349.aspx

Samuel Jeffers
KIN332I 2:00-3:15

Idols and Sport

When looking at sports, I noticed something that startled me. I did a search to find the top memorable moments in sports and the results came back to show that they were primarily violent or morose acts. The people who were being depicted as memorable were either engaged in a fight or died some tragic act after being deemed a great asset to the sport. Many of the people were being glorified for things that society would otherwise look down upon which leads me to this question. As a society, do we truly enjoy violence or confrontation? And are we willing to promote such acts as a means of entertainment at the expense of the athlete? If so, then should we also punish them for committing these acts when it is the society that demands it of them? Should we as a society be glorifying these acts or should we be idolizing the acts of those who stand against these wrongs and promote good causes like those that Ali believed in? People need to take a step back and reflect on what is truly important.

Nicco Gonzalez
Kin 332i TuTh 12:30-1:45

A Qualm About the NCAA

In our class we discussed plenty about Conflict Theory and the price of entry into sports, even though mainstream thought is that sports is a field were merit and hard work are the only factors. Sadly by the NCAA level, that price of entry is that much higher.

We pride our athletes on hard work and excelling in their sports, yet we expect them to eat right, sleep right, train right, study right, and still manage to go to work to make money to live. The current system burns out student-athletes. Yet we look down upon athletes who take money from people trying to help them out?

Even after winning a local 5k race, I had to deny taking a $100 gift card (which was the prize) because I was scared of what would happen. Would I lose my amateurism? Would that mean in the NCAA's eyes' that I was a professional athlete?

An athlete has worked so hard to get to this point, and even to get to this point they had to have had some financial help on the way but why is it that the NCAA puts so many restrictions on the athlete making it hard to live. Let athletes take prize money, let athletes be able to make money off their image, or the NCAA should at least pay them when use their image.

There are plenty of good things the NCAA does, and plenty of other bad things. This one was just on my mind.

-Gabriel Hilbert

Tuesday/ Thursday 12:30-1:45 pm

Kin 332i

Roles in Deviance.

Deviance in sport is not an uncommon thing. However, when we think of deviance in sport, we usually tend to focus our attention to certain people. The main group would, of course, be the athletes. If an athlete commits a deviant act, it is extremely noticeable. On the other hand, if someone in a position related to sports in any way (coach, team manager, athletic trainer, sport administrator, judges, spectator, etc.) commits a deviant act, it may be different. Although it can be just as bad, it may not always be seen as deviant at all, and can sometimes even go completely unnoticed by the public. For example, when NBA coach Bobby Knight loses his temper during games, he isn’t afraid to show his aggravation and likes throws various objects such as chairs and towels. To the public, it is seen as normal. He is just perceived as a concerned coach, being affected by and caring for the athletes’ performance as a team. I’m sure if an athlete ever acted like that over a failed play, he or she would probably be suspended or would face some kind of consequences.  I find this very interesting because this just goes to show that roles and authority play a huge part of deviance in sport.

-Tara Drapiza (008151869)
Tue/Thu 12:30- 1:45

Pacquiao Marquez fight 12/8/2012

Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez just had their fourth fight against each other and it was one hell of a fight. Back and forth, the two were getting each other. Marquez had an early knockout on Pacquaio. Next Pacquiao got a knock out on Marquez. It finally reached the sixth round, Pacquiao has broken Marquez’s nose, and so he then attacked aggressively throughout the whole round. The last ten seconds, Pacquiao went all out, leaving his guard down at one point, and Marquez saw that opportunity and counter punched him and knocked Pacquiao out cold. Marquez has won the match and everyone was stunned! No one expected Pacquiao to get knocked out like that. I was shocked myself to see a boxer who hasn’t gotten knocked out in about 40 rounds of boxing get knocked down cold. I checked my social networks and it was filled with surprised comments. Lots of people were disappointed it had to end like that. I hope to see one last fight between these two because Pacquiao cannot go out like this. Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fight number five! FTW.

-Alexander Hum (007783618)

Tuesday/ Thursday 12:30-1:45 pm

Kin 332i

Pressures of High School and Intercollegiate Sports

Taylor King was living every young basketballs dream.  He played with some of the best players in his age group, dominating the AAU circuit for years.  He was offered a scholarship from UCLA in the seventh grade and was attending powerhouse, Mater Dei High School to add to his growing success.  Although he was excelling on the court, at home he was feeling the pressure of being a basketball phenom.  His father pushed him to become the best, trying to live his own childhood dream through his son.  The expectations grew when King committed to Duke University to play at the division one level.  As the pressure mounted King started to experiment with marijuana to escape the constant stress.  His drug problem followed him at Duke, where he left after a season because of lack of playing time.  He transferred to Villanova University but again failed multiple drug tests and was dismissed from the team after playing for only a season.  Today, Taylor is getting his health in order, playing basketball overseas, and trying to step foot into the NBA.  Although Taylor King is not the only athlete who succumbed to the pressured of high school and intercollegiate sports, he is a great example in that these athletes are put in the spotlight at such a young age.

-Ken Nakagawa (008817742)

Tue/Thu 12:30- 1:45

New Beard in Town?

Since the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010, there seems to have been a trend of growing out beards. Brian Wilson was the closing pitcher during this spectacular season and his bread was the one that established the infamous "Fear the Beard" slogan for this team. However, when Wilson had Tommy John surgery for the second time in his baseball career, the team has looked to not only a new closer in Sergio Romo, but also a new beard. After Romo helped the Giants win the World Series this past year, it seems as if he was the new fan favorite. It is likely that Wilson will not end up with the Giants for the upcoming 2013 season, as he is now a free agent. It's difficult to see an amazing player such as Wilson, possibly looking in a new direction. As he has had problems with his throwing elbow, we know he has overcome so much adversity to get back to where he used to be. Wilson has shown so much passion for the game and has continued to be a huge part of the team although being inactive. Should the Giants let him go and stick with Romo for the next season? I guess only time will tell.



Angela Martinez
KIN 332i/ TTh 2-3:15

Asian in the NBA? So what?

In February 2012, the reknowned and undefeated welterweight boxer, Floyd Mayweather, posted a comment about how he thinks about the former New York Knick's Jeremy Lin. He quoted: "Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise." Honestly, all the NBA players of every race get the same praise, and not just from a historical aspect like Bob Kurland (first person to dunk), but because they are famous, professional basketball players. Just because we do not see a lot of Asian NBA players in today's society does not make Jeremy Lin famous because of his ethnic background. In fact, the reason why Lin is well known to the fans is because he's "the first player in league history to have at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his four career starts" than any player since 1976. He lead the last five games with the Knicks as a point guard to victory before being traded off to the Houston Rockets. As a person with an Asian ethnic background, I do not believe nor even think about Jeremy Lin as a famous NBA player because he's Asian; I define and look up to every NBA player of all races because of their talent and abilities in basketball. Mayweather may have wanted the attention to spark a controversial issue regarding people of different races in the NBA, but as a result, an athlete is defined by his ability and reputation on the playing field/court.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7572690/floyd-mayweather-says-new-york-knicks-jeremy-lin-spotlight-race-not-play

- Anthony Hoang
KIN 332I T/TH 9:30-10:55AM

Pacman and Marquez aftermath

The Pacquiao Marquez fight was a great fight.  Marquez deserved the long hard worked win.  Many Filipinos prides were hurt but like any other game there has to be a loser.  This picture was recently taken from my high school in the bay area the day after the fight.  I believe this is ignorant and shameless and I don't think it was necessary at all.  Despite the loss of a great pride and joy of my home country separation of races should not be allowed or tolerated.  I understand national pride but this is just disgusting to me.  This shouldn't spark up race differences because of this sign but if you watched the fight you can see the respect for each other between the fighters after the fight.  Why is there no respect here?

Ezriel Labio

Rugby scrumming its way to popularity?

With the help of the International Rugby Board (IRB), Sevens Rugby is finally going to be introduced to the Olympic games. With 205 Olympic Committees, and 118 rugby member unions, there is enough competition to make the sport’s popularity explode.  Rugby is huge in other countries like Ireland, England, Wales, Australia, and New Zealand; where players begin their career during childhood.  The United States is beginning to recognize the sport as a popular, fun, source of entertainment, but most athletes do not become interested until college; where ability to play is most prevalent.  

The US Eagles Seven’s captain, Todd Clever remembers as a kid, “we had about ten teams in northern California. We had to drive about two-and-a-half, three hours to a game.  Now it’s grown so much there’s ten leagues in northern California with ten or twelve teams in each. So it’s grown huge.” Locally, Belmont Shores has begun advertising youth leagues, attempting to introduce the sport to athletes at an earlier age. Perhaps adopting this idea from European countries has influenced their tremendous success in national play; having claimed numerous national titles.

New Zealand Coach Gordon Tietjens, whose side won gold at the Commonwealth Games, said one of the most attractive aspects of Sevens Rugby was its unpredictability. “Many years ago, generally it was New Zealand and Fiji who were considered the top two teams. But we’ve seen the emergence of six or seven teams at any given time that can go out and win a tournament, such as the United States or Kenya.”

The United States won Rugby gold in 1920, after playing one match against France, and again in 1924 after winning two matches.  With the absence of Rugby in the Olympics, is it possible for the US to reclaim their success?  Will we finally catch up to other countries, and recognize Rugby as the best sport ever? We will see in 2014.

Alan Palzer

T-Th 2:00PM

When Change Is Inevitable

NFL players should get over the fact that they’re going to have to change the way they tackle in this day and age. With new rules, bargaining agreements and the awareness/research of concussions and various brain injuries that could lead to early retirement and even death; the NFL is safer than it’s ever been. Call the NFL wrong for looking out for the best interest of the brand, but as a multi-billion dollar company you have to protect your brand and its employees and assets. Every company has rules and regulations regarding safety and health issues to protect the employees of potential injuries and the company from potential lawsuits. At my job I have to comply with the rules and regulations (that constantly change over time) when dealing with machinery, ladders, etc. Although I take short cuts and do things that decrease my time with the machinery which can put my life at risk, I have to conform with the rules and regulations to protect my life and the company no matter how I felt, what I was used to, or how I use to do it. Doctors, Lawyers, EMT, Teachers, Firefighters, Police Officers, mostly every occupation has at some point had to reform. NFL players get over it! I could understand about going hard and leaving everything you have on the field, but don’t leave your life out there. I understand about tradition and the way the game is supposed to be played, but let’s try to prolong and preserve the popularity of the game and the health of the players before the game is no more. If there is any thing in life that is constant it is change, and those that want to survive will welcome and deal with change.  

Keith Simon

KS

@Keith_Simn85

KIN332I 9:30am-10:45 T/Th Section 11143

What Are We Teaching: Youth Sports and Responsibility of Parents

“Pop Warner has put in place the most stringent concussion rules in youth sports and we will continue to find ways to ensure football is safe and fun for our young athletes.’’ This was part of the statement given by a hearing committee in response to a Pop Warner game played in Massachusetts that resulted in concussions for five players ranging from ages 10-12. My question is how responsible are the parents, coaches, and officials and who is the most responsible for this game that resulted in five concussions from a 52-0 route? Also should youth sports even involve contact that is required in sports like football when it is immensely easier for children this young to receive concussions. Symptoms usually do not show up instantaneously and it is hard to diagnose a concussion unless you are in their shoes. According to Chris Nowinski, president of the Sports Legacy Institute, which has devoted its work to concussion prevention and diagnosis, “there is almost no hope of diagnosing a concussion in a child at the time of injury unless it is obvious because they are knocked out.’’ If we know this to be true how can Pop Warner officials say that they are ensuring that football is safe? It doesn't matter how many rules and precautions are taken, unless contact is taken out of the game there is no way of preventing the danger that these children face. Injuries such as concussions also have long term impacts and may not fully affect a person until later on in life as cognition decreases. If development is stunted by concussions then this decrease in cognition can be felt earlier and more severely. Yes officials had an obligation to stop the game due to the leagues implemented "mercy rule", but could the parents and coaches not have done the same? Wife of the winning coach, who is also the mother of one of the players, stated that she did not think her team should have been hit with suspensions because it was the officials fault. If her son had been one of the injured ones then I believe her stance would have been different. On the team's website there is a banner that says "Are You Tough Enough". The ideology of being tough and playing through pain is obviously prevalent at this age ad is most likely perpetuated throughout practice by the coaches. I believe that anyone and everyone at the game is responsible. The comparison between football and war has been made time and time again and if children are not sent to war why are they put on the football field. We should not be teaching youths that it is okay for them to fight against each other, as this mindset can easily socialize them into acting in this manner through other aspects of their life. 

Matt W.
Kin 332i (T/Th 2:00)
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/2012/10/20/one-pop-warner-game-results-five-concussions/nkJydxoAsEGOF0jPjimtWK/story.html

Unchanging Authority and Power in Sports

Sport is organized competition which allows for development of physical ability and provides entertainment for those participating. Sport is also a place where effort and determination are valued and rewarded. At the lower levels of competition, the aforementioned is primarily true with equality being its utmost priority. However, when sport is looked further into with a sociological and political lens, there are many things that go unnoticed. The people at the top of the sports world, in terms of financial and authoritative power, are milking the system of professional sports while benefiting all by themselves.

The most people in sports are not the athletes or the fans. The fans definitely have a significant influence in how the sports market trends, they are not aware that the commissioners, network presidents/CEOs, and the owners of leagues are in control of how the fans view and receive sports. They make all the decisions on how sports is meant to be portrayed in the media, what kind of political messages they want to get across, and how they make the most money out of what they have. They definitely should make the decisions for they are the ones at the top, but the decisions should weight heavily on whether they are working for the greater good in sports: racial equality, gender equality, etc... Their decisions do not always improve the sport and their interest are how to get people to spend their money and lives on the entertainment value of sports. They build their grand stadiums, homes, and corporations off the fans, but the not all fans have the opportunity to enjoy the experience. The people at the top make money off the athletes but they do not give back to the communities that do not have resources to develop aspiring athletes' skills and dreams.

“The sports world certainly has a pecking order, which is all driven by cash,” says Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavericks). ”Sports may be nothing more than a game at its most basic, but when it comes to the sport of business, my list is driven by those who control the purse strings.”

The same owners, presidents, CEOs, and commissioners run the show through multiple generations and hundreds of athletes. The problems we encounter in sports and the changes that we might need to see in sports might have to start from the top of the "pecking order."

Jong Hyun Lee
KIN 332i Sec 05 11143

Media And Sports Connected is Beneficial

This article is an example of how sports and media are connected.  Sports paly a major role in the media success of specific media companies such as yahoo and NBC in this article. These two companies are coming together so they can make a higher profit and have more control of the sports media. They created contract that allows them to have separate websites but share information to bring in more revenue for the companies. The sports teams will benefit from this, with the more news and broadcasting the more the sports teams are viewed and more people will be encouraged to attend games and spend more of paraphernalia for the specific teams. Sports and media are great for each other and this article is great example of how media benefits form the sports and what is being done in the sports and media industry.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nbc-sports-partners-yahoo-content-010241425.html;_ylt=A2KJjb2wUMZQGF8AADHQtDMD

Jasmine Jones

Kin 332i T/Th 2-3:15  class section 06 11144

"Strong is the New Sexy"

With Title IX passing on June 23, 1972, it gave women across America hope and courage for them to play competitively on elite teams. Today, many parents of the Summit High girl's rugby team, agree that Title IX "started creating opportunities where we played sports when we were kids." Because these parents did not have the same opportunities as their daughters, that are now playing for the rugby team, a sport were no pads are worn, making tackles and runs that would make the football team jealous, and running full speed at another player, has them in awe because they did not have those opportunities until after Title IX was passed. Mothers admire their daughters for having to rise above the male counterparts and see that "strong is the new sexy." Title IX is a perfect example of social change and challenging women to expand their opportunities and horizons. Women playing sports competitively today has become a cultural norm but as a whole, I believe, that we women still need to fight for equality and devote attention to women's equality in all aspects. With that being said, there will be more change and future generations, male dominated, will learn to see and respect women as athletes. I believe, and just how many other women and mother's of female athletes believe, that "strong is the new sexy" and how it can now be used as a metaphor for women to believe in their physical abilities.

www.summitdaily.com/article/20121110/SPORTS/121109775

Briana S Chopin
"Sports and Society Digital Journals"
T/TH: 9:30-10:45am

"Vote Ray Guy"

This weekend all NFL teams had patches on their jerseys to celebrate the Hall of Fame’s 50^th Anniversary. Minnesota Vikings punter, Chris Kluwe is who is often outspoken about important causes, mostly gay rights. Used a post-it note to cover the Hall of Fame patch, the post-it said “Vote Ray Guy”. Ray Guy is an ex-NFL punter who was in the top five punters in the league during his 14-year career. Chris Kluwe wants to see Ray Guy to become the first punter induced into the NFL Hall of Fame, yet the Hall of Fame voters don’t usually honor players whose only contribution is on special teams. Chris Kluwe is excepting to receive a $5k fine from the league for placing the post-it on his uniform but he has said that his actions are worth the fine if it means opening the eyes of the Hall of Fame voters to truly understand what punters do for teams. This act is showing that professional athletes use their stardom to help aid in what they believe is true and to try and get others to follow and to open the eyes of those that do not understand. This was explain the in film “More then just a game” by Dave Zirin, when he showed another NFL player, Scott Fujita who used his stardom to help aid in gay rights, even though he was not homosexual, he showed that with stardom individuals will follow a cause if they see professional athletes standing up for a cause they believe in.     

KIN 332I 

T/TH 9:30-10:45

Alfred Becerra 

Two Tragedies, One League

The two recent deaths in the National Football League this past week have provoked the media to analyze why sports and violence seem to go hand-in-hand. Kansas City Chiefs's linebacker, Jovan Belcher, shocked the league when he killed his girlfriend. Shortly after, he went on to kill himself in front of the Chiefs's staff. A week later, the already delicate balance of the NFL was threatened by Jerry Brown's death due to the drunk driving of one of his teammates.While the blame could fall on many different sources, it seems like the NFL is a fan favorite.


Realistically, incidents like this happen all the time; however, because both victims are high-profile in society, the severity of the deaths are magnified. People don't just see these athletes as everyday people. They are professionals. They are role models. But most importantly, just like everyone else they are loved. When people seek to criticize, they only see what is most obvious. It is easy to accuse the NFL and sports for deviant behavior off the field; but, it is not the NFL that makes people, it is athletes that make the NFL. These athletes were engaging in dangerous behavior that is not unfamiliar to society. Unfortunately, the love-hate relationship of the NFL and America makes the NFL an easy target.  Newscasts and talk shows were quick to imply that sports and violence were no coincident pattern. Sadly, it seems as though society is more concerned about sports and punishment than the victims and members surrounding the victims who are struggling.

-Rachel M
KIN 332I- 06 T/Th 2-315 pm

The Beckham Experiment

               In 2006, Major League Soccer was in huge trouble. The league had been in the red since its inception in 1996. Most teams place in cavernous, and most importantly, empty football stadiums. TV viewership was at an all time low and the on-field talent was nothing to be proud of. The league was in very real danger of folding just like the NASL (North American Soccer league) did back  in the early 1980's. American soccer needed a hero, and the owners knew it.
              In 2007, news was released that David Beckham had agreed to a five year, 250 Million dollar contract to come play with the LA Galaxy. David was a prolific midfielder, whose pedigree consisted of a long stay with Manchester United, as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid. He was the star that the MLS had been longing for. He was charismatic, attractive, had a high profile wife, and wasn't a slouch out there on the field either.
             When he made his first appearance in a game, a sold out crowd welcomed him with a thunderous applause. The people in charge must have felt pretty confident in their new signing. But unfortunately for Beckham, the spotlight soon faded. Even with his help, the galaxy failed to make the playoffs for the next two years. Even Beckham himself seemed less than interested in the league, often missing games to go train with European sides or compete for a spot on the English national team. In his first two years, Beckham missed 55% LA's games. Soon his teammates and fans began to turn their back on him. Landon Donovon, captain of the galaxy and star of the US national team, openly criticized Beckham's lack of allegiance to the team. Fans soon followed, in 2009 he returned from a loan spell in Italy to fans openly booing him during games. Many were announcing the Beckham experiment a complete failure, nothing more than an overpaid sideshow in a country completely disinterested in soccer.
           Just when MLS was ready to admit its mistake, something changed. The change originated in the man himself. Beckham made peace with his teammates and began to show real dedication on the field. He ran for the full 90 minutes, constantly making dangerous runs deep into the opponents territory.  He helped out on defense. But most importantly to the fans, he began to score. With his efforts,  the galaxy turned 2009 into one of its best years on record. With this new found skill, Beckham also began to interact more with the fans who had turned their back on him. he stayed after games to sign autographs, Spoke highly of the league to the media, and generally began to be the ambassador that the MLS had signed him up to be. His loans out to other teams stopped, and to the fans at least, he seemed to finally come to terms with the decision he had made back in 2007.
             Since then the profile of the league has skyrocketed. Beckham has opened the doors to other Euro stars, such as Thierry Henry, Rafa Marques, Robbie Keane, Frank Lampard, and more to join the MLS. With these new stars, the quality of play has increased dramatically. Most teams now play in purpose build soccer stadiums. Soccer fans now flock to games and spend their money on merchandise. TV deals have come rolling in. With the galaxy Beckham has won two league titles and attracted thousands to the game.
           Beckham played his last game in a galaxy jersey at the beginning of December, and despite the rocky beginning, I think it is accurate to say that the Beckham Experiment was an unrivaled success.




Patrick S.
KIN 332I Sec 03

Dodger turnaround

Less than two years ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers found themselves filing for bankruptcy. Now they are continuing a massive spending spree by signing Zack Greinke for $147 million on Saturday. There seems to be no limit to what the Dodgers will spend despite facing a luxury tax. All of this was made possible thanks to a TV deal which will bring between $6-7 billion in revenue over the next 25 years. The Dodgers are now the most expensive sports team in history. Should the Dodgers be able to basically 'buy' themselves a possible title? If this trend continues, would fewer and fewer teams remain relevant causing less competition making the game less interesting to watch?

Cody E
Kin 332i T,Th 2:00-3:15

Sport and the Media

One of the topics that I found most interest in was the relation of sport and the media. There is much interdependence between the two. Using the conflict theory as my perspective I saw that the control of sport media relies greatly with corporate business men. Learning from Kiola's lecture that the top wealthiest people are not athletes or even coaches was surprising, but makes sense now that I have looked further into it. Conflict theory is seen when the media and sport operate through the constant promotion of the ideology that consumption, competition and individual achievement is the dominant way to live. The media can make an audience want to buy anything relating to the sport event, team, or athlete they are watching. The influence of consumption is what promotes economic exploitation and capitalist expansion. Economic exploitation and capitalist expansion are the foundations for how these these wealthy business men retain their use of power to control the media. I believe that the focus of what is important in sport is skewed to what these wealthy business men want to see. It would be nice to see some social change in sport media pertaining to what athletes actually believe is important and beneficial to the future of their athletic field and sport as a whole.  
Michelle Ng   
Kerrie Kauer/332I/T/Th 9:30 

Penn State Scandal: Money or Shame?

Through the analysis around media and sports, we have learned the common themes in sports of today such as; hyper masculinity, toughness, body image, and empowerment. Besides these common themes that surround and influence the way we see sports, money also confines and affects our viewpoints. In this Penn State scandal case we see how these common themes AND money come into play. Most of us argue that Penn State officials failed to act on this unethical behavior because millions of dollars were on the line. Others argue that Penn State officials loved the game so much that they did not want to ruin a good reputation, as author Frank Deford stated, (article link posted on side), “...no, it wasn’t because of [Paterno’s] own reputation or because of all the money Penn State Football made that stopped him from acting.... Coach Paterno could not bear to see shame come to his beloved game of football.” The question here is for what reason did they stay quiet about the whole situation when it was first presented to them? The sad part about it is the selfishness of many who sought to defend their own egocentric ways and cared less about those who were being molested on their own school grounds. When moments like these happen you would think that people decide on what is morally right, however, in this case, Penn State officials decided upon avoidance of “shame.”  
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/frank_deford/11/16/Unmanliness-of-Penn-State-scandal/index.html

Nancy Garcia (KIN332i Tu/Thu 12:30)

Fighters And Steroids Don't Mix Well With Each Other

The fighting organizations have become powerful entities as sport organizations.  Despite the early success, the fighting organizations still have numerous of bugs within their systems. .  One of the main problems has become steroid policy.  There is a long list of steroid abusers in the fighting organizations that still enable to fight on the card.  The question I want to raise is should the fighters be able to fight after taking such a sport-enhancing drug?  Since the UFC is attempting to be on par with other national televised sports, steroid should be a top priority for fighter safety.  The violence in this sport is immense.  Juicing fighter athletes for fight seems crazy because the other athlete who did not take steroids ends up suffer with his/her body.  Training camps for fighter put the fighters through hell before the fight and injuries are bound to happen.  The pressures for fighter to take steroids to recover faster seem necessary.  These fight organization should have back-up fight incase of an injury emergency rather than make the athletes hid injury.  The policy must change before the fighters. Fighter’s bodies are their investment for providing them with income.  

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/mma-steroid-busts-definitive-timeline/

Posted by: Spencer Hirahara

Tues., Thurs. 12:30-1:45

KIN 332I Sec 03 2455