posted by Kristen Finelli
It is no secret that sports are trying to globalize. Globalization of sports such as rugby, American football, and hockey would mean increased revenue for everyone involved. However, most of these sports have failed to attract worldwide audiences.
When most people think of globalization of sports, they imagine the World Cup, which draws millions of viewers around the world. Even here in America, a country that has never embraced soccer, we watch the World Cup matches. There is even a bid going on to bring the World Cup to the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/sports/soccer/31vecsey.html?em
The Olympics is another example of the globalization of sports. But recently, there has been a new tournament that has brought a certain sport worldwide attention. And that’s the World Baseball Classic. The World Baseball Classic is a brand new concept. The first tournament was played in 2006, and the second tournament was played just last month. Baseball is thought of as a purely American sport, at least by Americans. It was founded here and has a long, colorful history. However, people all over the world, especially in Spanish-speaking countries, have tuned in to the WBC. And the teams have proved that baseball is not purely an American game. Team USA made it to the semi-finals, but in the end, the final came down to Korea and Japan. And who would have expected the Netherlands to get as far as they did? This just proves that baseball, a small sport that Americans think of as their own, has spread around the world with positive results.
There was a question of whether the WBC would do well in the States. We’re a little snobbish when it comes to our sports, and it was debatable whether fans would want to watch people from other countries, whom they didn’t know, play a sport that we feel attached too. However, coverage on ESPN was a huge success. http://www.multichannel.com/article/189969-World_Baseball_Classic_Starts_Strong_For_ESPN_Vehicles.php And part of the reason for that was the opportune timing of the games. For Americans, the off-season is long and spring training games get old after a while. In MediaSport it says that in sport, “the audience is targeted in its most vulnerable condition, relaxed yet fully receptive to the physical action and the inserted sales pitch” [Wenner 128]. True baseball fans are desperate for baseball, so of course they will watch. I did.
The WBC is still in an experimental phase. What are your opinions on it? Do you think that it’s a good thing for the globalization of baseball? Or is it purely a publicity stunt by MLB? Did you watch the World Baseball Classic this year or in 2006?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Globalization of Sports
Posted on behalf of Katie Devlin:
With the constant advances in technology and work ethics, a major change has been made with universal communication becoming exceptionally simple and virtually effortless as evidently seen in sports. Although countries are more connected which can be seen as an increase in globalization, this also means there is an increase in global competition.
Some sports have failed to become globalized. For example, baseball, America’s favorite pastime, and arguably the most famous sport to watch and participated in America has not become so popular in other countries… yet.
Soccer however is globalized which is why watching the World Cup is so popular in many countries. Sport globalization definitely shows both universal competition and universal bonding. It seems as if Europe and Canada seem to be adopting football into their culture which may lead to World Football Championship perhaps in the future. If soccer has been globalized, there is no doubt other sports have the same capability to be picked up by other countries. For instance, NFL played its first regular season game in London a couple years ago which could definitely a way to promote and advertise the game of football that us Americans seem to love.
Sport globalization can lead to international markets and business opportunities in the sport industry that can help the economy that especially needs help in our country.
Sports act as a universal feature of culture. There are no language barriers in sports. The rules are the rules. Everyone has the ability to know the game. There are no geographic barriers.
As notes on page 325 of the Handbook, “The motivations for and responses to viewing sports on television are primarily functions of affect, but they contain distinctly cognitive and social aspects as well.”
With the constant advances in technology and work ethics, a major change has been made with universal communication becoming exceptionally simple and virtually effortless as evidently seen in sports. Although countries are more connected which can be seen as an increase in globalization, this also means there is an increase in global competition.
Some sports have failed to become globalized. For example, baseball, America’s favorite pastime, and arguably the most famous sport to watch and participated in America has not become so popular in other countries… yet.
Soccer however is globalized which is why watching the World Cup is so popular in many countries. Sport globalization definitely shows both universal competition and universal bonding. It seems as if Europe and Canada seem to be adopting football into their culture which may lead to World Football Championship perhaps in the future. If soccer has been globalized, there is no doubt other sports have the same capability to be picked up by other countries. For instance, NFL played its first regular season game in London a couple years ago which could definitely a way to promote and advertise the game of football that us Americans seem to love.
Sport globalization can lead to international markets and business opportunities in the sport industry that can help the economy that especially needs help in our country.
Sports act as a universal feature of culture. There are no language barriers in sports. The rules are the rules. Everyone has the ability to know the game. There are no geographic barriers.
As notes on page 325 of the Handbook, “The motivations for and responses to viewing sports on television are primarily functions of affect, but they contain distinctly cognitive and social aspects as well.”
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Globalization: The wide world of sports
In the Handbook of Sports and Media Joseph Maguire states, “The concept of globalization is subject to intense political, ideological, and social scientific debate” (436). He further goes on and talking about other issues that go in the idea of globalization in sports. Over the years globalization in sports has grown to an extreme. Games can be shown in over 100 hundred countries at a time. LeBron James is a perfect example. A game played by him shown on ESPN can viewed in many different countries. There are many more examples in different sports. One factor that plays a big role in globalization is the amount of foreign or international players coming to America to play the sport professionally.
One article I found briefly talked about how Yao Ming is the reason why Chinese people watch the game of basketball. http://sportsprof.blogspot.com/2005/09/globalization-and-sports.html This article also talked about other sports, such as, soccer, and baseball. After reading this article it showed me how the international and foreign players have an effect on the game. I believe the international players bring a lot of the money for the sport.
Maguire also states “The sport and leisure-wear industry can be used to highlight how consumption of cultural goods is bound up with globalization” (436). I believe star athletes being represented by big name brands play a big role in globalization in sports. Sports gear is being brought all over the world due to the companies’ big name star athletes. For example, Nike has LeBron James and Michael Jordan, Addidas has Kevin Garnett and David Beckham. Young children in other countries want the gear that the star players wear.
Over the years more and more athletes from other countries have came to America to play the sport the love. In today’s society it is uncommon not to have an international player on your hometown’s professional team. Which sport do you think is most globalized? Who do you think has the most influence on their sport’s globalization?
One article I found briefly talked about how Yao Ming is the reason why Chinese people watch the game of basketball. http://sportsprof.blogspot.com/2005/09/globalization-and-sports.html This article also talked about other sports, such as, soccer, and baseball. After reading this article it showed me how the international and foreign players have an effect on the game. I believe the international players bring a lot of the money for the sport.
Maguire also states “The sport and leisure-wear industry can be used to highlight how consumption of cultural goods is bound up with globalization” (436). I believe star athletes being represented by big name brands play a big role in globalization in sports. Sports gear is being brought all over the world due to the companies’ big name star athletes. For example, Nike has LeBron James and Michael Jordan, Addidas has Kevin Garnett and David Beckham. Young children in other countries want the gear that the star players wear.
Over the years more and more athletes from other countries have came to America to play the sport the love. In today’s society it is uncommon not to have an international player on your hometown’s professional team. Which sport do you think is most globalized? Who do you think has the most influence on their sport’s globalization?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
End of Blackness in Sports? Ask the Media...
Posted on behalf of Kyle deManincor:
When Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy were on opposing sidelines in Super Bowl XLI, monumental steps were taken in the effort to end "blackness" in sports. It was a historic moment not only for African-Americans, but for sports as a whole. It was captured throughout the media as one of the finest moments in all of sports. In recent years though, the media has taken on almost a political role when it comes to blackness in sports.
According to Chapter 27 in The Handbook of Sports and Media, "...the spectacle of the Black athletic body has 'simultaneously diminished the space for progressive politics itself...it appears that we have moved from a position of black athletes embodying a politics of social transformation to politics itself being reduced to the bodies of individual athletes" (461). The media has lost sight of the black culture as a whole and re-focused on the talents of certain black individuals.The media has catered to the white-population through the use of black athletes who seem to influence the lives of so many through their charisma and wonder. "Michael Jordan's carefully engineered charismatic appeal...is a case of complicitious racial avoidance. Jordan's image was coveted by the media primarily because of its reassuring affinity with the affective investments associated with America's white-dominated national popular culture" (Raney and Bryant, 477). The media used Jordan as a way to market sports to the white-dominated culture. "...Michael Jordan self-consciously allowed himself to be whitened" (477). The same thing is going on with Tiger Woods and Golf.
In an article on yahoo sports, http://sports.yahoo.com/top/blog/roy_s_johnson/post/Mike-Tomlin-The-end-of-blackness-?urn=top,138325, "most of America looked at a black man and saw a coach, not a black coach. They saw a man." This is referring to Mike Tomlin after the Steelers won the Super Bowl. It's a great line, and it has to make one wonder, is blackness finally coming to an end in sports? Does the media avoid racial issues by spotlighting these great black athletes, such as Lebron James and Tiger Woods? Are there still these stereotypes about black athletes that the media just cant avoid? Either way, blackness in sports will only come to an end as long as the media allows it to.
When Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy were on opposing sidelines in Super Bowl XLI, monumental steps were taken in the effort to end "blackness" in sports. It was a historic moment not only for African-Americans, but for sports as a whole. It was captured throughout the media as one of the finest moments in all of sports. In recent years though, the media has taken on almost a political role when it comes to blackness in sports.
According to Chapter 27 in The Handbook of Sports and Media, "...the spectacle of the Black athletic body has 'simultaneously diminished the space for progressive politics itself...it appears that we have moved from a position of black athletes embodying a politics of social transformation to politics itself being reduced to the bodies of individual athletes" (461). The media has lost sight of the black culture as a whole and re-focused on the talents of certain black individuals.The media has catered to the white-population through the use of black athletes who seem to influence the lives of so many through their charisma and wonder. "Michael Jordan's carefully engineered charismatic appeal...is a case of complicitious racial avoidance. Jordan's image was coveted by the media primarily because of its reassuring affinity with the affective investments associated with America's white-dominated national popular culture" (Raney and Bryant, 477). The media used Jordan as a way to market sports to the white-dominated culture. "...Michael Jordan self-consciously allowed himself to be whitened" (477). The same thing is going on with Tiger Woods and Golf.
In an article on yahoo sports, http://sports.yahoo.com/top/blog/roy_s_johnson/post/Mike-Tomlin-The-end-of-blackness-?urn=top,138325, "most of America looked at a black man and saw a coach, not a black coach. They saw a man." This is referring to Mike Tomlin after the Steelers won the Super Bowl. It's a great line, and it has to make one wonder, is blackness finally coming to an end in sports? Does the media avoid racial issues by spotlighting these great black athletes, such as Lebron James and Tiger Woods? Are there still these stereotypes about black athletes that the media just cant avoid? Either way, blackness in sports will only come to an end as long as the media allows it to.
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Stereotyping of Athletes
If you’re a sports fan, you’ve heard this phrase: “A scrappy player.” A scrappy player could mean many things. In baseball, for example, it usually means someone who “plays the game the right way.” Recently, someone that fits that description is Red Sox 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia. Anytime he is being talked about, someone is there to say that he is a scrappy kid who plays the game the right way. Other baseball players that can be described as “scrappy” are Cubs shortstop Mike Fontenot and Padres shortstop turned second baseman David Eckstein. There is even an article on mlb.com that states “Mark Grudzielanek is the archetype of the scrappy middle infielder. The Royals second baseman will slap a ball up the middle, stand in stoutly making the double-play relay throw and explain himself and his team matter-of-factly before and after the game.” What do all these players have in common? They’re all white. In chapter 27 of the handbook, it is noted that “In contrast to Black athletes, who are frequently framed in terms of their physicality, White athletes are most often depicted as relying on intellectual means to achieve their sporting success” (453). As a baseball fan, when I hear the term scrappy, I think of just that, someone who may not have great athletic ability, but uses their head and their heart to succeed. Therefore, does calling Mark Grudzielanek “the archetype of the scrappy middle infielder” have racial undertones? You be the judge.
On the other side of the coin, we have the African-American athlete. A prime example of a player who has been touted for his athletic ability is Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes. ESPN’s Chris Jones even wrote a feature on Dukes for ESPN the Magazine. In talking to former teammate Ryan Knox, Jones was able to get an interesting quote. “Dukes also happens to be one of the best raw talents baseball people have seen on a diamond. In 2006, Baseball America ranked him the top pure athlete in the talent-rich Tampa Bay organization. ‘He's a freak, he's so good,’ even Knox admits.” There are a few words in this quote where some people might take issue. Raw, pure athlete, and freak aren’t necessarily associated with the typical baseball player. What’s even more curious about Elijah Dukes, is that he falls into a certain stereotype brought about by the media. “Both print and electronic portrayals stereotyped African-Americans as criminal, arrogant, unruly, undisciplined, and threatening” (455). As Jones notes in his article, “Dukes has been suspended at least once during each of his five professional seasons. In 2006, he was placed on indefinite suspension by Tampa Bay's Triple-A farm team, the Durham Bulls, after two violent confrontations.”
Obviously, this is a very small sample size. But it cannot be denied that the media treat Black and White athletes differently. What do you think has caused this discrepancy? Do you think it’s an insult for a player to be deemed scrappy? And finally, is Elijah Dukes only still in baseball because of his “pure” athletic ability? Would a player of less so-called “athletic ability” be out of baseball after all these off the field problems?
Detecting Racial Stereotypes in the Sports Media
According to Davis and Othello’s article Race and Ethnicity in US Sports Media, “a stereotype is a generalization about a category of people that is negative and/or misleading” (Wenner 157). Their discussion highlights existing stereotypes in the coverage of minority athletes and attempts to reveal the reasons why they remain. They point out that some critics believe the sport media contribute to the spread of racial stereotypes, and in a way, preserve them. What do you think?
“Rainville, Roberts and Sweet (1978) have suggested that the ‘practice of assigning white announcers exclusively to give the play-by-play in games which involve black and white players leads to a prejudicial treatment of the black players’ ” (Wenner 167). Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb agrees. In an interview on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” in the fall of 2007, he discussed the level of criticism he receives as an African-American quarterback and suggests that he must “do a little extra” since he is “graded more harshly.” The short article outlining McNabb’s thoughts can be found here: McNabb says black QBs under more pressure.
McNabb got a bit of flack for his comments and no longer remarks on the issues of race through a public forum such as the media. This shows an oppressiveness of sorts and promotes the “sweep it under the rug” mentality. Such action further exacerbates the problem, does it not?
Instances of racially-biased coverage have been reported before, but like the athlete’s concerns themselves, they are sometimes hard to uncover. Authors Grainger, Newman, and Andrews discuss in Chapter 27 of the Handbook of Sports and Media, the fact that “the increasing visibility of and coverage afforded African-American athletes” does not necessarily mean that there is a substantial “reduction of racism in the sport media” (Raney and Bryant 461). I don't know about you but I certainly agree.
In some cases it takes a program like “Costas Now” on HBO Sports to unveil the provocative topic of race in sports. The fifth segment of the April 29, 2008 episode dealt with how the issue of race impacts the sports world, and even that seemed uncomfortable. Coincidentally, Donovan McNabb was invited to appear on the show, but declined. So, if the athletes who experience the negativity and prejudice refuse to speak up, how is an ordinary citizen to feel at ease talking about such a touchy subject?
How do you feel about the state of the sports media with regard to race? Do you find it difficult to recognize racial bias or is it fairly black and white? What suggestions might you offer to improve the current coverage? Will we ever see an end to the issue?
“Rainville, Roberts and Sweet (1978) have suggested that the ‘practice of assigning white announcers exclusively to give the play-by-play in games which involve black and white players leads to a prejudicial treatment of the black players’ ” (Wenner 167). Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb agrees. In an interview on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” in the fall of 2007, he discussed the level of criticism he receives as an African-American quarterback and suggests that he must “do a little extra” since he is “graded more harshly.” The short article outlining McNabb’s thoughts can be found here: McNabb says black QBs under more pressure.
McNabb got a bit of flack for his comments and no longer remarks on the issues of race through a public forum such as the media. This shows an oppressiveness of sorts and promotes the “sweep it under the rug” mentality. Such action further exacerbates the problem, does it not?
Instances of racially-biased coverage have been reported before, but like the athlete’s concerns themselves, they are sometimes hard to uncover. Authors Grainger, Newman, and Andrews discuss in Chapter 27 of the Handbook of Sports and Media, the fact that “the increasing visibility of and coverage afforded African-American athletes” does not necessarily mean that there is a substantial “reduction of racism in the sport media” (Raney and Bryant 461). I don't know about you but I certainly agree.
In some cases it takes a program like “Costas Now” on HBO Sports to unveil the provocative topic of race in sports. The fifth segment of the April 29, 2008 episode dealt with how the issue of race impacts the sports world, and even that seemed uncomfortable. Coincidentally, Donovan McNabb was invited to appear on the show, but declined. So, if the athletes who experience the negativity and prejudice refuse to speak up, how is an ordinary citizen to feel at ease talking about such a touchy subject?
How do you feel about the state of the sports media with regard to race? Do you find it difficult to recognize racial bias or is it fairly black and white? What suggestions might you offer to improve the current coverage? Will we ever see an end to the issue?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
What is the definition of an African American Athlete?
There are many stereotypes about African-American Athletes. Growing up most little kids dreams are to be a professional athlete. I wonder why this is the case. In chapeter 21 in the handbook it says "The natural athlete myth suggests that african americans possess innate physiological advantages while conversely lacking the necessary skills and intelligence to succeed in other occupational areas" this is what is portrayed and comprehended by african american youth so why not want to become a professional athlete as players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson have paved the way and proved this to be wrong as they succeeded on and off the court.
In chapter 21 in the handbook it also talks about how "the possibility of a professional sports career for African Americans (and African-American male youth in particular), as an escape from poverty and a means to circumvent the racial discrimination in many other occupations" african american athletes have overcome a lot from being discriminated against because of there skin color. African American Athletes use their talent as a tool to get an education and open up doors of opportunities they might not have had if it was not for playing some type of sport.
It says in the handbook "the deviance of African-American athletes is often linked to stereotypes of single-parent famililes, welfare dependency, drugs, and crime" this is why african-american athlets work so hard to succeed so that if there family is in this situation, they can some day be able to provide and put them in a much better situation.
Will the stereotypes of the African American Athletes ever end? It has gotten better from where it was about 50 years ago but still has room for improvement. African Americans should not have to succeed in a sport to get treated equally in life. What do you think that status of the african-american athlete will be in 20 years. Do you think these stereotypes will still exist?
In chapter 21 in the handbook it also talks about how "the possibility of a professional sports career for African Americans (and African-American male youth in particular), as an escape from poverty and a means to circumvent the racial discrimination in many other occupations" african american athletes have overcome a lot from being discriminated against because of there skin color. African American Athletes use their talent as a tool to get an education and open up doors of opportunities they might not have had if it was not for playing some type of sport.
It says in the handbook "the deviance of African-American athletes is often linked to stereotypes of single-parent famililes, welfare dependency, drugs, and crime" this is why african-american athlets work so hard to succeed so that if there family is in this situation, they can some day be able to provide and put them in a much better situation.
Will the stereotypes of the African American Athletes ever end? It has gotten better from where it was about 50 years ago but still has room for improvement. African Americans should not have to succeed in a sport to get treated equally in life. What do you think that status of the african-american athlete will be in 20 years. Do you think these stereotypes will still exist?
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