Last year, I attended one of the more informative and interesting events (in my opinion) on campus. The event was a town hall type discussion forum on issues in high school sport, and the panel itself was filled with people who live and breathe high school sports. Current and former Athletic Directors dotted the panel, as well as the head of CMU's Sport Management department. The idea behind the conference was not to necessarily solve the issues right then and there (impossible with the current financial situation), but moreso to identify and decide how these issues could be resolved.
The panel arrived at a few unanimous issues with high school sport. Lack of funding, lack of participation, and lack of cooperation from the academic side of the school districts has many AD's with their back against the wall. Forced by budget cuts to make hard decisions on dropping programs and benefits for athletes, these men and women are repeatedly asked to do more with less.
The question begged by the panel members was who is affected by these sorts of issues, and the answer is everybody. Student athletes are forced to choose between which sport to focus on, or may have to drop a sport they've been playing their whole life entirely. Coaches don't receive pay raises yet are given little resources to do their job. Many of them end up paying for their own supplies out of pocket. Parents are asked to do more, as some schools cut transportation to games and meets, as well as potentially paying a fee for their child to even participate in sport.
The panel was an eye opening experience for me, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Their are real issues in the world of high school sport. and as these issues continue to expand, they will reach upwards into the beloved world of college and professional sport, which I can only hope will draw attention from those who can help down to where help is needed most.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Athletes and the unpredictable medium of Twitter
There is a tradition that is as old as humans, dating back to our infancy and continuing to rear its ugly head on a daily basis. Humans, for all their successes and self made shortcuts, have routinely had issues with putting their foot in their mouth, or in simpler terms, saying something stupid.
It's an old an re-occurring habit because well, its just so easy. It's wrong to assume that most people think about what they say before they say it, and in the world of social media, where a quick thought can reach millions in seconds, this sort of exposure is particularly damaging.
Athletes at every level of the game have taken to Twitter, which has been in many ways a benefit, allowing them to react so closely with their fans and even have direct conversations with them. However, an athlete can be lulled into a fake sense of security while on Twitter and post something offensive, derogatory or just plain inflammatory.
Of course, the athletes are not alone, as many fans will tweet them equally ignorant or hateful messages after bad games/missed opportunities, or just hate them in general. The real issue is that for athletes and fans alike, there can be a lot of apparent leniency in what one can do or say online, yet in today's world, that is truly not the case. Athletes can and will be publicly berated for ignorant or hurtful comments made on Twitter, which is necessary as a punitive measure in a system with little regulatory framework.
Humans will forever be making mistakes of the verbal variety, saying things we don't mean and apologizing for comments we've made. It is part of what being human is all about. However, there is responsibility that comes with all forms of power, and Twitter, though seemingly unimportant, is a very powerful medium through which athletes can make an impression, and thus it is necessary that better responsibility is observed on behalf of all Twitter users.
It's an old an re-occurring habit because well, its just so easy. It's wrong to assume that most people think about what they say before they say it, and in the world of social media, where a quick thought can reach millions in seconds, this sort of exposure is particularly damaging.
Athletes at every level of the game have taken to Twitter, which has been in many ways a benefit, allowing them to react so closely with their fans and even have direct conversations with them. However, an athlete can be lulled into a fake sense of security while on Twitter and post something offensive, derogatory or just plain inflammatory.
Of course, the athletes are not alone, as many fans will tweet them equally ignorant or hateful messages after bad games/missed opportunities, or just hate them in general. The real issue is that for athletes and fans alike, there can be a lot of apparent leniency in what one can do or say online, yet in today's world, that is truly not the case. Athletes can and will be publicly berated for ignorant or hurtful comments made on Twitter, which is necessary as a punitive measure in a system with little regulatory framework.
Humans will forever be making mistakes of the verbal variety, saying things we don't mean and apologizing for comments we've made. It is part of what being human is all about. However, there is responsibility that comes with all forms of power, and Twitter, though seemingly unimportant, is a very powerful medium through which athletes can make an impression, and thus it is necessary that better responsibility is observed on behalf of all Twitter users.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Contested top spot drives interest in college hoops
The illustrious top spot, number one in college basketball. Many teams covet it, work towards it, but only a select few may own this spot in a season. It's incredibly rare to keep the top rank all season, the volatile nature of men's college basketball makes sure of that, but that doesn't stop many teams from trying.
This year, the turmoil of college basketball has been worse than any year in recent memory. Throughout the top 25 ranked teams, losses to unranked teams have cause many teams to lose pace in the hunt for the top spot, and the number one ranking is no exception.
Through the past several weeks as many as 5 teams have succeeded in attaining the top spot, only to lose a game shortly afterwards, dropping them down several spots. This is a rare occurrence in college basketball, and it has drawn alot of interest from fans eager to see crazy turnover in a spot normally dominated by a few select schools.
The reason this turnover is substantially more interesting in the ever increasing presence of March Madness, the end of season tournament in which only a select number of teams will have a chance to play for a national title. Rankings at this point in the season don't necessarily translate to success in the tournament, but nonetheless, teams will attempt to use these losses to fix their mistakes and ready themselves for the tournament. It may be nice to have the top spot now, but given the choice, every team would rather be the top at the end of the season, rather than during its infancy.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Why I won't (but actually will) watch the Super Bowl
Everyone has their own unique way to prepare for the Super Bowl. This guy went to Super Bowl media day on an LSD trip. These people think the Super Bowl already happened, and they watched it, and it was really good, apparently. For most of us, it's an opportunity to sit back, pig out on less than healthy foods, and maybe catch a little bit of football.
Of course, as the big game draws near, everyone is motivated to watch the game for a different purpose. Some people, god forbid, actually give a damn about the game, which is refreshing, really. Others are in it solely for the food and drinks and friends. Others are content with watching 30 second commercial clips which are apparently so much better than the commercials we usually see, which are flat out irritating. Some people are drawn to the rivalry between the coaches, the Harbaugh brothers, because, you know, the sibling rivalry thing hasn't been totally beat into the ground before. To round it off, you have the worshippers of Ray Lewis, who will show their love for the demi-god of football by behaving like complete idiots when he takes the field.
I'm going to be honest.
I'm not incredibly interested in the Super Bowl this year.
You can say it, I'm the grinch of football. I know, I know. Here is the biggest game of the season, the culmination of the NFL's best on the world's biggest stage, and I'm just as likely to turn on some Breaking Bad instead. Honestly, I can see the entire Super Bowl game in Sportscenter clips for the entirety of next week. The food will (hopefully) still exist next week, and frankly, if it doesn't, then we have bigger problems. I guess I could be looking forward to the halftime show of Beyonce, based on all the albums of hers that I and other NFL fans own*.
*The author wishes to make it known that he has never owned a Beyonce album.
I could buy into the firestorm surrounding Chris Culliver's comments this week about openly gay players. Culliver, a player on the 49er's, is trying his hardest to make people dislike him, and one has to wonder if he is really daft enough to say something that inflammatory on his own, or if some higher power is at work here. Oh, and lets not forget those people who recently figured out how to use Wikipedia and discovered the back story on the less than spectacular criminal record of Ray Lewis. I could join the speculation about whether he is guilty or not, or maybe I'll just hold out hope that he strikes again during his last NFL game. Ooooh, the possibilities.
But no.
None of it.
If I watch the game this weekend, it's going to be for my own reasons. One, it'll mean I got off of work, which is rare, because strippers don't really get time off, and my boss is a dick. In all seriousness, I'm going to watch the game because I'm a sports junkie, and I need serious help. I'm going to watch it, because for the first time in several seasons, I believe that both teams deserve to be here, that the players, fans, and even the two most boring brothers on the planet deserve to be there, and I think it can be a really good game.
Enjoy the hell out of the game everybody, and remember, if you miss it, highlights on Sportscenter all next week. Guaranteed.
Of course, as the big game draws near, everyone is motivated to watch the game for a different purpose. Some people, god forbid, actually give a damn about the game, which is refreshing, really. Others are in it solely for the food and drinks and friends. Others are content with watching 30 second commercial clips which are apparently so much better than the commercials we usually see, which are flat out irritating. Some people are drawn to the rivalry between the coaches, the Harbaugh brothers, because, you know, the sibling rivalry thing hasn't been totally beat into the ground before. To round it off, you have the worshippers of Ray Lewis, who will show their love for the demi-god of football by behaving like complete idiots when he takes the field.
I'm going to be honest.
I'm not incredibly interested in the Super Bowl this year.
You can say it, I'm the grinch of football. I know, I know. Here is the biggest game of the season, the culmination of the NFL's best on the world's biggest stage, and I'm just as likely to turn on some Breaking Bad instead. Honestly, I can see the entire Super Bowl game in Sportscenter clips for the entirety of next week. The food will (hopefully) still exist next week, and frankly, if it doesn't, then we have bigger problems. I guess I could be looking forward to the halftime show of Beyonce, based on all the albums of hers that I and other NFL fans own*.
*The author wishes to make it known that he has never owned a Beyonce album.
I could buy into the firestorm surrounding Chris Culliver's comments this week about openly gay players. Culliver, a player on the 49er's, is trying his hardest to make people dislike him, and one has to wonder if he is really daft enough to say something that inflammatory on his own, or if some higher power is at work here. Oh, and lets not forget those people who recently figured out how to use Wikipedia and discovered the back story on the less than spectacular criminal record of Ray Lewis. I could join the speculation about whether he is guilty or not, or maybe I'll just hold out hope that he strikes again during his last NFL game. Ooooh, the possibilities.
But no.
None of it.
If I watch the game this weekend, it's going to be for my own reasons. One, it'll mean I got off of work, which is rare, because strippers don't really get time off, and my boss is a dick. In all seriousness, I'm going to watch the game because I'm a sports junkie, and I need serious help. I'm going to watch it, because for the first time in several seasons, I believe that both teams deserve to be here, that the players, fans, and even the two most boring brothers on the planet deserve to be there, and I think it can be a really good game.
Enjoy the hell out of the game everybody, and remember, if you miss it, highlights on Sportscenter all next week. Guaranteed.
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