Sports and The Economy

Barcelona's president Josep Maria Bartomeu (Left) and chief executive of Japanese company Rakuten, Hiroshi Mikitani (Rright), display Barcelona's new shirt

On October 25, 2016 my American Sport in the 21st Century Class discussed the economy and its' relationship to sports. We discussed how money has become the foundation of sport. Profit motive shapes owners and athletes as salaries and endorsements for athletes continue to rise, while owners sponsorship deals continue to increase.We defined sponsorship in class as fees paid to have a brand associated with a team, league, facility or event. Football Club (FC) Barcelona's current sponsor is Qatar Airways for around 24 million pounds a year, and now will be changing their to sponsorship to the online firm, Rakuten. FC Barcelona one of the biggest soccer clubs in the world and their new deal with Rakuten could make them the wealthiest club in the world, passing their rival club Real Madrid. The sponsorship deal will last four years and Barcelona is expected to make 188 million pounds, with more money to be earned for winning the Spanish Championship or the Champions League. The reason behind paying 188 million pounds is to expand their brand globally. With FC Barcelona having high profile players such as Lionell Messi and Neymar wearing Rakuten on the front, one can anticipate the brand expanding globally.
FC Barcelona will become even wealthier, as they have signed a new 10 year uniform sponsorship with Nike, which is reportedly going to pay 134 million pounds a year. FC Barcelona is planning to use the profit from these sponsorships to pay for seat expansion at Camp Nou Stadium from 99,350 to 150,000 seats.

Barcelona Current Jerseys and 3 highest paid players, Suarez, Neymar and Messi.

In class we discussed who benefits economically from sports and the article confirms that owners and athletes benefit economically from sports. The owner of FC Barcelona is making hundreds of millions of dollars off sponsorship and television deals, while this money is used to pay their players high salaries such as Lionel Messi, who earns $250,000 a week.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38003752

Deviance in Sports

Arian Foster discussing deviance in college sports

On November 10, 2016 in my American Sport in the 21st Century Class we discussed deviance in sports. Deviance in sports consists of fighting, bounty hunting, academic cheating, performance enhancing drugs, gambling and illegal recruiting practices. College athletics, specifically FBS-Divsion
1 football schools have been scrutinized for illegal recruiting and academic cheating. University of North Carolina was scrutinized for having "paperless classes". These classes were for athletes and the class would only meet one to two times a semester with a paper due at the end of the semester. Having these academic standards is only harmful to the student-athletes. In the documentary titled "Schooled, The Price of College Sports" discusses the "paper classes" and how they harm the student athletes. There was a quote in the film that states, "student-Athletes are getting a degree not an education" and this is a very true statement. At Division 1 football schools, the boosters are more focused on the football team winning games then the student-athletes doing well in class. This is not beneficial to the student-athletes long term as some student-athletes receive a degree that does not allow them to pursue a career after graduation. This is just one of the many examples of deviance in college athletics.

Maria Sharapova press conference admitting to a failed drug test

As far as professional athletes, the biggest concern is performance enhancing drugs. In class we discussed the reasons for professional athletes taking performance enhancing drugs. We discussed the physiological reasons, psychological reasons and the social reasons behind performance enhancing drugs. For physiological reasons, the athletes want to prevent injuries and reduce fatigue, while they also can take performance enhancing drugs to steady nerves (psychological reasoning) and for the fear of not winning (social reasoning). The article from CNN discusses how performance enhancing drugs have been a problem since 1960. Anabolic steroids are defined as natural and synthetic substances that help build muscle mass, enabling athletes to train harder and recover quickly from strenuous workouts. Many athletes are taking stimulants because they increase awareness and decrease appetite. With the busy schedules of athletes sometimes the stimulants claim to help them to stay alert, while athletes take HGH (Human Growth Hormones) for improved endurance and strength. Maria Sharapova, arguably one of the most talented female tennis players in the world, admitted to failing a drug test at the Australia Open and was suspended for two years but the suspension was reduced to 15 months. Recently this summer, the IOC announced that 271 out of 389 Russian Athletes were cleared to compete in the Olympic Games, while the other 118 Russian Athletes were banned because of a doping scandal. Also, in the article the Kenyan sprint coach is sent home for posing as an athlete for a drug test, while the track and field coach tried to bribe journalist in advance to warn them about drug tests.
As one can see deviance in sports is an increasing problem that can be hard to prevent. There are many supplements that can help an athlete pass a drug test if needed. My opinion on this is a mixed feeling, I do not think it is right for athletes to use them but I understand why they would take Performance Enhancing Drugs. Despite performance enhancing drugs having health risks later down the road, each athlete faces immense amounts of pressure from coaches and teammates to win and not fail.

 http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/06/us/performance-enhancing-drugs-in-sports-fast-facts/index.html

Research Reveals 18-24-Year-Olds Are Turning Away From Sports On TV

On November 1st, 2016 my American Sport in the 21st Century Class we discussed social media and sport. During class we discussed how social media and sports are dependent on each other. The sport industry has grown because of media coverage, and sport gives media information to cover. During the class we learned that sports and media are two of the most successful businesses in the U.S.A.
Roles of the media include
1. Inform
2. Entertain
3. Educate
4. Advertise

Screen shot of Sports section on twitter, As you can see instant access to information of your choosing.

With social media now taking off, 18-24 year olds are starting to get away from watching television. Instead they have instant access to sport information through the use of social media. Twitter has taken off and the flow of information through twitter has increased. Sports make up for about 49.7 percent of twitter chatter. Netflix has gained the popularity of young people as you can watch shows without any commercials and at your own leisure. YouTube has taken off as well, because of their live streaming feature that allows you to watch highlights of a game and can see all the important action without watching the entire game. The sport that could be affected the most by millennials is football, specifically the National Football League. Across the first four weeks of the season NBC's Sunday night game was down 13 percent, ESPN's Monday night game was down 17 percent and CBS Thursday game down 15 percent.
These numbers are significant because in class we discussed how pro sports are driven by market forces and television revenues. With TV ratings down, the NFL needs to find a way to focus their attention towards the millennials.

Can Click on the Tune In screen and watch NFL live on Twitter

The ratings are not just down for the NFL, but for Sky Sports, BT and Eurosport Channels. I believe that social media could have an impact on sports. The impact that social media is less. People aren't inclined to watch sports on Television simply due to the fact they can check the scores of multiple games or find out about breaking news instantly on twitter. I also believe that if TV ratings continue to drop for sport broadcasting stations will see more of their episodes being broadcasted on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Global/Issues/2016/11/14/Media/Turning-Off-Sports.aspx?hl=social%20media%20and%20sport%20&sc=0

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NBA, USA Basketball Partner Together To Create First-Ever Youth Basketball Guidelines

On September 22 of 2016, my "American Sport in the 21st Century" class discussed Youth Sport. We discussed the problems of youth sport and the benefits of youth sport. Youth sport is one of the most controversial topics as many parents approach their children's game with unrealistic expectations for their child.

Problems in youth sport

• Overemphasis on winning 
• Pressure by others to achieve success 
• Instilling unrealistic goals of stardom or professional stardom
• Over use (over training/burnout)

Benefits of Youth Sport

• Develops and Maintains fitness 
• Preperation for adulthood 
• Opportunity to learn values 
• Teaches interactive Skills
• Provides opportunities for leadership

The NBA has partnered with USA basketball to create the very first youth basketball guidelines. The NBA and the USA want to change the way athletes, parents and coaches experience the games while promoting the importance of health and fitness. The NBA has also started a Junior NBA week. The league established the Junior NBA week for teams to host clinics or invite young athletes to their open practices. With the result of this program, the NBA has received endorsements from Boys and Girls Club of America and the YMCA of USA. Having these endorsements is very important because majority of kids belong to a YMCA club where they are able to participate in physical activities. The Boys and Girls clubs is an after school program that allows kids to participate in activities that they might not have the chance to engage in.

They also have established a guideline to competition density. Many AAU basketball players are playing four to five games a weekend. With the research done, this has shown to increase injuries and could result in over use or burnout for young athletes. They have also stated the importance of having one day off a week especially at a competitive level. They also believe that each young athlete should have significant time away from organized basketball. I believe this is important, because for young athletes they have to engage in basketball long term, they have to experience other activities as well to find their true passion for basketball.

Scene from movie Trophy Kids

There is a great movie on Netflix titled Trophy Kids. This film documents parents that are extremely tough on their kids at a young age. Many young athletes feel the pressure from their parents to succeed and this can cause more pressure and take the enjoyment away from children. Growing up, my dad had pushed me hard with soccer, however it was not just him who he pushed. Majority of the motivation came from within and I believe that is because I was not forced to play soccer every hour of every day. I experimented with over activities and different sports and this led to my passion in soccer. I believe the NBA and USAB are doing a great deed here. They are trying to establish a platform for kids to have more enjoyment playing the sport of basketball. I believe the emphasis of multiple games played in a weekend needs to be addressed and the required break from competitive basketball is a must for young athletes.

Video Clip from Trophy Kids

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2016/10/17/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NBA-Youth.aspx?hl=a%20look%20at%20the%20past&sc=0

Donald Trump is Tearing the NFL Apart

Mr. Trump brings out Rex Ryan and you can see by peoples reaction with their cell phones, it is a big deal.

Mr. Trump with Patriots Owner, Robert Kraft

In my "American Sport in the 21st Century" class we discussed the impact politics can have sport. We discussed how politicians can use sport as a leverage to connect with communities and for economic purposes with the amount of tourism sports can attract.
 Donald Trump has done this exact movement, as Rex Ryan, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, openly said in a press conference that he was a supporter of Mr. Trump. With the NFL being a predominantly African-American league, this caused controversy within the Buffalo Bills locker room. Many players of the Buffalo Bills, were disappointed to hear that their head coach is a supporter of Donald Trump. However, Donald Trump now has the support of somebody in a prestige position as Rex Ryan is one of only 32 head coaches in the National Football League. While not only having the support of Rex Ryan, Mr. Trump also has the support of the New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady. Mr. Brady had hung a "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" sign in his locker. Tom Brady was then asked questions about his relationship with Mr. Trump during a press conference. This is where I believe the media should not be asking these questions. Although, Mr. Trump has used the NFL brand to help gather support from high profiled athletes, coaches and owners, players should not be questioned about their relationship with Trump because it could cause controversy within a team. For example the article then carried on to explain how two NFC teammates, have now began to question their friendship with each other.  This is how politics can also have a negative affect in the sports world. Politics are a messy subject and with the NFL being a predominate African-American league, controversy with members support Donald Trump could begin.
 Mr. Trump  has openly stated that he has friendships with legendary basketball coach, Bobby Knight and Dennis Rodman, one of the most out going players during his time as he tend to sport different styles and hair colors. 


Tom Brady asked about Mr. Trump 

http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/donald-trump-is-tearing-the-nfl-apart/

Sport and Societal Values

Teammates have begun to kneel with Colin Kaepernick

On September 8th of 2016, we discussed sport and societal values in my "American Sport in the 21st Century" Class. We discussed how one's participation in sport can contribute to norms, values and social behavior. We also discussed the platform of professional athletes, how they can be role models and have their voice be heard. Colin Kaepernick is an example of this, many fans noticed his decision to kneel during the National Anthem and this brought plenty of attention within the media, whether it was good or bad. At first, one could have been disrespected by this movement, because many people have fought for the flag as it represents freedom to many Americans. However, Mr. Kaepernick explained how he was kneeling to represent oppression towards African Americans and how their needs to be more equality, witch is an American Societal Value that we discussed in class.

Houston Rockets and New York Knicks lock arms during National Anthem

The first week of NBA preseason did not consist of any national anthem protests. However, players from different teams linked arms to show unity. The NBA has taken significant steps in increasing their social awareness. They are establishing community conversations, building bridges through basketball and mentoring and economic empowerment. The Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers and Charlotte Hornets have established community engagements. (Lombardo, 2016)

The NBA has established the programs are to avoid protests and bring more people within the commnity together. On Oct. 25, the Bulls are partnering with the Chicago Police Department. They are also partnering with the Chicago Youth Association, “Becoming A Man” program. The Bulls will host a youth basketball tournament for local kids.The league and the organization have established that the goals of the event are not only to engage the youth, but to bring together the community and the police department to create a safer community.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/10/10/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NBA-protests.aspx

High school teams in Washington are forfeiting rather than play NFL-sized talent

On September 29th of 2016, we discussed Sport and Education in my "American Sport in the 21st Century" class. We talked about the importance of scholastic sports, specifically those for and against high school sports along with the value of high school sports.

Those for Scholastic Sports believe

• Involves students in activities 
• Build Self-Esteem
• Enhance fitness and lifetime participation 
• Generate Spirit and Unity
• Promote Support
• Develop and Reward valued skills 

Those against Scholastic Sports believe

• Distract attention from academics 
• Increase passivity and injuries
• Create superficial and transitory spirit 
• Waste Resources 
• Create pressure and distorts status system 

 We also discussed that interscholastic sports are valuable if they

• enable students to be noticed, rewarded, and taken seriously as human beings
• Connect young people with adult advocates in their lives
• Provide occasions to learn things that are applicable beyond sports 

Archbishop's Murphy football had outscored opponents by a score of 171-0 in their first three games. The football team has now improved to 6-0 with their three, most recent victories, came because the other schools decided to forfeit the games instead of playing them. Many parents and administrators of the school are concerned about the safety of their student-athletes and kids. Archbishop's Murphy football has six players over 250 pounds, while also have three players over 300 pounds. A parent of an opposing team quoted in the article "My son is 5-8 and weighs 117 pounds and just got out of middle school and just turned 14,". Football is a game that has a tremendous amount of excitment, but at the same is arguably the most dangerous sport. With the amount of physical strength needed to play the sport of football, parents are concerned for the well being of their children. This is a topic of concern, not just for the parents of these schools, but for scholastic sports as a whole. With teams willing to protest games for their own health, I am curious if this could start a trend in the future with high school football.

Player of Archbishop Murphy addressing the media about recent forfeits

The argument against forfeiting is that you are not teaching student athletes the value in competing. The coach for Archbishop's Murphy football team, Jerry Jensen, does not believe forfeiting games is teaching young adults the right principles in life. He goes on to explain how in life you are dealt with adversity and you have to a find way through it. I personally agree with this because with schools forfeiting games, you are showing young adults that it is alright to give up. I understand the risks and concerns parents have, but just because somebody is bigger and has an advantage on paper, does not mean you should forfeit. I believe that sports can be a great life lesson and self worth, despite winning and losing, especially at the high school level.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/10/06/high-school-teams-in-washington-are-forfeiting-rather-than-playing-school-with-nfl-sized-players/ (video in link)

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