Anthony Hon: Sports and Gender

Conclusion

2008-12-05T01:57:00.001-05:00

I am sad to say it, but this will be my last post on this blog. The semester has come and gone quicker than ever and it is time for my concluding post. I was looking back at my introduction post, which I cannot believe was nearly 3 months ago, to get ideas for this post and my opinions about this class and its material have pretty much stayed the same. Overall, I found this class very interesting and I was always surprised by how much I was captivated by the topics and people we read about. There is a lot more to sport and gender then I imagined in August. I thought sport and gender just referred to the relationship between men, women and competitive sports. But in class I learned gender encompasses the differences between men and women in interests, hierarchy, age, wealth, ethnicity, socially, economically, and also sexual orientation.

The thing that was most useful about the blog was that it was an informal way for me to get my ideas and beliefs down. I was able to critically analyze my views and to think about where and when I attained them. For example, I never realized how much my parents actions influenced the way I behave as a 21-year-old man. From the way I dress to the way I talk is all influenced by my mom and dad and it is good thing they were good role models. This blog was more beneficial to me than anyone reading it because it was a way for me to reflect and think a little deeper than I usually do. An example of how this blog has made me think differently is with homophobia. As I have stated in previous posts, I was a bit homophobic in high school and people use to actually call me out about it. But now after reading the articles by Eric Anderson and watching the videos in class, I see how tough it is not only for gay athletes but gays in general. Based on my religious beliefs (Catholicism), I am not saying I condone homosexuality but I am definitely more tolerant, understanding and sympathetic of gays. There are also other topics, such as females playing with males and the struggles that African-American men and women still face in sport today, where my views have been transformed to a more equitable status.

Through the class presentations, specifically by the other bloggers, I learned that I am not the only one who has changed in perceptions and opinions. It was good to know that other students in the class had similar “gestalt moments” where they think in a new way. For example, Chris Marcum’s presentation was very informative and showed me how he was impacted by the disability in sport articles and the story about Martel Van Zant, a deaf college football player.

Overall, I think this classes biggest impact on me will be in my future. I have taken away a lot of knowledge about gender, masculinity, femininity and sport in general which will be useful in my professional career. Since I want to work within the front office of an MLB team, knowing the details about the difficulties that consume athletes and the issues the surround the sports industry will give me an advantage over others. My theory has always been, the more you know about more topics the more you will succeed and I think SM 425 supported that theory. With the amount of areas we touched on within sport and gender I feel I have a broad understanding of the subject which for sure will benefit me in future situations.

Danica Patrick: Is She Serious?

2008-12-02T20:43:00.014-05:00

This post is in response to a final paper presentation about Danica Patrick, Indy Car racer, rather than an article read for the class. After listening to the presentation and thinking about what we had talked about in past sport and gender classes, it amazes me that Danica Patrick would pose in pictures like this.

Does she really need these pictures to promote herself? Isn’t being the first female to win an IndyCar Series race enough? Does she realize she is just promoting the thought that females need to use sex appeal to be popular? I guess not.

It bugs me that someone of her historical significance within sports would be willing to pose in nearly nude photos just to promote herself. Some people will argue that it is comparable to male athletes posing semi-nude such as David Beckham for Armani or Michael Phelps on Time but it is different. Female athletes, no matter what they play, will be judged by male dominated audiences on their physical attractiveness. What Danica and other athletes such as swimmer Amanda Beard and tennis player Anna Kournikova are doing is only supporting that sexually driven male interest. We, as in men, are now only concerned about what swimsuit Danica will wear next rather than being interested in how she did in her last race. It is sad to me that she and so many other female athletes these days are so willing to pose in “almost” nude poses just to satisfy are sexually driven culture.

A great athlete does not need risqué photos to be respected and admired, they only a uniform, a playing field, and determination to be the best. To me, what Danica Patrick and so many other female athletes are doing is just superficial; they have lost my respect for them as great professional athletes.

Magic Johnson and the Ideology of AIDS

2008-11-30T19:06:00.003-05:00

"Magic Johnson and the Ideology of Aids" by Samantha King is a scholarly analysis of the discourse surrounding Magic Johnson, the HIV virus, and the societal concepts about the disease. In the article, King discusses how sport heroes and their bodies are constantly subjugated by our culture and how they are constructed to idolized status. The main content of the article is concerned with how AIDS is represented in our culture and how Magic Johnson affected those views. King also discusses homophobia and misogyny as two topics that relate to both AIDS and sports.

I am glad I had the opportunity to read this article because I never really took the initiative to learn about Magic Johnson and how being HIV-positive effected his life and basketball career. Being only 4-years-old when Magic announced to the world that he had tested positive for HIV in 1991, I do not remember the reaction around the incident and I do not know how my views would have changed about AIDS because I did not even know that the disease existed. If I would have been 21 in 1991, I think my views about AIDS and who it affects would have definitely changed, just as it did for many sports fans. Even today, most people believe AIDS only affects homosexuals, people of color (especially since the outbreak in Africa), and those in the lower levels of society who are uneducated about sex and abuse drugs. It is true that a large percentage of people affected by AIDS come from those demographics, however it is apparent that AIDS can be transmitted to anyone under a number of circumstances that do not involve sexual intercourse or needles. I will admit that I think sometimes I cannot be affected by AIDS because I take the necessary precautions, but in reality I could receive the virus from other means that most people do not think about, such as a blood transfusion. I feel it is important to recognize that this disease could affect anyone and we need to keep the awareness about the disease in mainstream media.

The biggest thing I gained from reading King’s article is that Magic Johnson really did a great thing by announcing that he had the HIV virus and bringing awareness and a new view to the disease. Even though homophobia may not have been affected by Johnson, the overall view of AIDS undoubtedly changed for the better and Magic really is a hero with AIDS.

Regrets, She's Had A Few

2008-11-20T19:33:00.001-05:00

"Regrets, She's Had A Few" by Cindy Shmerler is an article about an interview in 1999 with Renee Richards, the only tennis player to have participate in both the men's and women's US Open. Renee underwent sex reassignment surgery at the age of 40 in 1975 going from Richard Raskind, a married doctor with a son, to Renee Richards, a female eye doctor. When Renee was a man, he graduated from Yale as the captain of the men’s tennis team and later became an amateur tennis player and qualifier of Wimbledon. After the surgery, Renee got divorced and moved out to California where she attempted to restart her life while keeping her surgery a secret. After participating in the La Jolla Women’s Tennis Tournament, Richards was discovered causing her to be thrust into the national spotlight. In the article, Richards talks about her regrets and what she would have done differently, while also talking about the game of tennis today and its current players.

The thing I find most interesting is that Richards’s biggest regret was actually having the sex reassignment surgery. She cautions people who write to her saying that they are thinking about having the sex reassignment surgery in their 40’s. She feels it is better to have the surgery at a younger age, before you have lived a long life as a man. I agree with her that after someone reaches 18, the younger they have the surgery the better. It is hard to imagine how hard it would be living 40 or so years with the feelings of being in the wrong body such as Richards did. For most people, the initial reaction when hearing someone has had a sex reassignment surgery is to feel disgust or distain towards them. But the truth is that it really is a psychological problem and they have no way to control those compulsions to want to be the opposite sex. The only thing they can really do is take medication and for some the only way to fix the psychological problems is to physically change.

I think in the future it is certain that there will be more transsexual issues and surgeries and its effects will be interesting. They have already been testing for gender verification in the Olympics for 20 years and I just think it is a matter of time before they test in the core American female sports. That also brings up the interesting point that 80% of sex reassignment surgeries are males turning into females, but I think that topic deserves its own post.

Full Court Press

2008-11-18T17:03:00.004-05:00

“Full Court Press” by Pat Griffin is an article that discusses the variations of defensive responses by heterosexuals involved in women’s athletics towards lesbian athletes. Griffin states that these defenses have been in use for the past 100 years by people associated with women’s sports. The defenses or “apologetic” responses used include silence, denial, promotion of a feminine heterosexual image, promotion of a heterosexy image, search for heterosexual-only space, attacks on lesbians, preference for male coaches, and acknowledgement but disassociation from lesbians. These responses are used by heterosexual athletes, coaches, parents, administrators, men and women and even gays.

I would like to focus on three of the defenses used including silence, denial, and promotion of a feminine heterosexual image. Each of these methods is used to reject the stereotype of female athletes as lesbians and is actually supported by a majority of lesbians, which is sad. Straight individuals associated with women’s sports on many levels use silence to ignore the fact that many lesbians are a part of women’s athletics. This method is used to keep the secrets of lesbians tightly locked away from public view. Denial is a method used by many colleges and professional sport organizations. College coaches feel that if there team is stereotyped as a “lesbian” team then it will hurt their recruiting because many straight players and their parents will look somewhere else. Professional organizations such as the LPGA see lesbians as a deterrent for sponsors and a factor that hurts the economy of the association. By denying lesbian players, colleges and professional sport groups feel it prevents straight players and business opportunities from picking another team. Similarly to denial, many teams and programs at the collegiate and professional level promote a feminine and heterosexual image to reject any association with lesbian athletes. Before hiring a coach many administrators do a “heterosexual security check” by looking at the coach’s relationships, appearance and demeanor, and attitudes and actions towards lesbians. Also, the media likes to point out the heterosexual qualities of straight women in sports such as Chris Evert and Pat Summit. All three of these methods try to prevent and reject the obviousness of lesbians within women’s athletics. I see why from a business perspective many programs and sport organizations try to disassociate themselves from lesbians but what there really doing is alienating a large portion of their athletes.

It is obvious that our culture is mostly homophobic and you can see it with today’s crisis over gay marriage. This is why women’s teams want to promote feminine qualities and heterosexual players; it is a smart business move. But those sport organizations and our culture for a matter of fact are forgetting that most of these women teams are playing sports that were built on masculinity. How can you tell female athletes, no matter their sexual preference, to display feminism within a masculine sport? It would be like trying to force a filly (female race horse) to run “gently”. Most lesbians do not display typical feminine characteristics and that is why they feel comfortable playing sports, they are able to express their true qualities. So before we can accept lesbians within female sports, we will first need to accept homosexuality in our culture and I think it will be awhile before that happens, if it ever will.

Mitigating Gay Stigma

2008-11-10T19:39:00.002-05:00

"Mitigating the Gay Stigma" by Eric Anderson is a chapter in the book In the Game. In the chapter, Anderson discusses the ways male athletes can "mitigate" homophobia within sports and between athletes. Anderson illustrates these techniques with a short story about "Bob", a collegiate runner who used his talent to make his team gay friendly rather than homophobic. Anderson states that gay male athletes can decrease homophobia within their sports and teams by their performing at a high level, adopting other masculine characteristics, and then coming out to their teammates and coaches. Anderson explains that each of these steps is an effective resolution to the almost overwhelmingly homophobic sport world.

I know I have written several posts about homophobia in sport and I do not want to beat around the bush. But there are some things that Anderson said that I find interesting. I think each of Anderson’s steps is great and I agree with all of them, but I feel it is harder for athletes to come out than he makes it seem. It is very hard to be good at most sports let alone be one of the best on your team or in your league. Also, it is a challenge to adopt all other tenets of orthodox masculinity. Being brave, tough, independent, violent, and showing fortitude are not characteristics that most straight male athletes display. Most display 2 or 3 of those traits and I feel it is rare to find an athlete who shows all of them. Finally, I think it would be a lot harder to come out as a gay male athlete than Anderson makes it seem, even if you did complete all of the steps.

Pretty much I agree with everything Anderson states but I feel it is more difficult to carry out these steps to mitigate homophobia for gay athletes. That is why it is important for our society to accept homosexuality. No matter your race, sex, religion, or origin, we should be more concerned with finding ways to accept gay’s and live with their choices, rather than finding ways to reject them and their choices.

Suffer in Silence

2008-11-07T11:33:00.002-05:00

"Suffer in Silence" is an article about homophobia within professional sports and is written by Julian Rubenstein. The article was written ten years ago in 1998 but still has relevance in today's society. The article discusses the face there is not a professional athlete in baseball, football, basketball, or hockey that has disclosed being gay. The author claims that this non-proportionality exists because "athletics is the backbone of male machismo" and that masculinity is so deeply embedded within professional sports. Rubenstein tried to conduct a poll asking about gay athletes with all the teams from each of the major four sports and only six teams responded out of eighty-nine. The facts about homosexuality within sports show that there is an overwhelming amount of homophobia between players, coaches, managers, and owners.

Rubenstein makes a great point in the beginning of the article; she states that both the Catholic Church and the US military have addressed the topic of homosexuality while sports have not. This shows that even the most anti-gay structures in our society are still more willing to face the situation than professional sports. It is hard to believe that with nearly 4,000 professional athletes in the big four sports that no one is currently revealed their homosexuality. There has to be a small percentage of athletes who are gay and that are living with a big secret, which has to extremely difficult to deal with. It is obvious that it is going to take a big-name athlete to come out if there is going to be any shift in the paradigm. But perhaps as Rubenstein mentions it could be a player that is up and coming, such as a Sydney Crosby or Evan Longoria, to change perceptions. If it was a new player, maybe the reaction would not be as significant and perhaps it would ease the fans and players opinions gradually. Ever the case there needs to be a breakdown of homophobia in sports and our society, so gays can have the ability to live their lives without the pressure of coming under scrutiny.

Just as Jackie Robinson was great for breaking the color barrier, a significant gay athlete would be great for breaking the fear of homophobia. While strides are being made in racial and gender issues, let us not forget that there needs to be strides made in the area of sexual preference. If sports can tackle the obvious problem of homophobia, perhaps it would trigger a societal shift in the way we perceive homosexuals as a whole.

Young, Black, Rich and Famous

2008-11-04T12:35:00.000-05:00

The article read for class, “Young, Black, Rich and Famous” is the opening chapter of Todd Boyd’s book based on black culture in an American society. Boyd discusses a variety of topics from Allen Iverson and his “me against the world” type attitude to the decline of blacks in football and baseball and the rise in basketball. Boyd makes accusations that the American dream is for white middle class families and it is wrong for black athletes, who now have money, to be coerced into that dream that was not made for them. This opening chapter sums up all of Boyd’s problems with race in sports and sets the precedent for the rest of the book.

Just like in the last post about “Cool Pose”, I strongly agree with some of the things that Boyd said and I strongly disagree with some things. Let’s start with what I agreed with. I found Boyd’s opinion about Allen Iverson and the American dream eye opening. Boyd states, “Why would one assume that simply because an individual had made some money and gained some recognition that they would now feel the need to embrace an idea that was otherwise thought to be out of their reach, beyond their grasp, over their head?” I agree with this statement and ask the same questions, why do the media and commentators expect athletes, specifically black, to act as if they are professional business men and to live a cookie cutter lifestyle. Most athletes never graduate from college nor did they live that American dream lifestyle before they made it professionally. So why is it expected that athletes live that perfect lifestyle when they are recognized for being a great athlete. I understand that it is a business and athletes need to be presentable and marketable but I think the expectations are set so high that many fail to exceed them.

What I disagreed with were Boyd’s thoughts about basketball compared to baseball and football. Boyd described baseball as a game stuck in another era and football as a sport on the decline for African-Americans, while he saw basketball as the epitome of the urban lifestyle and as a sport that is aesthetically more appealing. Now I know he is basing his comments on how well the hip hop culture can relate to the certain sport but I do not know how he can say baseball and football are becoming less appealing to blacks. He acts as if the urban lifestyle is the only style that matters and how all sports should form around that culture. I do not believe whites are trying to keep blacks out of baseball by focusing on tradition and Hispanic players; baseball affiliates are just keeping alive the aspects that made the game great and finding the best talent. As for Football is appealing to such a wide array of spectators it is understandable that it does only respond to solely urban America. I agree with Boyd that basketball best fits the urban lifestyle because of its style, field specifications, and nature of play. But you cannot blame other sports for not supporting the hip hop culture as much as basketball; it does not make them inferior sports for blacks just because they don’t support the “gansta” way of life.

I hope that our generation, the millennial generation, will truly overcome racism. I think people are overanalyzing situations that deal with racial diversity (like sports) and are looking for things that could be considered “racist”. If we just stop bringing it up every two seconds maybe people will have a chance to look past race and focus on other aspects of issues.

Cool Pose: Black Masculinity and Sports

2008-10-29T17:19:00.002-04:00

The article "Cool Pose: Black Masculinity" written by Richard Majors in 1993 is a brief look into the relationship between black male athletes and sports in our society. Majors describes the mannerisms of many inner-city black males, such as the way they walk, talk, dress, gesture, and act, and he has entitled it as the "cool pose". Majors claims the “cool pose” is the way black males express themselves due to the oppression of a society dominated by white males, their actions are the effect of years of racism and bigotry in an American culture.

Having been written in 1993, I feel this article is outdated in terms of where we are with equality, specifically dealing with whites and blacks in today’s world. I am not sure if I agree or disagree more with this article. I agree with the historical aspects of the article, such as his opinions on how history has shaped black culture, but I disagree with how Majors illustrates the amount of oppression whites cause blacks today. Yes, since the conception of the U.S., African-Americans have been oppressed and have been treated as an inferior race, but I believe Majors over emphasizes the affects of racism on African-American’s today, especially within sports. I feel Majors generalizes the actions and beliefs of both whites and blacks and writes as if every white person has discriminated against every black person. Now, being a white male who lives in Ohio and who was in kindergarten when this article was written, I understand I have a different perception and very different experiences than Majors. But it is unfair of him to accuse every white American of racism.

Majors goes on to discuss that African-American’s are disproportionately represented in sports, stating that blacks are only part of the organized sports they have had access to. Black males have high representation in basketball, football, baseball, and boxing while being underrepresented in soccer, swimming, golf, hockey, and auto racing. This is all true and it can be contributed to racial discrimination in the early stages of these sports. But Richard Majors leaves out the fact that many black athletes today are playing football and basketball because they grew up envying their black role models. Also, it is safe to assume their families and friends encouraged them to participate in these sports over the less accepted ones. The assumption is made by Majors that whites do not allow blacks to play in organized sports that have been traditional played by whites. I am sure this is true in some cases but I feel the main reason is because most African-American male children are not interested in sports such as soccer and hockey. The black culture has embraced certain sports and it is illogical to say racism is the sole cause for all of the disproportion within sports.

Again, I think it is important to reiterate that our culture and its prejudices have made leaps and bounds since 1993, the year this article was written. I do have some concerns with this article, such as the one sidedness and lack of depth, but I still think the “Cool Pose” is an interesting read and I think everyone who is studying sport and gender should take a look.

Culture, Gender Roles and Sport: The Case of Korean Players on the LPGA Tour

2008-10-28T00:56:00.004-04:00

"Culture, Gender Roles and Sport: The Case of Korean Players on the LPGA Tour" by Eui Hang Shin and Edward Adam Nam is an in-depth look at the recent emergence (starting in the late 1990’s) of female Korean players and how their success in the LPGA has affected the tour. The authors focus on why the golfers are thriving and link it to the Koreans cultural upbringing, which is characterized as being mentally tough, devoted, and having a great work ethic. Written in 1994, the article also chronologies Asian golfing while also breaking down the statistics and records in the LPGA over the last decade.

The part of the article I would like to focus is the Korean psyche and why it has allowed so many Koreans to excel at golf. Golf is a game of both mental and physical fatigue that tests your abilities to stay calm and collective under many frustrating circumstances. The basic elements of golf are the cause of the mental challenges, walking for hours outside in the many different variations of weather allows your mind to wander and for you to become distracted and unfocused. It takes a special person to be good at golf, a person who is almost obsessive about playing and improving their game and that is why Koreans have broken through as the dominant foreign group of golfers. Their cultures characteristics can be defined as strict, competitive, aggressive, hard working, individualistic and risk taking. As stated in the article, all of these characteristics align with the elements of golf and that is why there has been a boom in the success of Korean golfers, specifically women. Koreans are willing to outwit, out challenge, and out play any other players no matter their cultural background.

I envy the dedication and ability of these Korean women golfers and their culture. I feel my competitiveness and drive to succeed is best mirrored with the Asian culture and specifically the Korean. I know you may be thinking since my last name is Hon and that I am in someway Asian, but I assure you I am not. Anyways, I wanted to compare the Asian culture against the American culture. Our culture resembles some of the characteristics of the Asian culture such as in general being competitive and aggressive, but I feel overall we lack the strict and hard working elements. Do not get me wrong, a lot of us are hard working but as a whole I think we want to make the most amount of money by doing the least amount of work possible. I am not saying that it is a bad philosophy but I feel this is why most of the world is catching up with the U.S. in education, technology, and our standard of living to name a few. In this time of economic uncertainty and with our future as a nation up in the air, it is time to rethink the way our culture operates and maybe we need to look at the Asian culture for some inspiration. I know I have gotten off topic but it all has a point.

The cultural differences between Korean golfers and other golfers are just another example of how sports are a microcosm of society and why it is important to study sport. Sports encourage participants and followers to learn about other cultures and it helps them to adapt to diversity. It’s encouraging to see foreigners succeed in American based sports because it allows for a greater appeal around the world and it makes the games a more international event uniting countries and even individuals.

Yo, Yao!

2008-10-22T18:20:00.002-04:00

"Yo, Yao", is an article by David Leonard about the 7'5'', 298 pound basketball phenomenon, Yao Ming. The main issue discussed is the effect that the Asian basketball star has had on American culture and media. Leonard talks about the Asianization that has taken place in American over the recent years which can be seen through the popularity of Chinese tattoos, Tai Chi, chai, and Chinese films. This article opened my eyes to the new emphasis on Asian goods and products in our country and really made me think about how much their culture affects our culture.

After thinking about what we experience and consume on a daily basis, it is obvious how the Asian lifestyle has impacted our society. But what I would like to touch on is how foreign players, specifically Yao Ming and other Asian athletes, have impacted our professional sports. David Leonard stated, "He [Yao Ming] embodies both ideological usefulness as a model minority in the world of basketball and economic importance in a global sports market". I think Leonard made two excellent points about Yao Ming and in general, foreign athletes. Yao is the model minority because he is a new face and a new attitude which contrasts the mainly African-American population in the NBA. Ming has received criticism for not being a 'cut-throat' player but I feel it is great to see a new style of basketball which shows you can play effectively in the NBA with serenity and tactfulness. The second great point made by Leonard is the economic gain the can be made from embracing Asian athletes. With 12 million Asian-Americans and 4 Billion Asians globally, it is obvious there is a lot spending power that American sports can tap into. Yao Ming and Ichiro Suzuki are the ideal examples of how Asian athletes can create revenue for professional teams. 11% of the Houston Rockets buying public was Asian in 2003 and Ichiro's jersey is consistently one of the top uniforms sold. The success of Yao Ming and other Asian athletes in the US just goes to show you that the sports world is constantly changing and I believe the more the diversity the better.

If it has not happened already, America needs to realize that allowing more opportunities for foreign athletes will only help our professional sports. More interest around the world leads to more money in our country. Not only is there a monetary incentive to expand our media markets but there is a cultural incentive. If the best foreign players from a variety of sports are coming to our country to play it only reinforces that the effectiveness of our diplomatic and humanitarian ideals. We need to improve the worlds perception of America and the best way to do that is through the globalization of our sports and specifically through the Asianization of our culture.

The Spoils of Victory

2008-10-20T22:45:00.002-04:00

"The Spoils of Victory" is an article written by Susanna Levin in 1992. The article talks about the disparities in the salaries between female and male athletes at that time. Levin also discusses the reasons why certain female athletes make more than others, for example females that play traditional feminine sports like gymnastics make more than females who play in male dominated sports, such as basketball. Levin also touches on how looks and personality affect the amount of money a female athlete is able to make.

The salary disparity between women and men in sports is the perfect example of why the sports world is a microcosm of our culture. Our cultural views of women have rolled over into the sports world and have caused this variation in salaries. However, what I would like to focus on is not why women do not make as much as men, but why certain female athletes in traditional female sports make more than females in sports dominated by masculinity. The main reason I think there is a difference in earnings is because there is less competition for sponsors. In sports such as basketball, soccer, and bodybuilding, corporations are much more inclined to give sponsorships to the men because they are more visible to public and have a higher respect and recognition. Athletes in sports that can be seen as feminine, such as figure skating, gymnastics, tennis and golf, are more likely to attract sponsors because they are part of the norm, they are the athletes that people watch. Maria Sharapova and Nastia Liukin are two examples of female athletes in feminine sports that have taken advantage of sponsorships and made millions. Maria Sharapova made $20 million last year and Nastia Liukin received sponsorships from Visa and AT&T after her 2008 Olympic run. However, the top WNBA salary in 2008 was $93,000 and WNBA players received very little corporate sponsorship.

The facts are that sports without male domination provide more awareness for female athletes which leads to more money. It is not fair for female basketball or soccer players but that is how business and sponsorship works. Our culture likes to see females doing feminine things and we perceive gymnastics and ice skating as “girly” and that is why those female athletes make the money. Our society’s perceptions of gender will need to change to a more liberal way of thinking if females in male dominated sports want to make comparable money.

Lucinda Williams Adams

2008-10-16T18:52:00.002-04:00

On October 15th, Lucinda Williams Adams spoke to students and residents of Bowling Green about her life and the message she wants to spread. Sitting there listening to her speak made me feel if I had taken a step back into the 1960's and into the heart of the civil rights movement. The tone of her voice and the feeling behind her words showed me why great strives had been made with equality in our nation. Because of her and many others, both sports and more importantly our nation as a whole have accepted the differences between races.

What I found most interesting about the presentation was when Lucinda spoke of Wilma Rudolf, her 4 x 100 relay partner and 3 time gold medalist. I would of thought she would have had a little resentment towards Wilma because she was obviously the better athlete between the two and she received most of the fame. But Lucinda did not, in fact it was the opposite. When she spoke about Wilma, she smiled and talked about how she is the best female runner that has ever lived. Lucinda envied Wilma's God given talent and she takes pride in knowing she had helped Wilma push herself in college and in the Olympics. It takes a special athlete to acknowledge someone is better than you and to regard them so highly.

One thing I took away from Ms. Adams presentation was that the civil rights movement was not so long ago. It was less than half a century ago when lynching was a common practice and when African-Americans had to use separate facilities in most towns. It is enlightening to know that some of the people of that time that helped change the racial issues of our country are still here and still making an impact. I hope everyone that went to the speech took a little bit of what Lucinda said and will apply it to their everyday life.

Reading the Muscular Body

2008-10-15T12:17:00.002-04:00

This scholarly article by Philip White and James Gillett analyzes the text of muscle magazine Flex to find the affect that body building advertisements have on male’s perspectives of masculinity and gender dominance. The authors interpret how body building promotes dominant masculinity which promotes a culture that is patriarchal in nature.

After reading this article I asked myself why I go to the recreation center three times a week and lift weights. Do I go because I want other people to admire my physical prowess? Do I go because I want the intrinsic value that comes with large muscles? Do I go to just be healthy? To tell you the truth I think the answer is yes in some way to all of those questions. The masculine part of our culture promotes two notions that are discussed in this article and found in Flex, that male targeted media promotes male dominance and there is an intrinsic value gained from being muscular. I feel this type of persuasive media affects every male in some capacity and helps reinforce the ideologies that are present in our society. I know these concepts of what it means to be a true man have had an impact on me and it is part of the reason why I lift weights and play sports.

The thing that I really find fascinating that was touched on in the article is that most men feel when they have more muscles and a larger physique that they are higher in the social order of their surrounding community. For example, a male student that works out at our recreation center all year and gains muscle mass will perceive his own spot in the social order here at Bowling Green to be higher. It is interesting that our culture is so focused on looks and physical attractiveness that we spend a great deal of our time improving upon our looks.

I feel the article by White and Gillett has a single line that explains why this way of thinking and the perception of bodybuilding are hurting the sociology of our society. It states, “Bodybuilding is fatal as a collective practice because it reproduces a gender ideology that impoverishes both men and women.” This means that the set of ideas that surrounds gender is being manipulated for the worse by our over desire to have perfect bodies. More or less what I think I have learned from this article is that the reason I should be working out is to be healthy and fit rather than doing it for a gain in my social standing.

Introduction to Sport and Individuals with Disabilities

2008-10-14T17:50:00.003-04:00

In this article, authors Depauw and Gavron discuss the general topics of people with disabilities in sports. They define terms related to persons with disabilities such as impairment, disability, and handicapped and highlight key disabled athletes such as Dr. Brad Hedrick who is coach of the U.S. wheelchair basketball team. The part of the article I would like to focus on is the section about the attitudes of society towards persons with disabilities in sport.

It is a regarded fact that sport is a microcosm of our society and it is apparent through the attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Many people feel disabled people are different and lower in the social hierarchy than they are. The able-bodied majority feel that because disabled people are different physically, they themselves are superior. History has shown that persons with disabilities have been excluded from many sports and venues for many different reasons; including the lack of organized sports, facilities, trainers and coaches, and role models. With 20% of America having some sort of disability, the time is now to enforce the concept of why it is important to accept disabled individuals in sports and more importantly in our culture. We need to do this on an individual level so it can be seen at a national level. Every one of us needs to recognize the hardships that many disabled people face and realize that the only difference is their physical ability to do certain things. If we all show more concern and interest with disabled individuals than the national media will show more interest as well. Maybe the Paralympics in Beijing would have had more coverage in the American media if more Americans showed interest in the games.

I guess what I am trying to say is that as a whole, we should be more conscientious of our attitudes and actions towards disabled persons. Many of us have minor impairments that affect our everyday lives, such as wearing glasses, and we need to realize that we have just as much control over those impairments as people do with their disabilities. One way to support this group is through sports, if able-bodied people support the disabled through their struggles and accomplishments within sports than this world and more specifically our society would be a better place. If interests is shown in sports, maybe more awareness will be shown in other areas such as building disabled friendly buildings. I hope you do not find this post to preachy, I just feel in this era of equality, we cannot forget those persons with disabilities.

Women and Men in Sports: Seperate is Not Equal

2008-10-08T12:56:00.002-04:00

This article speaks about the practice of segregating sports between genders because of the physical differences between men and women. The authors feel that segregation is more than just about athletics, it is about the way the men and women view one another. When women are treated differently in sports they are seen as inferior and men value them less. The article shows that even in coed leagues there are "gender rules" enforced that accommodate the weaker sex, such as girls scoring 2 points per basket in basketball and men only 1. The authors support that different rules should apply for super-physical sports but their should not be disparities between non-physical sports such as in billiards.

I agree with the majority of this article and I support the argument that states coed leagues with "gender rules" are a slap in the face to every women. When I play intramural coed sports here at Bowling Green, the rules really frustrate me and I do feel it is insulting to the girl players. In flag football, a girl has to touch the ball every other play and a girl’s touchdown is worth more points than a guy's touchdown. These rules make the assumption that every male athlete is better than every female athlete and if a girl ever wants to touch a ball there has to be rules in place to help her. If I was a girl, I would not even want to play coed intramural sports because it would be embarrassing to know there are rules in place to make it easier for my sex. I think in coed leagues, the rules should be the same for both sexes because it would promote equality over inequality and prevent some of the views that women are physically inferior to men.

The authors make a good point by stating that sports do matter because there is more to them than just games, they carry wider social and political implications. I know I wrote earlier that women are inherently different physically than men, which I still believe, but my view on the separation of sports is changing. I feel some sports should always be separate like football and boxing, but I feel that it would be better for our society if women and men played sports like golf and basketball together in the same condition with the same rules. If men and women play certain sports together it would promote equality and men would take female athletes seriously.

Was She Blocked or Groped?

2008-10-07T18:31:00.002-04:00

"Was She Blocked or Groped?" is an article written in the Alberta Report Newsweek back in 1996. It is about a 14-year-old girl name Alega Nuu who at the time was playing offensive tackle for the Edmonton Seahawks. Supposedly during a game, Nuu was sexually harassed several times by a boy on the other team who was reaching under her pads and grabbing her breasts. Retaliating, Nuu slapped the boy and the referee then ejected both of the players. Nuu then head butted the referee with her helmet causing her to be suspended for the rest of the season. This article brings up conflict of whether women should be allowed to play in full contact sports with men.

First of all, how Nuu reacted to the situation was in every way wrong and I agree with suspending her for the rest of the season. Referees should never be harmed under any circumstances; they already get paid to little for the stuff they put up with in every level of sports. But anyways, this is a tricky conflict for me because I am torn on whether girls should be allowed to play male sports, especially physical ones like football and wrestling for the reasons just like this. Anytime you have girls playing sports with boys there will always be conflicts like this because not only is gender now involved in the sports, but so is sexuality and desire. It causes speculation in physical contact between males and females if the intent was sexual or strictly competitive, and more than likely it is the male who is criticized and not the female.

The reason I want to say no to girls playing with guys is because it changes the psychology of the game for both sexes and in my opinion the change would be for the worse. Guys will worry about touching girls in inappropriate places and visa versa for girls. This is unfair for both sexes because the worry of doing something wrong prevents them from giving it there all. I feel many conflicts and incidents like the one the article discusses will be avoided if gender is separated in sport. However, I feel in sports such as golf, where there is no physical contact between participants, it would be okay for men and women to compete together.

The Steve Bartman Incident: Poor Guy

2008-09-29T00:53:00.002-04:00

For those of you who do not know, on October 14th, 2003, Steve Bartman, a spectator at game 6 of the NLCS, attempted to catch a foul ball at Wrigley Field. Not only did Bartman miss the ball and prevent Moises Alou from making an out, he ended up as the scape goat for the Chicago Cubs 2003 collapse. I write this now, in the beginning of the 2008 MLB playoffs, in hopes of persuading all of you Cubs fans, it was not his fault.

The Steve Bartman incident, in my mind, is one of the saddest stories in sports and it could have easily been prevented. Thousands of foul balls are hit every season in the MLB, and a good number of them land in that fine area between in-play and out-of-play. Unfortunately for Bartman, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time in the wrong environment. In my opinion, there are three people/things you can blame the over-dramatic reaction on. One, you can blame Moises Alou for his childish reaction to not catching the ball. Stomping his feet and throwing his glove on the ground fueled the incident when it happened. Two, you can blame the Cubs fans surrounding Bartman who lashed out throwing beer bottles at him and screaming profanity. It was obvious that multiple people attempted to catch the ball and it just so happened the ball landed next to Bartman, it could have been anyone of those fans. Three, the biggest thing you can blame the incident on is the media. Both television and print built up Steve Bartman's role in the loss of game 6 and the series for the Cubs not only days but years after it happened. The initial blame can go to the Chicago Sun-Times who released Bartman's name, city of residence, and work location in the morning’s paper following the incident. All of these factors led to the criticism of a die-hard Cubs fan that had little to do with the Cubs 8-3 loss to the Marlins that night.

The Cubs had plenty of chances to win the game and to win game 7 and still, people do not blame the team, they blame Bartman. To be honest, one missed foul ball opportunity does not lead to eight runs in one inning. So for all of you that still blame Bartman for your misery and suffering, give the guy a break, he was just doing what any fan in that position would do. Also, something worthy to note, this spring Moises Alou apologized to Bartman and claimed he probably could not have caught the ball anyways. But I think he is just about five years late on that apology. So with my Indians out of the playoffs this year, I guess I will be rooting for the Cubs to end their streak of not winning a World Series. But for all you Cubs fans, just remember it was not Bartman's fault in 2003 and if they do not win this year, it is not his fault either.

You Tube Baby: "The Top Kindergarten Prospect"

2008-09-28T14:00:00.002-04:00

This post is not about a scholarly article but rather an interesting video I found at espn.com. The video is about Marquise Walker, a 8-year-old boy from the west side of Chicago who is proclaimed by his father, Chikosi Walker, as "The Top Kindergarten Prospect". From a young, Chikosi knew Marquise had a special ability to play basketball and decided to turn his son’s abilities into a you tube phenomenon. With the help of Lamont Peterson, a professional basketball trainer, Chikosi created a marketing plan for his son to gain national recognition. By posting videos of Marquise on you tube playing basketball and talking with NBA players like TJ Ford, Jamar Tinsley, and Lebron James, Chikosi has created national hype for his son which has ultimately led to this video which aired on Outside The Lines. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/marquise

The controversy with this story is that should an 8-year-old have this much pressure to live up to the hype his father has created. Chikosi feels he would rather see Marquise deal with the pressure to get a college scholarship and make the NBA than deal with the pressure of not being somebody, not having dreams. Personally, I feel that it all depends on the attitude of the child and the kind of support and advice his or her parents provide. From just watching the video, I think Marquise has the right attitude and personality to deal with this hype and I think his father is very supportive and a good role model. Some of things in the video that worried me were Marquise not knowing why he should go to college and when he stated he just wanted to be in the NBA to make money. These are things that he has learned from his father and other adults around him and to me that is not a good thing to be telling a little boy in elementary school. His father needs to be telling him why college is good for his success not just in basketball but in his life and why it is not just about making money. It just worries me hearing those type of things from an 8-year-old.

Like I said, I think Marquise has the personality to live up to this pressure and the support but I would hesitate to build this national hype with the majority of 8-year-olds. Having a 7-year-old brother, I know how kids of this age act and how they think and it is hard to imagine putting that much pressure on a kid that young. If that pressure was put on every little boy or girl that age, no matter the sport, I feel most would struggle to live up to those standards mentally and physically. In the end, it’s up to the parents of kids with great athletic abilities to determine if they should shelter their kids until they are old or run with it and market their kids like Chikosi Walker has done. It will be interesting to see how things work out for Marquise and I hope his dreams come true.

The Athletic Director's Dilemma: "$$$ and Women's Sports"

2008-09-23T16:46:00.003-04:00

"The Athletic Director's Dilemma: $$$ and Women's Sports" is a journal article about the problems for a college athletic director in regards to budgeting and Title IX compliance. The main purpose of the article is to break down college athletic conferences and divisions to see which are complying more or less with Title IX. The findings showed that big time conferences, mainly in division I-A, such as the SEC and Big-Ten were in less compliance with Title IX than division I-AA and I-AAA and conferences such as the Big West and Northeast.

I think this article is just the statistical back-up of what everybody in college athletics already knows, that big time colleges in big time conferences comply less with Title IX and possibly care less about being in compliance with the law than smaller colleges and conferences. Now as stated in the article, big time colleges have a lot more expenditures, such as operating costs, than smaller colleges therefore leading to a much bigger challenge in meeting Title IX requirements. For the BCS conferences, football and basketball is more of a business in itself than extracurricular activities for college students. Big time athletic programs have fans nationwide in the hundreds of thousands and they pay billions of dollars a year to watch and support their schools. I feel that the different divisions should be held to different standards in Title IX just because of the nature of their athletic program. Most students go to I-AA and I-AAA colleges to just participate in sports for fun, rather than seek to go professional in the sports after school. That is why those school should have stricter requirements in gender equality. The government should put in place a different set of requirements for each division and if a school does not meet those requirements in their respective divisions, they should be reprimanded in some manner.

There are no female sports that can compare to the participation level or expenditure level of division I-A college football, especially at a bcs school with a big time football program. Therefore enforcers of Title IX cannot expect everything in an athletic department to be equal between men's and women's athletics in these certain schools. This is why requirements should vary between divisions because athletics vary in every division; it is just fairer in my opinion.

Beating men opened doors for athletes

2008-09-23T01:34:00.002-04:00

In this article, "Beating men opened doors for athletes" found in the USA Today, the topic of discussion is the evolution of women in sports from the 1970s till present. The article discusses the beginning of the sports version of the women's movement, Billie Jean King's defeat of Bobby Riggs in 1973, to the present day phenom of Candace Parker and the WNBA. The article continues to discuss the slow growth of women in the front office of college athletic departments, especially in division 1-A. For this post I would like to focus on the men versus women part of the article.

I have strong feelings about the topic of women being compared to men in sports and athleticism. I cannot stand it when people compare men's sports and its athletes to women's sports and its athletes. I know it is inevitable to compare the two because it is basically the same games (except for the obvious rule differences), just different genders. My thoughts are that you cannot compare the two, men and women are physically not comparable. It is unfair to compare female athletes to male athletes just for the fact that men are naturally stronger and faster. I am not trying to state that women are inferior to the physical skills of men; I am saying that the evolution of the human race has led men to be naturally more physical than women. Throughout history, men have been the hunters and fighters while women were the gatherers and child raisers. I know this may sound far-fetched and irrelevant, but I really feel this is why men are physically dominant over women. I feel men should only be compared to other men and women should only be compared to other women. It is only fair to compare someone to the others in their same category or group.

Looking into the future, it is hard to say how the relation between men’s sports and women’s sports will work out. Maybe someday women will over power men in raw athleticism and physical prowess. Maybe there will be a point in time where men and women play sports together and there will be no division between male and female athletics. It is hard to say what the future holds for sports in out nation and globally in terms of gender, but at this point, let’s not compare apples and oranges, or males and females.

A Tsunami in History

2008-09-17T02:14:00.002-04:00

The article "A Tsunami in History" by Rowe-Finkbeiner, a feminist writer, is about the different waves of the feminist movement in the United States. Rowe-Finkbeiner states the first wave took place from 1848 to the 1950's and dealt with women's suffrage and equal rights with men. The second wave was during the 1950's, 60's and 70's and coincided with the civil rights movement. This wave of feminism dealt with women in the workplace and women's independence, which are still topics women are fighting against today. The third movement, which started in the 1980's and is still occurring today, has been calling for women's choice between careers and being a stay at home mother. The third and second wave blend together and advocates from the second wave are still involved in the third wave.

Before college, I knew very little about the history of women in America and the feminist movement. But after learning about it and discussing it in classes over the last several years, I have begun to see just how unfair women have been treated throughout history. I think the equality of women has come a long way since the creation of our country, but there are still a lot of things that need to change. I feel the most important thing for women at this time is their right to choice. The choice is to decide if you want to be part of the work force or stay at home with the children. This choice should not be questioned by either men or other women. I believe every girl or women should have the choice of what lifestyle she wants to live and no one should judge her on that decision.

I think we, the U.S., are on the right path to having gender equality. This presidential year was a historical year in the sense that we had a woman run for president only to beaten out by an African American man, along with having the first female vice president nominated. It is good to see that times are changing and we are breaking down walls of gender and race. I am proud to be part of this generation and I really think this generation will be the first to support both race and gender equality. Do not get me wrong, there will always be instances of racism and anti-feminism in our society, but it is very apparent that times are getting better.

Sport, Masculinity, and Hegemonic Oppression

2008-09-16T01:59:00.003-04:00

"Sport, Masculinity, and Hegemonic Oppression" by Anderson, is an analysis of the relationship between masculinity and homosexuality in sports and the western culture. Anderson discusses several forms of masculinity from orthodox masculinity, which is where a male meets the archetype of masculinity to hegemonic masculinity, which states that a male maintains 100% masculine behaviors while also continually proving his masculine status. The material in this article I would like to comment on is the section where Anderson looks at how young boys learn to hide their homosexual tendencies and why they do it.

I learned from the article that elementary school aged boys, in attempt to prove their status as a heterosexual, learn to not ask for help, hide certain weaknesses and fears, and to show they are not intimidated by others. While reading this, I asked myself, how do boys at this age learn these certain behaviors? How do boys, who can not even read, disguise their fears from other boys? How do we learn masculinity? From what I have read and learned through experience, I think the answer is the fear of being a misfit, or being someone who is constantly ridiculed That fear is what drives young boys to learn the rules of masculinity so fast. The drive to maintain the reputation of being a tough kid and not a sissy is what makes boys learn the rules of masculinity. The constant reminder of being masculine and being grown up is put on young boys by both their parents and their peers and I have the stories to prove it.

I can recall two instances as a kid where my masculinity was encouraged and questioned. The encouragement of my masculinity is sort of embarrassing. I remember at about the age of four, my father forcing me to stand up and go to the bathroom while saying something to the nature of "only girls sit and pee, you don't want to be a girl do you?" Of course I developed my skills of standing up and using the restroom because I did not want my dad or the kids at school to think I was a girl or a baby. As for my masculinity being questioned, it happened in elementary school on one unfortunate day where I whiffed the kickball and stumbled to the ground. For a month or so after the incident I remember being called "fag", which at the time I had no idea what it meant but I knew it was bad.

Both of these instances taught me some of the boundaries and rules of masculinity and I am sure many other men have similar memories of growing up. The fear of being a homosexual, which in our culture is something looked down upon, is what drives boys and men to reinforce their status as a heterosexual by criticizing homosexuals. This is why boys and men use the term "fag" and "that's so gay" when talking to each other. It shows others that they are not gay and not lacking manliness or toughness. I find this strange that men need to reinforce the fact that they are not homosexual by stating it to others. I would say the true sign of being a man is to disregard what others think and to be secure enough with yourself to not have to reinforce your manliness.

Center Snap: Children Creating the Fiction of Gender

2008-09-11T02:23:00.006-04:00

The first chapter of "Center Snap" discusses and analyzes an event witnessed by the author, Messner. The event is the opening ceremony of his 5-year-old son's soccer season where a group of girls named the Barbie Girls' and his sons' team, the Sea Monsters, interact. During the interaction it was apparent that the young kids already were aware of gender boundaries and what was expected of their gender. I found the article very interesting and made me realize something I knew but never thought about, that gender is more than just a natural trait, gender is learned too.

In my psychology classes, we always discussed the conflict about whether personality traits were inherited genetically or created by the environment. The answer I found is that both genetics and environment determine an individual’s personality trait. I feel the same is true for gender roles. I believe the actions of men and women are controlled by the biological factor and also by the cultural or societal factor. I think the biological part gets us started with our ideas of gender and the concept is just enhanced by our observations and the people we interact with.

Growing up, I remember learning from my dad that Barbie’s were for girls and Ninja Turtles were for boys. I accepted that without question and made sure I enforced that thought with other boys my age. I even remember doing the same thing with my little brother when he was growing up. My sister painted his fingernails one day and I remember yelling at him and telling him that he was acting like a little girl. I did not know why that was wrong; I just knew it was crossing a gender boundary. Even while I was a teenager, my dad still made sure I knew where the gender boundary line was. When I got my ear pierced at 16, my dad made it a point to make fun of me by calling me “Nancy”, which I just shrugged off at the time. I guess what I am getting at is that if you really just step back and think about it, gender is just a biological thing. Humans have made gender into something more than a physical difference, we give gender its boundaries and we set the rules for all the boys and girls across the world. We tell them what is right and what is wrong without even thinking about it critically.

Reading Sport, Articulating Power Lines

2008-09-10T00:44:00.003-04:00

"Reading Sport", by Susan Birrell and Mary McDonald is an article which takes a look at how professional athletes have powerful relationships within are shrinking world. This work looks at ten different essays discussing a range of topics from racism in sport to sexual harassment in the locker rooms. This short introduction article provides insight into events that cross certain power lines. This analysis cites many interesting events and professional athletes, but the one topic I would like to reflect upon is a topic that is barely ever mentioned in the sports world, homophobia.

Homophobia within the realm of professional athletes is rarely ever discussed but is evidently there. To tell you the truth, I was a bit homophobic in high school and always felt awkward around people who I knew were homosexual. I never really thought about till recently, but now I know that those feelings were due to the gender roles that I was taught in my white-male, Catholic, middle class upbringing. To me, it is obvious why homophobia is so strong within the world of athletes. In a lifestyle that is based on masculinity and driven by testosterone, it is apparent that there are much defined lines on what is accepted and what is not. Male homosexuality, which is usually characterized in our culture as being feminine and nonathletic, is viewed by heterosexual male athletes as someone who is inferior. These male athletes are so accustomed to being part of a group that is focused on being physically and mentally tough that they see homosexuals as a group who opposes their way of life. This is also why most males characterize female athletes as lesbians, because in the male athlete’s perspective they are participating in activities that are meant for men and based on masculinity. Male athletes follow the typical lines of gender roles more than any other group of people in my opinion. I believe there is only one way to change the perception of the average male athlete about homosexuality and that is for a big name athlete to "come out of the closet".

So far, no major professional athletes have disclosed that their sexual orientation is anything but the norm but I think the day it happens is not so far from now. The only way for the wall of homophobia to be toppled in sports is for a popular and great athlete that is open with the media to come out. This individual will need to be respected by fellow athletes in and out of his own sport. If it was a male who was considered to be different, like Dennis Rodman, I think the effect would definitely be less significant. It needs to be someone who is considered to be masculine and equal in talent to other great heterosexual athletes for the effect to really be seen. If this does happen, I feel it would be good for sports and our culture because everyone should be seen in the same light no matter their sexual orientation, race, or gender.

Introduction

2008-09-09T17:56:00.000-04:00

My name is TJ Hon and I am junior this year here at Bowling Green State University. I am sport management major with a specialization in enterprise and a minor in general business. There are a couple of reasons I am in love with sports and the first is because of where I am from, which is Canton, Ohio. For those of you who do not know, Canton is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is an area where sports are treated as a ritual. The second reason I admire sports is because of my dad who has worked in the sports field for over 25 years. He is currently the Director of Operations at Glenmoor Country Club and he has also worked 15 years at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. I guess you could say I was born to love sports and that is why I have decided to make a career in an industry I have always wanted to be a part of, one way or another.

It is interesting that I grew up in a town known as the "home of professional football"; because if you asked me as a child what I wanted to do with my life I would have given you a short and sweet answer, to be the 1st basemen for the Cleveland Indians. There was no doubt in my mind at age 7 that I would not do anything other than play baseball for a living, it was the only thing for me. In high school, I played varsity baseball for GlenOak High School, but as I grew up and realized my skills were not where they needed to be, my dreams of playing in the MLB slowly diminished and I realized I was going to have to pick a career path with a little more stability. I thought about just going to school for business but after lots of thought, it just sounded to boring to me. Then while searching Bowling Green's website my senior year of high school, I stumbled upon the sport management web page and that is when I decided what I wanted to do with my life. If I could not physically be a part of the games, I sure wanted to be there to help run them.

So far I have loved BGSU and the Sport Management program and all the people I have met. I have been keeping myself pretty busy and trying to build my resume these past few years. This year is my second year as a resident advisor and my first year working for the athletic department. Along with those two jobs, I am an executive board member for Sport Management Alliance along with being part of the Honors program here. I feel the experiences and education I have gained so far have definitely prepared me for the next stage of my life, which at this point I feel is graduate school. At this time, I plan on applying for graduate school at Ohio University for a dual masters in sport administration and business administration. After school, my dream job would be working the Cleveland Indians organization. As for the position, I do not feel I would make the best salesmen or general manager, so therefore I would like to work within stadium operations.

I am not going to lie, going into SM 425 I felt the class would be boring and repetitive because it seems in every SM class we talk about sports and gender in some capacity. But so far, I have found the class refreshingly enlightening and interesting. I actually enjoy the reading material and am excited to post on this blog on a weekly basis. I have a feeling that this is going to be a fun semester and I think I will learn quite a bit, which is why we are all here in the first place, right?