Patriotism and Sport

Sport is often interconnected with superiority because it represents the best that country has to offer.  This usually means that athletes are talented, hard workers, and display a high level of sportsmanship.  However, history has shown us a time period where values and morals were not the primary concerns of athletes and their superiors. During the Cold War the United States was having an arms race against the USSR: democracy vs. communism.   In the article Sports, Drugs, and the Cold War, the world was in a mindset where “there was the assumption that the world has one winner and all the rest losers in each event [which] leads towards drug abuse.”  Each country wanted the biggest advantage possible to prove their point to the world therefore some supported or even provided their athletes with enhancement drugs to improve their athletic abilities.  The interesting factor is that in spite of several athletes not agreeing with the ethics of cheating, several did.  Honesty and integrity of the sport was thrown out the window and for the sake of patriotism.  Patriotism caused a complete shift of mindset for what each athlete though was the better cause.  It is fascinating that the rivalry between these two ideologies exceeded politics and not only affected the world but the principles and morals of some individuals.  Sport has always been a societal community where individuals come together to exemplify a common interest, but it has been proven to connect individuals with their nation in an astonishing manner.

Expectation we hold for our Athletes

Sacrifice, pressure, and preparation exemplified by athletes are characteristics that are also demonstrated in dogs that participate in dog fighting. When looking at the issue of sacrifice, athletes have always been revered for their athletic success and have been worshiped across the globe, living up to the hype. Often in today’s society fans are quick to turn on the teams they love if expectations are not met, which makes the athletes have to live up to the high expectations. The same situation applies to dog owners who easily discard a dog’s love and trust if they don’t live up to the owner’s expectations.  Sadly though, a dog’s sacrifice may come at the cost of more than just a bad season; it may cost them their life. Both the athletes and dogs deal with the pressure to perform. Athletes are held under high standards, applauded when they do something well and condemned if they make a mistake. They overcome physical strain to please the crowd, team, and community.  They are expected to win because winning is considered the most important aspect of sport to society.  This same intense atmosphere of successful performance comes in the dog fighting community, but on the next level. The dogs must perform well or face harm and brutal punishment from the owners that should always protect and support them. Due to the nature of society, both athletes and dogs are willing to prepare and train their hardest knowing that they will be cheered when they beat their opponents and praised when they destroy them.  Much like dogs that are trained to attack at any moment, athletes must be ready to perform once they enter field.  Both of these “athletes” are willing to put their lives on the line in exchange for love and acceptance from the crowd.  It seems like we have a tendency of choosing entertainment over the well being of athletes.  

Politics in the Olympics

The Olympics is a highly revered, ceremonious sporting event that was supposedly founded on the principle of bringing the world together for peace.  However, world politics has always managed to sneak in and make a worldwide statement.  During the 1968 Olympics two African Americans made a huge impact on the Civil Rights Movement for America. These two outstanding figures are gold medalist, Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos, brought politics into the Olympics to stand up for all African Americans.  There were several years of discrimination across a broken country that pretended like everything was fine for the rest of the world.  The stand of these two athletes removed the fabrication and brought out reality.  Their actions were not without consequence however, both were completely banned from future participation in the Olympics.  When they returned to US they had a very difficult time finding jobs and maintaining a stable lifestyle.   Another individual that participated in this eventful time that is often overlooked stood between these two great athletes, Peter Norman.  Peter Norman was an Australian athlete that raced against Carlos and Smith, placing in second in the 200 meter dash.  Despite Norman’s extraordinary athletic abilities he was a very well just man, raised to treat everyone equally despite differences of color, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.  At the time of the medal ceremony he took the boldest step of his career and wore a civil rights badge.  Ironically enough his stance for social activism backfired his athletic career.  Norman qualified several times to the ’72 Olympics but was not allowed to participate.  Australia did not even have the courtesy to invite him to partake in the ceremony held in Sydney in 2000.  Nevertheless, his incredible efforts were not in vain when the Track and Field Federation awarded him October 6^th or official Peter Norman Day.  So if politics is inevitable is there a way to work around it?  This is a very hard question to answer, especially in situations where the political statements are necessary. However, the impartiality of the Olympics is necessary to be able to run properly.  I guess we just have to be thankful for those athletes that are willing to set aside their dreams to do something better for the world.

Fame and Sports

Professional athletes are often revered by society for their physical abilities, talent, and hard work.  Some athletes however are treated beyond admiration and are placed in the highest pedestals.  Society has often overlooked wrongdoing of athletes due to their fame and popularity.  According to the USA  Today, out of 168 condemned athletes 2/3 were released and 6 were convicted compared to the “average” person that underwent the same accusation trial 80-85 % of the time and was convicted 90% the time in 2003.  Since fame of professional athletes has not decreased over time it is safe to assume that these statistics have worsened.  In 2009 Donte Stallworth a New Orleans Saint at the time, faced a 15 years sentence for manslaughter while intoxicated.  However, in the plea agreement Stallworth was condemned 30 days in prison, where he only served 24 of those days.  Manslaughter would be a life-time sentence for any other individual in America but not for Stallworth. Does the law validate impartiality with talent? Is it ethical to do so?  When did society place entertainment before reason? Money and fame has found loopholes through society’s justice system.  The worst part is that we as a society encourage these types of behaviors.  We devour the media that feeds off of issues like this one.

Superiority just Black or White?

In the past couple of decades the analysis of black and white athletes in competitive sports has flourished.  Several theories from “Great Speed But Little Stamina:” The Historical Debate Over Black Athletic Superiority” mention that black athletes’ dominance in sprinting events is due to “longer heel bone or stronger achilles tendon.”  Another hypothesis states that black athletes have more primitive DNA than white athletes which makes them superior in particular sports.  A further speculation is that black athletes are better at certain sports because they have grown up with fewer opportunities to excel in other sports that require additional financial support.  Another assumption is that the black race went through a genetic selection during the slavery movement, where only the fittest survived. Yet, another hypothesis states that black athletes work harder than their white counterpart and that is why they thrive at certain sports.  All of these theories are very hard to prove due to scientific restriction and immeasurable factors like which athlete is the hardest worker.  I do not comprehend why we as a society have to define and separate different races.  We are always assuming that if someone wins it is because he or she has an advantage therefore the fingers are now pointed towards race.  The flaw that I see in these theories is that there has been a lot of research to see the superiority in black athletes but not very many theories for white athletes.  If black athletes have anatomical and physiological traits that provide them with an advantage then there should be more research on what white athletes have that black athletes do not have.  I find it interesting that when there is an argument about race it usually just involves the black and white race, not any others.  I understand that there has to be a dividing line for scientific and sociological purposes, but I think it further segregates white and black societal views.  We have critics questioning why and how an athlete has an advantage that it rarely occurs to us that athletes may be better at certain sports because they worked harder than their counterparts to get there. 

Society and Football

In the Offensive Play article by Malcolm Gladwell, scientists have discovered evidence that the constant head on collisions in football may have a correlation with future dementia.  The ethical issue we as a society have to face is whether or not football should still be allowed as a sport.  The research presents that head on collision increased the amount of Tau within an athlete’s brain.  Tau is a substance is also commonly found within individuals with Alzheimer and other mental diseases.  This could possibly mean that athletes have an increased chance of having dementia after playing football.  We were asked in discussion whether or not we would allow our children to partake in a sport that would affect them for the rest of their lives. I feel like I would not deny my child participation in the sport but I would not encourage it by any means.  If my child insisted to want to play I would make sure he/she understood the consequences and the future harm it could cause him or her.  There is a possibility that the research is not correlated, since scientist still have a lot more research to do before they can come to a final conclusion.  I personally believe that even with the amount of research we have now, the situation is serious enough for us to think twice about sending professional athletes to play.  My concern is if society will consider letting go of football for the safety of its players.  Maybe we could come up with different rules to make athletes safer but people have argued if that it would no longer be considered football.  This is a very sensitive topic because football is everything to Americans.  However, social norms have changed before and it would not be impossible for it to change again.  Athletes are going to have to decide whether or not to believe the scientific data and gamble with possible mental dysfunction; while we as a society have to decide which is more important, the game or the safety of our athletes.   

The Connection between Athletes and Industries

During 1980’s Michael Jordan became one of the biggest hit sensations in the history of sports.  He was renowned for his infamous athleticism all over the world.  It was also during this era that the media flourished and with it, advertisement opportunities for companies wanting to sell their products.  Michael was the target for most of these industries because he was thought to be an individual with high morals and a role model for society.  Michael became the new sensation and according to The Sports Spectacle, Michael Jordan, and Nike: Unholy Alliance? that is even where the legendary logo “Just do it” came from.  Soon, both became associated and representative of each other, and if one went array so did the other one.  Nike was exploited for giving extremely low wages to factory workers, which ended up reflecting on Michael.  Michael was questioned several times on what he thought about the situation remarked that he could not control what Nike did or did not do.  Have industries and athletes been regarded as one entity or are they, as Michael believed, separate? Today, sports teams are drenched with advertisements from within the athlete’s gear to the score boards. Industries depend on athletes to endorse their products, and athletes depend on industries for an income.  The two are obviously connected but to what degree is the question.  Would athletes today cut their ties with an industry like Nike for the wages of factory workers? I have a feeling that most would not.  This aspect of sport has spiraled into a huge money making business, and since we are humans we want the most we can possibly get.  Athletes and industries need to recognize who they are signing with so that they will not create a negative image on each other.  One way to possibly fix this issue is to place restrictions on one another, which something very hard to control. Once an affiliation is formed there is nothing either party can do, they have taken a chance and live with the consequences.