GSNC Exam 2 Study Guide Questions
what were Tours like in the 1920s?
race was becoming longer; more diverse winners; others began traveling into the country to compete; beginning of the 20s- the roads were super bad after WWI
what is the laagan
"tribute" paid to feudal lord; portion of serf's harvest; villagers are squeezed by local Raj who is squeezed by British garrison
how much money did Armstrong make in his career? how much of his fortune is at stake now that he has confessed to doping?
$125 million; $100 million
how many riders have allegedly used bike motors during the Tour?
12 racers used them in 2015 Tour
who is Don Bradman? why did he come to be known as an Everyman?
1927; most phenomenal run-getting machine; he represented Australia, became an idol during the Great Depression; he had great concentration, was good at every aspect of game; record-breaking scoring feats in domestic games lead to his rising in the ranks on Australia; scored 974 runs against England; heroics made him a highly marketed commodity; most famous man in Australia, but he lived a very ordinary life-sold sporting goods and shares, and married his childhood sweetheart, and raised tow kids in the only house he ever bought; he was the sign of Australia's veneration of the ordinary man
in what year did Varjas sell his first motor? how much did he make from the first sale? how long was he required to remain silent about his role in the invention of the bike motor?
1998; $2 million; 10 years of silence
describe the alliance between the MCC and the public schools in the 19th century. what were their goals? what did they hope to teach the pupils?
19th century alliance formed to turn cricket into a test of moral character; ideals of courtesy and morality directed towards opponents was encouraged; encouraged the play of this game in public schools in order to control students while instilling English moral teachings
how many times did Lance Armstrong win the Tour?
7 times
by the end of the 19th century, cricket was being played worldwide. what were the countries that played cricket during this time? who were allowed to play test matches?
Australia, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand; countries that were once part of the British Empire were allowed to play test matches
who were some of the riders on Armstrong's team?
Benoit Joachim, Frankie Andreu, Dariusz Baranowski, etc.
what evidence existed of Armstrong doping before his confession? what were the accusations against him? how much of this information was published in the French and American presses?
Betsie and Frankie testified in court that they had heard a conversation between Lance and doctor about doping; Lance "100%, absolutely" denied the statements; he had many supporters in the media; Emma who worked for US postal team also talked about how she helped him dope when she worked with him
when and where was the first bike motor developed? is there evidence of its use in the Tour?
Budapest, Hungary; yes
what does LeMond say about the recent victories in the Tour? how many bikes were checked and what were the results?
Curable, fixable; he won't trust any victories in the Tour de France; checked 4000 bikes, no motors found
how did cricket spread to the Caribbean? what was its place in plantation society?
England colonized Jamaica; plantations spread across entire West Indies region as well as British rule and cricket; slaves only participated in games by retrieving the ball after the Brits had hit it out of the boundaries; the slaves used these as opportunities to show their superior athleticism and to show that they were just more than just slave workers
what are the new development to which Varjas thus far admitted? how can these new development be detected? what team and from what country did proof appear in the latest Tour?
Ferrari bought bikes with hidden motors in the past three years; he was in charge of Armstrong's doping; weight bikes can detect motors; Team Sky, but they deny using mechanical assistance, but their bikes were found to be heavier
what was the only other nation that is as passionate as the French about cycling?
Italy
who was Armstrong's greatest rival?
Jan Ullrich
how did the Tour de France begin? who founded it and why?
L'Auto wanted to raise declining paper sales, and they wanted to beat Le Velo both in sales and to create the most prestigious cycling race in the world
what is the significance of the west indies victory over england at lord's in long in 1950?
SS windrush sailed two years earlier and took a large group of west Indians to homeland in order to find new life; team contained new generation of black cricketers; at the time when west indians were delivered to england and were struggling, the win boosted west indians in england and a boost in national identity of west indian nations-helped them move towards independence from britain
how does the Australian cricket tradition differ from that of England
you can rise up through the ranks and become a professional player after having been an amateur; this is not present in England, probably contributed to Australia's great cricket
describe the mythology surrounding the Tour
Tour is seen as an epic, like the Odyssey; the cyclists are heroes fighting each other in a war, each tour is an episode in the still-continuing epic poem
which team did Armstrong ride for? what was Armstrong's reputation like between 1999 and 2006 (when he was winning Tour after Tour)?
US Postal Team; idolized with suspicion, since many thought he was a drug user regardless of his outspokenness against this issue; he was always a favorite and thought of as a god
how do the indians learn to play cricket? what local game do they already play that resembles cricket?
a British woman, known as Memsahib, comes in and helps them; their game is Gilli-Danda
What was the Dreyfus affair? Explain its role in the founding of the Tour de France.
a member of French army (Dreyfus) was wrongly accused of leaking confidential information to the German army during the Franco-Prussian War; Le Velo owner used paper as a way for him to voice his support for Dreyfus; the industrialist sponsors of Le Velo did not like this, so they created their own newspaper, eventually named L'Auto; they created the Tour de France in order to oppose a cycling tour that was created by Le Velo and they wanted to create the most prestigious cycling race in the world
what were some of the methods used to dope during the Tour? how did they give riders an advantage?
alcohol-dulls pain; EPO-increases red blood cell production allowing rider's body to deliver more oxygen from lungs to muscle; transfusion-boost number of red blood cells, virtually indetectable and hard to test for
how does the Tour influence the Frenchman, according to Barthes?
allows French to learn again about their country; allows rediscovery of "physical oneness of country" and wealth; completely eye opening and exposes the Frenchman to his country
describe the story that the poem Vitai Lampada by Henry Newbolt is narrating
an English cricket team has ten more runs to score with an hour left in play in order to win the game; they are tired and distraught, and everything seems to be agains them; they hear "play up! play up! and play the game" by various people as encouragement to continue to persevere; the poem relates cricket to a war/battle, and describes the players as soldiers in a great conflict
what was Armstrong like as a rider? how did his strategy and style differ from those of other riders? what defined him as an athlete?
at first, people did not think he could win the Tour; pedaled on lower gear and faster-takes energy/strain from legs to lungs and blood; his cancer survivor status defined him as an athlete; he was always seen as an underdog; he was heavily involved with Michelle Ferrari who had a bad reputation
how did black slaves on plantations begin to play the game? what was the significance of cricket for them?
at first, they were excluded from sport and they only participated by retrieving the ball for their masters; they used these opportunities to demonstrate their athletic superiority
what roles did cricket play in establishing Australia as a nation?
at young age, they would play on concrete pitches; concrete was good to train on; played since establishment as penal colony in beginning of 19th century, and they have managed to serve purposes of imperial homage and exercise; symbol of Australian nationalism and an outlet for their desire to run their own affairs
how does lagaan use cricket to tell the story of British colonization and subsequent Indian independence?
beginning of movie, indians first discover cricket; compare it to their traditional game; the hostility between british and indians is clearly seen in violence that ensues from an indian picking up the cricket ball; the despair of the indians about having to pay the tax and the superiority exuded by the englishmen shows the absolute control that they ahve over the natives and show how poorly they treat natives; the natives band together to learn the game and to defeat their colonizers; this shows that they are worth something and that they are independent and can beat the british at their own game
how did the game of cricket change after the abolition of slavery in British colonies in 1864?
black players were called to fill teams who needed all 11 players; teams then began to desegregate
how and why were africans brought to the caribbean
brought here through colonization via ships; for slave work on plantations
explain the legend (or some might way, myth) of Lance Armstrong as it existed at the height of his career (1990s). what was his story? why did people find it so appealing?
cancer survivor wins the Tour; all of the odds were against him, yet he was able to win the most challenging/rigorous sports competition in the world; the underdog won, making his story incredibly appealing
what is the wager between British colonizers and the Indians?
possible not to pay Laagan under the condition that the Indians defeat the Britains in a game of cricket; if they beat them, they do not have to pay three years worth of taxes; if they lose, they will have to pay 3X the tax this year
who was George Headley? what did he accomplish?
challenged the assumption that black batsmen could not bat at the top of the order; 1935, he batted at number 3 and scored unbeat 270 runs and guided the Windies to their first ever series victory over England
why and how was the Marylebone Cricket Club founded? what were some of the objectives of the members? where was the permanent place of this club established?
codified laws of game; club for aristocrats-dominant class in society, controlled politics, military, church of England; wanted the same dominance in cricket; Laurels in England
where is cricket played throughout the world? how did it spread?
cricket is played in countries that used to be part of British Empire-South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, etc.; spread through the expansion of the British Empire via colonization
When did cycling become massively popular in France and why? What were some of the earliest competitions like?
cycling became popular in France during and after Industrial Revolution; bicycles were upgraded; development of leisure class meant that workers had time for recreational activities, like cycling; earliest competitions often connected villages throughout France; cyclists would travel 100-150 miles; Velodrome racing was held in arenas where falls were frequent and dramatic
what was cricket like in the early days? who played it? how did they play?
divided by class; until 1960s, games were physically divided by upper and lower class players; aristocrats ultimately took control due to the prospect of making a profit off the game;; the sport was originally created by children of sheepherders, they used balls of wool and sheepherders sticks to play the game
how did Armstrong and other riders who were doping avoid detection?
doctors ran their doping programs, and people on the inside would inform doctors of new tests; they would stay ahead of developing tests; they would hide in plain sight
how long has doping existed in Tour de France? what were some of the earliest forms?
doping has existed from the very first 1903 Tour, all the way to the present day; earlier-alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, and strychnine were used to dope; goals of doping were to stimulate breathing, produce more energy, and to reduce pain
describe doping in the Tour during the 1960s and 1970s. why was it banned from the sport during this time period?
doping in the Tour was still common, but Tom Simpson died during Tour largely due to his having taken amphetamines and methamphetamines
how did the British spread cricket to India? why did they encourage the locals to play the game?
expansion of British empire in Asia was based in India and driven by East India Company; as a result of colonization and commonness of cricket, it was played throughout India; the East India Company was the main means of spreading English culture and language, including cricket; they encouraged locals to play cricket because they wanted to spread English morals
how does Varjas suggest that 60 Minutes find proof of his invention?
find carbon-fiber 1999 US Postal service bike; they bought a bike off of the internet and he installed am motor into the bike; Hamilton tested it
who was W. G. Grace? how did he change the sport of cricket? how did he revolutionize the game?
first star of cricket; from a middle class family; MCC wanted him to use extraordinary talents to promote their professional game and to see off the amateur games; if he joined with professionals, game would be completely different today; crowds and money followed him everywhere; he invented a repertoire of strokes; first to play off of both sides of bat; he introduced the use of using pads to hit the ball as well as the bat; initiated modern defensive play
what was the role of cricket in the black liberation movements in the caribbean in the 1960s and 1970s
force against struggles that oppressed them; revolutionary time; blacks still not regarded as equals, there was a disparity; black power fervor; cricket served as a platform for black power and pride and worth
who did west indians fight for during wwii? what happened when they arrived back home?
fought alongside British troops to defend empire; the returned home to find that many west indians still lived in poverty
describe Armstrong'e early career. what events did he participate in? how did he do?
from Plano; one-day racer one of the best; wanted to make some money and then find something else to do; when disease came, it took all that away; after cancer, her returned to the Tour in 1999; he was the world champion in 94-95
who was sir everton weekes? what did he accomplish?
from barbados; from poverty; took shots along the ground-trained this way in order to prevent breaking windows; made a name for himself as a batsman in England and then he was called to the west indies team; test matches resumed in 1948; later that year, he set a record for batsmen scoring 5 consecutive centuries, known as best batsman
how did suspicions of mechanical doping first arise? what is the most apparent proof that bike motors are used in the Tour?
fueled by videos of rider crashes where the bikes seem to move on their own; no one was caught until recently; if a rider can ride up a steep hill while seated or if in a crash, the wheels continue to spin on their own-evidence of motor use
describe the relationship between cricket and black liberation movements in the Caribbean in the second half of the twentieth century.
games between England and West Indies during the post-colonization period (1960s and 1970s) fraught with underlying political tension; the inclusion of black players in the West Indies team marked a moment of democratic integration in society; by mastering cricket, West Indians found a way to fight back against their British masters; cricket and the success of the West Indies created a sense of national pride from the 70s to the 90s that had never been seen before
cricket was meant to be a source of unity in the Empire. but back in England, it was a split along class lines. explain this division.
gentlemen amateurs could afford to pay for their love of the game, but lower class players (professionals) were paid to perform; division seen in contrasting styles of batting; amateurs groomed in public schools were taught to play correctly and their play was aesthetically pleasing; professionals who were brought up on village green clubs and had a very different form-they moved their legs more than they needed to; it was eventually the professionals who made cricket really successful in the mid 19th century
what was the "scheme" that some professionals developed in order to earn money by playing cricket?
go around country and call themselves the England 11 while playing a bunch of matches and charging for admission, they made quite a bit of money
how did the 19th century aristocrats view cricket? to what extent was it considered a means of preparing pupils for life "beyond the boundary"?
greater games of war and empire; they thought that cricket would help prepare people and teach people skills that could be used in other aspects of life
why do you think that Armstrong finally decided to come clean? how did this change his public image? what is his image now, and how is it different from what it was in the 1990s?
he seriously doubted what he was going to be able to do in the 2009 Tour; I think the guilt finally got to him, and the lie got way to big to maintain; his sponsors and Livestrong cut all ties from Armstrong immediately after the confession
describe Armstrong's comeback in 2009. why did he come back? what did he hope to achieve, and how did he fare in the end?
he wanted to win and do it clean; he knew the risk in opening up past questions; he was trying to prove to other and to himself that it didn't matter that he had doped in the past
who was Maurice Gaurin? what is his place in cycling history?
he was a cyclist who won the first Tour de France in 1903; he won the race by 2 hours and 49 minutes; in 1904 someone illegally handed him food, and he later confessed to cheating, even though he won that Tour as well
describe Armstrong's image in the media throughout his career. how popular was he in France, the U.S., and the rest of the world?
he was incredibly popular around the whole world; he served as an icon to millions, particularly members of the cancer survivor/battling communities
Armstrong repeatedly said that he was frequently tested and have never tested positive. to what extent is this true?
he was tested in 99 and was found to have steroids in his system, but he falsely blamed it on an ointment; for the most part, he was never caught to be using drugs from drug tests; he did have the governing body on his side, though
what was Armstrong's modus operandi when someone accused him of doping? why did this work so well?
he would immediately attack their character and credibility; this worked so well because of Armstrong's celebrity status and lack of published evidence of his doping scandal up to that point
where are the bike motors located? what powers the engine? what grade of alloys are used? what are two of the ways that the motor can be activated?
in gear chain; lithium battery; military-grade metal alloys; connected to a heart-rate monitor which allows it to take over when a rider's heart rate goes too high; designed to give boost to rider's own effort
how has the Tour itinerary been used to express different notions of French national identity?
inclusion of specific cities and abandonment of others from Tour have been used to show French status of regions in and surrounding France; spread of Tour to other EU countries showed their connection and partnership with Europe
what was the role of cricket in obtaining independence from Great Britain and creating a sense of West Indian "national" identity?
independence was seen as a high point of a civil rights struggle that had been going on for a long time/hundreds of years; started thinking like west indians; wanted to show emergence as nation through cricket; team is a mouthpiece for these independence movements, reflecting confidence of independence generation; cricket led the way; through cricket, they were able to carry a message to the white world by defeating their past masters, truly making cricket a level playing field
who wins the big game? what is the significance?
indians won the game; they don't have to pay the taxes; they have beaten the British colonizers at their own game, unites the community
when was the yellow jersey introduced and why? why is it yellow?
introduced in 1919 so that spectators could identify the race leader; L'Auto was printed on yellow paper, therefore the jersey was chosen to be yellow
what does the expression "It's not cricket" mean? what does this tell us about the place of cricket in English society?
it means that something is not quite right or is not done right; this means that cricket is ultimate and expresses the highest of morals and courteousness and brings the best out of man
what is the "theater of combat"? what metaphor does Barthes use for the Tour and the cyclists?
it's like a war with generals, cavalry, theoreticians and mathematicians; he uses a war metaphor and an epic metaphor to describe the Tour; the use of leaders and convoys, etc. promotes war-like imagery; the epic imagery shows the riders as being heroes and as each stage being an individual episode/chapter of the epic
what characterizes the particular style of play of the west indies team?
jamaicans bring aggression and confidence and talent; barbados-concentration; trinidad-hit for 6 runs, go big or go home
according to bunny wailer, from bob marley and the wailers, why do jamaicans play cricket?
jamaicans play cricket for value of cricket; it is a daily occurrence in jamaica; said they always have known how to hold the bat or how to hold the ball
how does the Tour today compare to the earliest competitions?
more blatant sponsorship, broadcasted in color which makes it more entertaining, more suspicion associated with Tour because of all the cheating allegations and drugs and doping
what does Tyler Hamilton say about the use of a motor when he test-rides the CBS-bought bike?
not super obvious, felt a little bit smoother; he can see how people are getting away with it; said it could be a game-changer, difference between winning and losing
what has Greg Lemond publicly said about both chemical and mechanical doping? what actions have been taken to combat these forms of cheating?
outspoken about both; he knows its still going on in sports, so he is concerned; while working as a broadcaster, they worked secretly with French police to investigate the motors; Varjas was directed to deliver bikes in a town; they enhance the wheels' weight by 1.7 lb
what determines who will be crowned the winner of the Tour de France, according to Barthes?
overcoming natures' severest tester- the mountain; mountain sections are key to the Tour and the entire man's spirit must be totally involved
what is the publicity cavalcade? when was it first established and why? what roles does it play in the Tour?
parade that sets off two hours before race; established in 1930s; after sponsored teams were banned, the Tour needed to bring in more money; the publicity cavalcade helps to fund the tour and provides half of the prize money
explain the process through which cricket gradually became desegregated.
racial stereotypes-ballers for blacks, batsmen for white; constantine was a model for Western greatness; he was artistic and effective athlete; west indies cricket earlier was the most classic example of the black man being help back, and the team did not really succeed until a black captain lead
what is the climate like in Australia, and how does it affect cricket?
scorching heat and virtually no rain; it's very dry; players have to be careful about the head; due to lack of rain, grass fields are rare, so children learn to play cricket on concrete-this gives them an advantage as concrete is a lot harder to play on
to what extent was cricket used as an instrument of colonization?
seen as imparting English values of discipline to slaves; slaves tried to excel at something that English masters brought over; used it to show them how equal they were and showing that they were worth more than what they were used for
compare cricket and baseball. what are the main similarities/primary differences?
similarities-a batter, a pitcher, use bats and ball, play on field with clearly defined boundaries, dirt regions where fast play occurs; differences-scoring is very different, positions have different names, there are four types of cricket that can be played, whereas there is only one type of baseball, cricket has an object of hitting a specific target and of hitting a ball out of field, baseball's goal is to hit the ball as far away as possible so that people can run around a field
why does it mean so much to west indians when their cricket team wins?
special kind of pride at stake; want to allow west indians to be proud; they want people to feel proud; cricket was part of the struggle to escape a history filled with racial conflict; when politicians fail, they tun to cricket for a sense of nationhood; cricket is the glue that binds the west indies together
name some of the nations that play cricket under the west indies banner
ten sovereign nation-jamaica, barbados, trinidad and tobago, guyana
what was Armstrong diagnosed with in 1996? what chances was he given for survival? how did this experience change how Armstrong approached the Tour?
testicular cancer, spread to stomach and lungs; 40% chance of survival; he viewed losing the Tour like death, he had this same mentality when fighting cancer (loss=death)
describe the power dynamic between the British and the Indians in colonial India.
the British were quite mean to the Indians, and they had absolute power over them; they did not care about their wellbeing and say themselves as superior in every regard
to what extent was cricket seen as an expression of English morality? why?
the Empire is seen as foundation and representation of English morality; because cricket was often interlinked with imperialism, cricket is seen as a foundation and primary expression of English morality as well; the notion of sportsmanship expresses English and Christian values
what role did newspapers play in the organization of cycling competitions at the end of the 19th century? what were the names of the earliest newspapers that covered racing in France?
the conflict between Le Velo and L'Auto ultimately led to the creation of the Tour de France; they also increased sales by hosting races; Le Velo and L'Auto were popular newspapers
what is "shamateurism"?
the making of money when you are an amateur; W. G. Grace did this and often the boards/higher ups would overlook this; he was the most blatant example of shamateurism
what role did cricket play in Indian independence and nation-building?
the match between India and England at Lord's in 1932-England won, but it fostered a sense of national pride in India; 30s and 40s wee a time of crisis in India; WWII happen and then US and Soviet Union became world powers, and England's empire receded; British rule ended in 1947 and after establishment of India and Pakistan as separate nations, there was lots of confusion and bloodshed; Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, encouraged the continue play of the sport despite its association with the Empire; the national team served as a national symbol for new India; 1952- match at Headingly, most disastrous beginning for India, but they ended up winning the next three test matches, winning the series 3-1
what is mechanical doping? do you think athletes have done this?
the use of a hidden motor in a bike to boost performance; low-tech versions use battery powered motors whereas high-tech versions use electromagnetism; i do think that athletes have done this because there have been people found with hidden motors
explain the rules of the Tour de France, including the different kinds of stages and the significance of each jersey.
there are four classifications-general, points, climber, young rider; jerseys are awarded after each stage, where a stage is equal to a day in the tournament; yellow jersey-general winner; green jersey-best sprinter; polka dot-best climber; white jersey-best young rider under 26 years old; 22 teams with 8 riders each are sponsored, winners receive money from both the Tour and their sponsors; 4 stages-mountains and hills, flat/plain, individual time trials, and team time trials
try to explain rules of cricket.
there are two teams, each with 11 players; each team takes a turn batting and playing the field; batter=batsman; pitcher=bowler; bowler tries to known down the bail, a piece that sits on three stumps, all together known as wicket; two wickets are placed at the ends of the rectangular pitch that sits in the middle of a very large field; a batsman will try to prevent the bowler from hitting the wicket/knocking down the bail; two batsmen are on the pitch at the same time; object is to score a run, which is scored each time the batters change places on the pitch; team with the highest number of runs wins the match there are two types of runs-4 runs are awarded when a ball hits the out field on a bounce and 6 runs are awarded when a ball hits out of field on a fly
to what extend did UCI officials cover up Armstrong's doping? why did they want him to be clean?
they denied ever covering up his doping; they did admit to monitoring cyclers more heavily when their levels were closer; they wanted him to win because Armstrong brought so much to the sport and they wanted to grow the sport, controversy-free
what or who is the racer's real enemy in the race? why?
time-usually other people's time, but the cruelest is the pure time of clocks; when they are alone, they must move so that there is only them and time; cyclists never know if they have won until all the results are in and these results are completely based on time
Why is the Tour associated with both tradition and modernity?
tradition-reminds France of original cycling events/tours, legendary cyclists connect France to past; modernity-Tour is about human progress and using scientific innovations to expand human abilities, drugs and cheating and repetitiveness are negative associations with modernity, technological advancements allow expanding access to tour
what is The Ashes? what is the story behind The Ashes?
traumatic defeat of England by Australia; Grace ran the Australian "demon" out of the match, infuriating the team and giving them the motivation to win; there was a mock obituary written for the English team after the defeat; in a later match, the English captain proclaimed that they were going to "recover the Ashes of English cricket"; when England won the second match, they were presented with a small urn
cricket was originated in the rural parts of Southeast England. how did it spread through the rest of the country?
via imperialism, the spread of the British empire
describe Armstrong's bout with cancer. how close to death did he come? how did this affect his competitive mentality?
viewed battle with cancer as an athletic event, except that if he lost, he died; losing=death to him; chances of survival were less than 50%, after he beat cancer, his goal was to win the Tour
what was the significance of the success of the west indies cricket team in the 1970s and 1990s
wanted to inspire future generations; they began to make history by beating the best teams; it triggered pride all throughout west indian countries and gave people the foundations they needed to be proud of their backgrounds and of who they are; African culture was skewed and suppressed for 300 years, and people were firmly able to express themselves fully; extraordinary emergence of culture
what was the 1998 Festina scandal? what happened? how did it affect the culture and reputation of the Tour?
watch company sponsored a team, and management was arrested because they were found to be carrying drugs; riders were tested and were thrown out of race; management allowed the doping of riders under medical supervision; this was one of the biggest cheating scandals of the Tour, and erupted in chaos and the consistent blaming of others by cyclists and other teams
what happens following the game? what does this symbolize?
when the game is over, it begins to rain; it has been very dry there for some time and the rain is a miracle; it is a symbol of newfound confidence;; the British colonizers also leave, symbolizing the independence that India will gain soon and showing now cricket has helped to unite the Indian community
how does the timeline of Varjas' bike motors relate to Lance Armstrong?
won first of 7 in 1999, a year after the first one was sold; Armstrong denied every meeting him or putting a motor in his bike