Sports and World Culture

McGrath, "Dream Teams"

How fantasy baseball was first played. Points were calculated by hand every week. Talk about the guys who does daily sports and watches 6 hours of basketball every night and then makes hundreds of teams for the next day. One lady who doesn't care about sports reads up on basketball and gets super good at daily fantasy basketball.

Klosterman, "Are You Not Entertained?"

Gregg Popovich rested four of his best players in a 105-100 loss to the Miami Heat at the end of a four-game, five-night road trip The NBA fined the Spurs $250,000 calling their actions a "disservice to the league and our fans" Author discusses Division 3 basketball player scoring 138 points in a game, stating in his opinion that there are no negatives to this

Tomlinson, "Something Went Very Wrong at Toomer's Corner"

Harvey Updyke, die hard Alabama Crimson Tide football fan. A week after the Iron Bowl game (Alabama vs Auburn, Auburn won) he called in on a radio station under a different name and claimed that the weekend after the Iron Bowl game he poisoned the two Toomer's trees. "Put a broken-down trooper far from his childhood and he's harmless. Set him near the team he's always loved—and even nearer to the team he hates—and he becomes a villain."

Kamiya, "The Black Edge"

-It is no secret that blacks dominate much of the world or sports - He talks about how people of African descent have a biological advantage when it comes to sports -Politically correct answer: Extraordinary motivation because athletics were the only way for them to get out of the hood. -The author believes that genetics are the reason for African Americans being superior athletes. - He references some stats to support his claim. "West African-descended blacks hold an astounding 95 percent of the top times in sprinting, while athletes from just one East African country, Kenya , hold an incredible one-third of the top times in all long- and middle-distance races." (Gary Kamiya, Black Edge)

Ripley, "The Case Against High School Sports"

-Sports are embedded in schools in the United States however just about everywhere else this is not the case. Many different countries including Korea spend less than half of the amount of time on sports Americans do. -Sports also cost more money from schools to support. -In a school in Texas, named Singleton they saved over $100,000 by cutting sports teams. Academic ability increased, there were less fights, and the quality of the school was overall better. -Should all schools be like this? -Or is it necessary to have sports access to everyone year round?

Powell, "Rio Games Highlight Problems with the Olympic Model"

After the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, there are countless empty stadiums, and other empty facilities that are not being used. Many suggest that this was a waste of money for a two week long sporting event when that money could be used to make the nation a better place to live. Many suggest that to prevent this, the games only be hosted in modernized, and stable nations, while others suggest that the games be permanently moved to athens or that the games be played in the same country 3 times in a row.

Miles, "The Dominance Effect"

Article in response to "the black edge" States that there is no real evidence supporting Kamiya's claims and that what he is saying is racist States his argument is very weak and his book is filled with "padding" Why does he think black athletes are superior? Is it racist to say black athletes dominate athletic competition because of their race?

Foer, "How Soccer Explains the Survival of the Top Hats"

Brazil had rich club owners that controlled the game. Also called Cartolas. They often valued personal gain and corruption over what was best for the players, spectators, and the game in general. This resulted in poor stadiums, players that didn't deserve to be on the team, and many of the most talented players leaving to play abroad.

Panja, Martin & Silver, "A League of His Own"

Dives into the depth of corruption throughout FIFA, citing JAck Warner and the Nepal soccer head as people who have been accused of taking FIFA money for personal use. States that FIFA is a nonprofit, but is unwilling to give out details on the salary of Sepp Blatter and leading officials A host of Pork Barrel Legislation, throwing millions of dollars to countries like the Caymans in order to keep votes. Blatter donates FIFA money in order to gain FIFA Regional leaders of his choice After Haiti earthquake, 750,000 dollars was sent as aid from FIFIA (500,00 from South Korea), but not all was delivered. Much of the accounting was spent on Warner businesses, the FIFA leader of Trinidad, who has had a long history of corruptionp

Thomas, "The Boxer and the Batterer"

Do sports like boxing encourage violence? The article went over Mayweather's multiple cases of domestic violence resulting in multiple fines, house arrests, and community service sentences. The article makes the reader wonder if his boxing profession leads him to become more of a violent individual, even outside of the ring.

Roth, "Qatar Chronicles, Part IV: They Wanted It More"

FIFA accepts Qatar's bid to host the World Cup in 2022 Due to FIFA choosing Qatar for having the highest bid it is easy to have doubts about why they chose Qatar. (Possible corruption) Qatar wanted it more and were prepared to spend hundreds of billions if needed. By having it Qatar fans could see more than 1 game a day due to close quarters. 20% of its citizens are related to the ruling family By having the World Cup Qatar has the opportunity to become a greater nation. Possibility to make alliances. They want to show people how great it is but also be left alone after the World Cup

Last Week Tonight, "Daily Fantasy Sports"

Fanduel and Draftkings get their players hooked in daily fantasy sports through gambling. The websites and commercials for Fanduel and Draftkings insist that the gambling is all legal, even though it has been deemed illegal in several states because it is considered "pay to play" online gambling. The reason it is still considered legal in some states is because fantasy sports is being considered as a "game of skill" rather than a "game of luck". Must be labeled game of skill for legal reasons

Foer, "How Soccer Explains America's Culture Wars"

Football was too violent, Baseball was too much pressure, and Basketball had a ghetto connotation Yuppie parents had their kids play soccer because it was still competitive, but it was easier to blend into the team. Players were given participation trophies and scores were sometimes not kept In other countries, soccer is seen as a game for the working class families. In the U.S., it is seen as for the upper class

Foer, "How Soccer Explains Islam's Hope"

In Iran soccer became a sign of hope for women of Islam After much protest and resistance women through protest and force stormed into a stadium, demanding their rights to watch a soccer match, and WON This act of protest demonstrates how a sport like soccer can promote political change in a country

Gladwell, "Talent Grab"

In the 1960's players didn't realize that the owners were taking a lot of their money and the players were getting taken advantage of. They were payed very little during that time. All changed when taxes began began to fall, the salaries of players began to rise. Marvin Miller helped players realize they could make more money and tried to fight against "the wealthiest men in America." Miller led the players out on a strike, which was the first strike in the history of sports.

League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis

League doctors tried to cover up the seriousness of concussions Doctor Omalu found CTE in brains of retired NFL players who had passed away NFL sketchley went about studies and revealing information Packets told players returning to game following head trauma had no lasting effect Refused to meet with Doctor Omalu Placed doctors with little neurological background to research team Formerly gave money to retired athletes suffering from dementia caused by NFL career CTE is overwhelming present in studied cases, though it is a relatively small sample size Pro football is like the tobacco industry

Keating, "The Silent Enemy of Men's Sports"

People often scapegoat title IX as the reason many men's sports programs have suffered, but NCAA scholarship rules may actually be the real enemy. Many sports the amount of scholarships are limited, with not enough being available to have a full scholarship starting lineup in soccer. NCAA admits scholarship rules have been geared towards making money Is this scholarship rule the real reason some men's sports teams suffer, or is title IX the real culprit?

Mathis-Lilley, "Why Florida Fans Think FSU Fans Are Dumb"

Rivalries are influenced by: Frequency of competition Competitiveness Geographic proximity Culture also has a major impact, as rivals often look down at opposing teams as rich snobs or poor hillbillies. This was seen from the creation of A&M schools (farming), which were founded near prestigious liberal art schools (private). Once the era of college sports took over, this spawned the rivalries of rich v. poor (Ole Miss v. Mississippi State) or private v. public (USC v. UCLA).

Foer, "How Soccer Explains the Pornography of Sects"

Rivalry of the Celtics, Rangers soccer teams are based on their two religions Celtics are Catholics and Rangers are Protestants The two groups hate each other to the extent that people are murdered or attacked based on which team they support. It shows how powerful sports teams can impact daily life

Mandelbaum, The Meaning of Sports: "A Variety of Religious Experience"

Since child labor was now against the law, it gave children more free time till they became old enough to work. Team sports became popular because the growth of cities (could bring large amounts of people in one place that could create a pool of spectators and players), modern methods of transportation (teams from one section of the country could travel somewhere else to compete), and the connection between sports and religion. Like religion, sports welcome a diversion from the routines of daily life, are a model of coherence and clarity, and offer heroic examples to admire and emulate.

Levitt & Dubner, "What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common?"

Sumo tournaments are 15 games per person, if you win 8 or more you move up and if you lose 8 or more you move down in rankings. Highest ranked wrestlers are treated like celebrities and lower barely make any money. They found that when an 7-7 wrestled an 8-6 the 7-7 won way more than 50% of the time. Someone came out and said there were like 20 wrestlers who never cheated and everyone else did.

Gladwell, "Offensive Play"

Tells the story of former Chicago Bears offensive lineman, Kyle Turey, and his struggles with CTE after his playing career Goes on to talk about Michael Vick and compare football to dogfighting - "For the entertainment of an audience and the chance of a payday." Discusses the science/neurology of football

Johnson, "The Royals are the Epitome of a Moneyball Team"

The Royals have been successful even though they rely on speed and defense and they don't embrace advanced metrics The fact they don't believe in the strategies Billy Beane used with the A's actually makes them a "moneyball team" because they are finding an inefficiency of their own now that so many teams have embraced Beane's strategy If you're a "moneyball team" if you follow Beane's model OR if you disregard Beane's model, doesn't that include every team? How do you copy what the A's are doing, if the A's are saying that you should find something that other teams aren't doing?

Branch, "The Shame of College Sports"

The U.S. is among the only nations that incorporate moneymaking sports into higher education The NCAA regulates schools closely and punishes players unreasonably for minor offenses in order to maintain allegiance to the amateur model College sports, which make a great deal of money and are played largely by unpaid African-Americans, have some similarities with slavery or indentured servitude Why is the amateur model seen as inherently righteous? What benefits does amateurism provide to players and schools? Should college athletes at major programs be paid in some way? If so, how would it work?

Gladwell, "Psychic Benefits and the NBA Lockout"

The behavior of the owner in professional sports The "psychic benefits" owners have with the control over a team In some cases at a financial loss Congress gives MLB an antitrust "pass" NFL is a non-profit organization Owners run teams not for business but for their psychological benefit, like a "toy" Forbes values sports teams each year and always seem to lowball their worth because all they look at is strictly business, while buyers look at sports teams not only as such but also as personal gain very similar to an expensive work of art

Schooled: The Price of College Sports

The big question of "why aren't college athletes getting compensated for bringing money to the university?" Advertising for school Also talks about fake classes so university athletes can stay academically eligible Restitution rule College athletes classified as amateurs Should college athletes be paid in some way? Should college "student athletes" get paid for playing a sport under a university? Why or why not? Do colleges value the student athlete's education or how much they contribute with their sports? Explain. TCU football player who was paralyzed and the school wouldn't pay for his medical bills

Foer, "How Soccer Explains the Black Carpathians"

The importance of soccer to the people of Nigeria Edward Anyamkyegh, a skilled Nigerian player, played in Ukraine for Karpathy Lviv After him, many other Nigerian players went to play in Ukraine They faced racism in their new home, but eventually became united through religion

Sherman, "The Season from Hell"

The story of Roger Goodell How he got into the NFL and football in general Talks about how the NFL didn't try at all to get the video of Ray Rice beating his wife, they didn't want to suspend him basically Talks about how Goodell has made the NFL a bunch of money, but he hasn't handled issues about the NFL's public image very well. NFL is trying to get young kids to play football to extend the future of football Goodell testified before congress saying he couldn't say if there was a link between football and head trauma. A month later, the NFL made a bunch of player safety reforms. NFL concussion settlement.

Lewis, Moneyball

There are inefficiencies in the market for baseball players that allow a team with less money to get pretty good players Scouts focus too much on their own biased beliefs and should use statistics and data to evaluate players The Oakland A's embrace a style where they walk a lot in order to improve OPS, because that is highly correlated with winning and undervalued by the market Did Billy Beane's Moneyball strategy work, given that they never won a title? How do traditional statistics contribute to the problems in the market for baseball players?

Mandelbaum, The Meaning of Sports: "The Rise of Team Sports"

Throughout history, individual sports have often been associated with the rich and wealthy. In many cases, only people that were apart of the nobility or at the top of the social hierarchy were permitted to participate in these individual sports. Part of the reason why team sports have become so prevalent in society today is due to the social leveling that team sports denote. Everyone on the same team is part of the same social standing. Which, in many cases allows these athletes a sort of upward mobility in the social hierarchy. -Uniforms -Cooperation

Powell, "Bucks' Owners Win, at Wisconsin's Expense"

Two hedge fund managers purchased the Bucks, and wanted a new arena with taxpayers footing half the cost of 500 million. Scott Walker signed the bill subsidizing the arena, at double the original projected cost. Calls into question if it's right for billionaires to take money from cities so they don't move. Bucks could still move in future What are benefits of having a sports team, and is it worth it for cities to pay to keep sports teams from leaving? Should sports teams be allowed to extort money to help build arenas, or should the owners be forced to pay the full amount?

Keri, "Beane Counters"

Two hour sit down with Billy Beane and Lew Wolff; big data, value of continuity, ballin on a budget MLBAM- Beane says it's still just numbers, and is what you do with those numbers that matter. Big emphasis on the manager position; open to new ideas, hiring the right scouts and statisticians Distrust of industry insiders- doesn't want biases of their own life experiences to be apart of their decision making process; blank canvas IT coach in the dugout at some point

Manfred, "The Olympics Are Entering a New Era of Host Cities"

US Olympic committee kills Boston's 2024 bid due to cost concerns; mayor refused to immediately agree to standard protocol of taxpayers paying any extra costs Japanese sports official resigns after doubling cost estimate of Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Stadium Bejing is frontrunner to host 2022 Winter Olympics although they have no snow It has become hard for cities to justify spending as public infrastructure so now "it appears that cities that bid for the Olympics will fall into two camps: one, cities with authoritarian governments that don't have to justify the more than $5 billion price tag to the public, and, two, cities that already have all the stuff you need to host."

Winslow, "The Impact of Title IX"

What did Title IX do for women and girls in the United States? "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." What other areas, other than athletics, does Title IX apply to? 40 years ago, athletic scholarships were rare for women, and math and science was a reserved for boys. Girls could become teachers and nurses Participation in Varsity Sports In 1971 - 295,000 - 7 percent of all varsity athletes 2001 - 2.8 million - 41.5 percent of all varsity athletes Good amount of opposition to the enactment, legislators tried to limit its influence. They tried to have revenue-producing sports such as college football be exempted from Title IX compliance