Final Reflections

I had an interesting perception of US sport before I took this class. I really love football, a lot. And I still hold my favorite sport in high regard, but this class has made me think critically about the sport in ways that I had not before. I looked at US sport as a model for hard work, determination, physical excellence, and of course as a form of entertainment. I love watching sports, and I will continue to turn on Sports Center every morning before I go to class. But now I will be noticing how sports are portrayed on ESPN. Who is presenting new information, if the players are being represented in a specific way, the number of female athletes that are mentioned in top plays, and the discourse used to present sports and athletes. I will always love watching football, but this class will make me look a little deeper into how it is presented, as well as the social and cultural influences that have come to shape my perceptions of US sport.

I really liked learning about disabled bodies. I know a decent amount about the paralympics, but I was unaware of the different sports available for disabled athletes. Murderball was an incredibly informative film, and it made me realize that disabled can also mean "abled" as well. The men in the movie participated in wheelchair rugby with the same tenacity and passion as any other "able" bodied athlete. I enjoyed watching the games and the suspense that the film created.

I will start asking (at least to myself) more critical questions about the sports world. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of sports. Whether it is coaching, the obstacles faced by athletes, the structure of the institutions that control the sports we watch, or the media, I will be looking differently at the sports that I normally did not investigate too deeply before.

I am wanting to go into a career of environmental justice, seeking justice for people of color and poor groups of people and communities who bear disproportionate amounts of environmental toxins and waste. This class has shown how the intersection of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation all factor in to how certain groups of people are treated and the opportunities that they have. I want to challenge the institutions that oppress certain groups of people, and this class has shown me that not only is it possible and necessary to demand change, but that it is an incredibly difficult uphill battle.

I would definitely recommend this class to a friend. I found this class to be engaging, informative, and interesting. I did not expect to take so much from this class, and have my perspective on US sport be so drastically affected by this class. It is important for us to ask critical questions about sport, because it is such a valued pastime for Americans. Our understanding of sport needs to be evaluated critically, and this class has taught me to look deeper than the surface of the sports that I am watching.

Why the Man's Man's Game is an Insult to Men

We have come a long way in addressing and recognizing LGBTQIA rights in America. We have several states that now allow same sex marriage, and larger institutions are now implementing policies to protect the rights of those who do not identify as heterosexual. We may pat our backs for these accomplishments, but the reality is that homophobia is far from being a sentiment of the past. People are fearful to reveal their sexual orientation because of potential backlash, slandering, physical violence, or career-ending decisions made by institutions or people in power.

Sport is certainly one institution that does not provide a safe space for the LGBT community. As documented in "Training Rules", blatant homophobia is oftentimes ignored and athletes who identify as lesbian or gay face scrutiny and criticism for their sexual orientation. People like Rene Portland are able to use intimidation and remove scholarships from student athletes because they are in a position of power. Schools claim to take care of such issues, or turn a blind eye to homophobia in their athletic departments. This can be because Portland and others are the coaches that win championships and have excellent records, and by removing them from their position, the school may lose donations from alumni. Another reason may be because homophobia is an incredibly large issue that is multidimensional and intimidating. This issue is larger than college sports, and it is bigger than the case Rene Portland. The NFL reports of a pro athlete considering coming out as gay in the near future. This individual is only considering revealing his sexual orientation, because he fears for the potential (probably inevitable) backlash that he will receive. Sports is not a safe place for the LGBT community, and we need to make some serious changes to remedy that.

I would suggest implementing stricter sanctions for those who engage in homophobic behavior and threaten those whom they believe to be gay or lesbian. This can be accomplished by having players anonymously reporting such behavior to a higher authority, or sending in professionals to observe team dynamics and evaluate the safety of the athletic department. Awareness should be spread to athletic teams both in the NCAA and in professional sports on what homophobia looks like, how to address homophobic acts, and who to contact if players feel threatened or unsafe. Athletes need to feel safe and accepted for who they are and the groups they identify with. This takes a paradigm shift, but it is a necessary movement we need to take for human rights.

Sports and Ethnicity

Sports are incredibly important for African American culture. They are often portrayed as a ticket out of the difficult and oppressive lives that they endure and a way to live meaningful lives outside of poverty. It is popular for Hollywood to portray the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" image while telling stories of African American success in sports. This is, after all, part of the American Dream. Pop culture and news sources often choose the select few stories of black males who come out of the depths of poverty and achieve successful careers as sports superstars. The reality is, these stories are few and far between, and it is incredibly difficult to break the cycle of poverty and oppression that many African American communities face. Hoop Dreams is a prime example of this. Both of the young boys featured in the film were given rare opportunities to play basketball in schools outside of their lower class neighborhoods. Hollywood would take their stories and conclude that the two young men went on to play professional sports and have very accomplished athletic careers. The reality of the situation, however, was that neither were able to pursue professional sporting careers once they graduated. Their adversities persisted, and both found it incredibly difficult to leave their lower class standing. The images portrayed in Hollywood of successful African American athletes who overcame adversities could be seen as detrimental to preserving the myth of race. Racism still exists in America, and Hollywood puts a lot of effort into creating images that argue otherwise. Leaving your socioeconomic standing is difficult in itself, and stories of Black Americans achieving extraordinary feats that allow them to rise from the depths of poverty and oppression are incredibly rare. Yet, we still see many movies suggesting otherwise. I believe it is incredibly important for us to realize that we are putting pressure on Black Americans by making claims that anyone can become a successful athlete if they put in the hard work.