Conclusion-Lindsey Landversicht

After completing this class this semester it is safe to say that I have learned a lot of new information and gone more in depth on some topics that I already had some knowledge about. One of the topics that really stuck out to me was about how athletes are discriminated when it comes to them being gay or lesbian. It is just crazy how people can just judge one another based on their orientation. I really hope in the future athletes will know that it is okay to come out and admit to being gay instead of holding it in and hiding it from everyone.  A second, thing that I enjoyed learning more about was Title IX. I was informed about Title IX in my previous classes and when I was in high school but I was glad to go more in depth about the topic and how it actually works. I have never kept a blog before this class. It was interesting to keep one and comment on other student’s blogs in the class on what we thought about the current topic. It was also interesting to read more on what each of my classmates thought about the topic that we were discussing in class before. I think after writing comments on my fellow classmates blogs this semester it makes me want to make my own blog and write about important information in the sport industry and let other people read it and get their feedback on it.  This class has been one of my favorite classes that I have taken so far here at BGSU. The reason being was I just really liked how this class was based on discussion and I liked how a lot of us got into the topics and we could just talk about it for a period of time. I also enjoyed this class because we weren’t taught straight out of a textbook it is nice to mix things up when teaching by having a discussion, getting into groups to do group work and to watch videos and look at the information on the power point slides. It was nice to learn about new information and to not hear the same information over and over again like I have experienced in some of my other sport management classes. I wish all students at BGSU were able to partake in this class I think a lot of the students who aren’t sport management majors would enjoy this class. I will take a lot of this great information and will be able to use it in the future when I have to have discussions with other people or I can use the information when I have a certain job title and one of this issues that I learned has come up.

Study Guide Questions #2: Joshua Kovacs

1. Give examples to illustrate Asian influences in American culture.

• Asian tattoos, movies like "Crouching Tiger" being the highest grossing foreign film, Chinese food being on every block, cartoon like Pokemon, and yoga becoming mainstream. 

2. What is "Orientalism" as suggested by Edward Said?

• "Exotic, mysterious, racist labels historically applied to the East by the West"
• West: Big Industry, masculinity, and big money.
• East: Femininity, weakness, delicate, and poor.

Study Guide Question: Joshua Kovacs

1. What are some of the critiques of Lebron and Giselle's photo on the cover of Vogue. especially in light of Lebron being the first African American man to be featured on that cover? Do you agree or disagree with those critiques?

• People were bringing in the comparison of the photo to old WW1 propoganda that showed a ravaged ape having a white women in his arms dangling, the poster said, "enlist to defeat the mad brute".
• I do not believe that this was the intention of Vogue magazine but rather a strange coincidence that happened. The picture was supposed to show that Lebron played fiercely on the court and all of the pictures depicted athletes along with white supermodels through out the magazine.

2. What was the "Beijing Backdown," as Guerrero (2010) refereed to it?

• Lebron James and Kobe Bryant vowed to speak out about the crisis in Darfur and China's role in it before the Olympic. Kobe even was involved in a commercial about the incident. When it came time to speak out and say something while in Beijing, the two backed down and decided to tell everyone that they will let politicians handle it the best way they knew how and basically left the matter alone. 

Conclusion: Joshua Kovacs

I really enjoyed this semesters class on sport and gender. I enjoy classes that spark debate and classes where you are encouraged to share your opinion on popular topics as well as here others opinions on them. Some of the topics that I enjoyed include Michael Jordan and the effect he had on the sports and business world. He was the best basketball player of all time according to many and also one of the most marketable people in all of sports. He made just about every company he came into contact with millions of dollars and didn't do to bad from a personal standpoint with money! He created such an iconic brand that he makes million still after retiring in the early 2000's. He will forever be admired by fans and coveted by companies to sell their products. The topic about Britney Griner being offered a contract by Mark Cuban was interesting because it has still yet to play out and people are not sure if he did this for a publicity stunt or if he will invite her to the summer games to try out. Many believe that she needs to stay at the WNBA level and help elevate women's basketball but still some think it would be great to see a woman try and compete at a men's level, even if it is a publicity stunt. This also bring the discussion of a woman attending the NFL combine which was also an interesting topic covered in class because it marked the first time a female was invited to compete. She may have had to leave due to injury but it shows how much woman have done to reach equality in terms of athletic proneness in today's sports. In conclusion, I enjoyed the semester in this class and it opened my eyes to all of the controversial problems of equality in today's sports world as we strive for equality among all.

Conclusion - Jeff Kravetz

Over the course of the semester, the topics we covered in class really brought different ideas and opinions to think about.  The most important thing I learned was about each of the most controversial topics in sports today such as, homophobia, transsexuals, and the way women and men are perceived by sports fans and audiences.  I learned more by discussing and presenting my own opinions in class, which made grasping the topics easier. The most useful thing in class were the clips from YouTube that related to each topic.  Sometimes, I wasn’t sure of some topics or people that we were discussing and would have been lost if I didn’t actually see it.  For example, I didn’t know about the Williams sisters and the controversy at Indian Wells.  The videos of it actually happening and their father’s response made the topic more interesting.  The most interesting topic to me was the image of males and females in sport, such as in bodybuilding magazines and the way women are portrayed in magazines.  I enjoyed looking at the different pictures and advertisements in magazines such as Flex, because I read magazines similar and haven’t noticed those types of subjects unless you really dig deep into the content.  I also enjoyed writing blogs and posting comments every week because it helped me evaluate what I knew or what I wanted other people to know about a subject we were discussing or to try and create questions that could lead to more answers or opinions.  I think this class will help me express my opinion and see things deeper than what it really talked about.  If I see things on television or ESPN that talk about female athletes in a certain sense, I’ll know what the media is trying to portray them as or see if there is a problem with what they have to say.  The class ultimately makes me think about topics outside the box and get a deeper meaning than what is really shown.  

Study Guide Question- Dan Pesato

“Cool pose” (Majors, 1990)

1.     Despite a high percentage of black males who participate in (or even dominate) some sports, what did statistics reveal (as of the writing of this article)? What do you think those statistics would be like in 2013?

Despite the high percentage of black males who participate in some sports, statistics reveal that less than 6% of all the athletic scholarships given in the United States actually go to African Americans. Also, an estimated 25-35% of high school black athletes do not even qualify for scholarships due to academic deficiencies. Of those black athletes that receive the scholarships, as many as 65-75% may not even graduate from college.

I feel that today, there are many black males who have made the mark in the sports they play. I believe that the percentage of athletic scholarships given is definitely higher in 2013. If they put in the work to become a collegiate athlete, then they should deserve the chance to make that happen. As of 2007-2008, black male athletes receive 22.8% as compared to other minority groups (Westfall, p.1).

 

Conclusion: Zane Langdon

a.     What did you learn?

The main thing that I learned from this class was to be more understanding of all of the different issues of sports and try to understand them from other peoples point of view.  Throughout the semester we were faced with many topics I had never thought about before, so the ability for me to sit back and think about my view point on these was something that was truly extraordinary.  I am appreciative of all of the new information I have learned and I cannot wait to go out and try to learn more.  

b.     What did you find most useful?

I found the topic about Jordan the most useful as it pertains to my minor the most.  On the business end, looking at the impact he has had is truly amazing.  He has transcended the world of sports and it is interesting to see if we as a sporting community are truly better off for it or not.  While he has opened doors, he is also the only one that is drawing comparisons in every sport of who will be the next Jordan which is a huge task for anyone to live up to.

c.     Were there any readings and/or topics that were especially interesting to you?

I would say that the topic of Brittney Griner playing in the NBA is something that was very interesting.  This is because of the various opinions that are on the issue and the people who are out there, but no one wanted to step on toes in this situation.   Many people I feel like held back on what they wanted to say simply because they did not want to offend people.

d.     How did writing blog or journal entries help you to think (and write) differently about certain topics?

Writing these made me try to address all sides of the issues and try to be understanding and address all sides of the issues.  I think that it has made me always seek the truth in the situation which is something that is very crucial to great writing.

e.     Overall, what will you take from this class that will be especially useful for your career?

I will take the ability to understand all sides of issues as you interact with people and make sure their feelings are understood as well as not step on toes.  My future jobs will put me in the position to interact with many people so the need to be understanding is crucial.